Natalie Decker Lemke

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Natalie Decker Lemke
Decker at Daytona International Speedway in 2019
BornNatalie Marie Decker[1]
(1997-06-25) June 25, 1997 (age 26)
Eagle River, Wisconsin, U.S.
AchievementsHighest finishing female driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (5th, Daytona, 2020)
2021 Trans-Am Series SGT Class ProAm Challenge Champion
Awards2013 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
11 races run over 4 years
Car no., teamNo. 36 (DGM Racing)
Best finish18th (2024)
First race2021 Super Start Batteries 188 (Daytona RC)
Last race2024 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
32 races run over 2 years
Best finish5th (2020)
First race2019 NextEra Energy 250 (Daytona)
Last race2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
Statistics current as of February 8, 2023.

Natalie Marie Decker Lemke (born June 25, 1997) is an American racing driver. She competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving the No. 36 Chevrolet Camaro for DGM Racing. She was a 2015 NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant and 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development competitor.[2][3] She is the cousin of Claire Decker and Paige Decker who have also competed in NASCAR.

Racing career[edit]

Decker's 2010 4-cylinder car
Decker celebrating after winning a 2012 super stock race at Marshfield Motor Speedway
Decker's 2013 ARCA Midwest Tour truck at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway
Decker signing autographs at an ARCA Midwest Tour race in 2014
Decker celebrating after winning a 2015 late model race at Golden Sands Speedway
Decker's 2016 ARCA Midwest Tour car
Decker's 2017 ARCA Midwest Tour car

Local and regional racing[edit]

Decker won 4 karting championships in two years.[4] She began racing in 4-cylinder modified stock cars as a 12-year-old;[5] in 2011 she moved up to the Super Stock class and won the 2012 class championship at Marshfield Motor Speedway.[6][5] Decker began racing in the ARCA Midwest Tour and took the 2013 Rookie of the Year by finishing third in points.[7] She also took third that season in a three-race Midwest Truck Series at Madison International Speedway.[7] In 2014, she won seven limited late model features and two super late model features.[5] She was added to the Rev Racing team in 2015 as she was named to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.[8]

NASCAR and ARCA[edit]

Decker's 2017 ARCA car at Road America
Decker (No. 25) racing Bret Holmes (No. 23) in the 2018 ARCA race at Michigan
Decker beside her car on pit road before the ARCA race at Madison in 2018
Decker in the 2019 Truck Series season-finale at Homestead

She was one of seven drivers to compete in the 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development program; she was awarded $7,777.[9] Decker joined her cousins Paige Decker and Claire Decker in attempting to make the field for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2016.[2] Decker was 38th fastest in qualifying and her MAKE Motorsports entry did not make the field.[3]

In 2017, it was announced that she would drive in three ARCA races for Venturini Motorsports (Elko, Toledo, and Pocono).[10] Decker made her ARCA debut at Toledo Speedway. After spending much of the race in the Top 10, she finished eleventh on the lead lap.[11]

Venturini later announced that they had signed Decker to drive the full 2018 ARCA schedule.[12] Decker began the season by winning the pole at the season opening race at Daytona;[13] she would finish fifth in a crash-filled race.[14] Later on in the season she was injured via hernia, and was forced to start the race and have Brennan Poole jump in, in which he would finish the race in 8th. She finished the season 7th in point standings, which was last among drivers who competed in every race.

On November 30, 2018, DGR-Crosley announced plans for Decker to run a partial Truck Series schedule for the team in the 2019 season, along with some ARCA and K&N Pro Series events.[15][16]

Decker's Truck series debut at Daytona saw her No. 54 Toyota cut a left front tire and rupture an oil line, setting the truck on fire on the first lap.[17] At Kentucky Speedway in July, Decker was involved in an on-track incident with Spencer Boyd, eliminating both drivers from the race. Later, in the truck garage, Decker took Boyd’s hat off his head and slammed it on the ground before being verbally warned by a NASCAR official stating "that's enough". She was escorted away by her team.[18]

Decker signed with Niece Motorsports for the 2020 season. On February 14, 2020, she finished fifth at Daytona, becoming the highest-finishing female driver in Truck Series history.[19] She missed the Pocono race after being hospitalized for bile duct complications related to her gall bladder surgery in December 2019.[20] On September 25, Decker was not medically cleared to race at Las Vegas after experiencing a high heart rate and high blood pressure; because her truck had cleared inspection and was placed on the starting grid, she was credited with a last-place finish in the race.[21] Decker later pinpointed high blood pressure as the cause for fatigue, but with a deeper cause undetermined, she also missed the following race at Talladega Superspeedway, where Kaz Grala took the seat.[22]

On February 5, 2021, it was announced that Decker would make her debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021, driving the No. 23 for RSS Racing/Reaume Brothers Racing in at least five races beginning at the Daytona Road Course with sponsorship from Red Street Records, who will highlight the musicians they work with on the car, Jason Crabb being one of them.[23] She remained in the No. 23 after Our Motorsports assumed operations.[24]

In 2022, she attempted the Daytona season-opener with the No. 33 for Reaume Brothers Racing, but failed to qualify. However, she did qualify for the April Martinsville race, driving the No. 28 RSS Racing Ford in a collaboration with RBR. She also failed to qualify for the spring race at Talladega driving the No. 13 for MBM Motorsports. Decker was also going to run the race at Daytona in August driving the No. 5 for B. J. McLeod Motorsports. However, her sponsor, Diesel Beverages, was not approved in time for the race. Diesel Beverages is a hemp/CBD product, which NASCAR had to examine if it would be approved as a sponsor. She would be replaced in the car by Patrick Emerling. Decker stated that she hoped to run a different race later in the season if the sponsor is approved.[25]

On February 8, 2023, it was announced that Decker would drive part-time for Emerling-Gase Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and the ARCA Menards Series in their No. 53 car in both series. It would be her first ARCA start since 2020 as well as EGM's first time fielding an entry in ARCA.[26]

Other racing[edit]

On January 30 and 31, 2018, Decker tested a LMP3 sports car at Sebring International Raceway. The car was fielded by longtime Decker family friend Tony Ave.[27] Ave wanted her to drive his car after he was impressed by her performance in the 2017 Road America ARCA race, where she finished 7th, which was her best finish of the season. In 2019, Decker is scheduled to race in five events for Ave's Trans Am team. She finished ninth in his TA car at Sebring International Raceway.[28]

Decker was among the preliminary participants for the 2019 W Series, after making the initial cut from 55 drivers to 28 she did not survive the next round of cuts.[29] Decker was scheduled to make her Trans-Am SGT class debut at Road Atlanta with Ave Motorsports in November 2020, but was forced to miss the race after testing positive for COVID-19.[30]

In 2021, Decker raced several times for Ave in the Trans-Am Series. She took the SGT pole position in March at the Charlotte Roval and finished second in the race.[31] She also finished second at Watkins Glen.[32] She won the race at the Circuit of the Americas and won the SGT ProAm Challenge Title.[33]

Personal life[edit]

Decker is the cousin of sisters Paige and Claire Decker (daughters of Allen Decker).[2] Her father is Chuck Decker, the former owner of the Eagle River Derby Track, which hosts the World Championship Snowmobile Derby. The Track was sold in August 2018 and is now called the World Championship Derby Complex.[34]

The Decker family was prominent in snowmobile racing in the 1970s and 1980s;[7] four Decker brothers raced snowmobiles including Allen Decker, a factory rider for Bombardier (and onetime teammate to Jacques Villeneuve), and Natalie's father Chuck, who won the 1987 World Championship Derby race at Eagle River.[35][7] The Deckers also raced snowmobiles alongside the family of Danica Patrick.[7] Sue Decker, Natalie's aunt, introduced Patrick's parents.[7]

On September 29, 2019, Decker revealed that she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, which she was first diagnosed with at the age of two.[36]

Decker is engaged to fellow NASCAR driver Derek Lemke. On January 1st, 2024, Decker and Lemke got married.

Motorsports career results[edit]

NASCAR[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series[edit]

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NXSC Pts Ref
2021 RSS Racing with Reaume Brothers Racing 23 Chevy DAY DAY
40 		HOM LVS PHO ATL MAR 53rd 42 [37]
Our Motorsports TAL
24 		DAR DOV COA CLT MOH TEX NSH
26 		POC ROA
32 		ATL NHA GLN IND MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL CLT TEX KAN MAR
25 		PHO
2022 Reaume Brothers Racing 33 Toyota DAY
DNQ 		CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH 63rd 17 [38]
RSS Racing 28 Ford MAR
35
MBM Motorsports 13 Ford TAL
DNQ 		DOV DAR TEX CLT PIR ATL
27 		NHA POC IND MCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL CLT LVS HOM MAR PHO
66 Toyota NSH
32 		ROA
2023 SS-Green Light Racing 08 Chevy DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR CLT
34 		PIR SON NSH CSC ATL NHA POC ROA MCH IRC GLN 64th 5 [39]
Emerling-Gase Motorsports 53 Ford DAY
35 		DAR KAN BRI TEX ROV LVS
SS-Green Light Racing 07 Chevy HOM
DNQ 		MAR PHO
2024 DGM Racing 36 Chevy DAY
18 		ATL LVS PHO COA RCH MAR TEX TAL
Wth 		DOV DAR CLT PIR SON IOW NHA NSH CSC POC IND MCH DAY DAR ATL GLN BRI KAN TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO -* -* [40]

Camping World Truck Series[edit]

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NCWTC Pts Ref
2016 MAKE Motorsports 14 Chevy DAY ATL MAR
DNQ 		KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW KEN ELD POC BRI MCH MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 118th - [41]
2019 DGR-Crosley 54 Toyota DAY
32 		ATL
24 		LVS
13 		MAR TEX DOV
17 		KAN
25 		CLT
31 		TEX
22 		IOW
17 		GTW
27 		CHI
14 		KEN
27 		POC
16 		ELD MCH
27 		BRI
25 		MSP LVS
25 		TAL
16 		MAR
22 		PHO
22 		HOM
20 		19th 281 [42]
2020 Niece Motorsports 44 Chevy DAY
5 		LVS
21 		CLT
27 		ATL HOM POC KEN
29 		TEX
35 		KAN
21 		KAN
35 		MCH DAY
20 		DOV GTW
28 		DAR RCH
34 		BRI
29 		LVS
36 		TAL KAN TEX
30 		MAR
27 		PHO 33rd 153 [43]
2022 Reaume Brothers Racing 43 Toyota DAY LVS ATL COA MAR BRI DAR KAN TEX CLT GTW SON KNX NSH MOH POC IRP RCH KAN BRI TAL
DNQ 		HOM PHO N/A 0 [44]

K&N Pro Series East[edit]

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 NKNPSEC Pts Ref
2019 DGR-Crosley 98 Toyota NSM BRI
19 		SBO SBO MEM NHA IOW GLN BRI GTW NHA DOV 47th 25 [45]

ARCA Menards Series[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Menards Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 AMSC Pts Ref
2017 Venturini Motorsports 25 Toyota DAY NSH SLM TAL TOL
11 		ELK
13 		POC
27 		MCH MAD IOW IRP POC
10 		WIN ISF ROA
7 		DSF SLM CHI KAN
12 		23rd 1150 [46]
55 KEN
12
2018 25 DAY
5 		NSH
11 		SLM
17 		TAL
28 		TOL
7 		CLT
15 		POC
8 		MCH
15 		MAD
6 		GTW
15 		CHI
12 		IOW
16 		ELK
5 		POC
15 		ISF
10 		BLN
10 		DSF
12 		SLM
8 		IRP
16 		KAN
6 		7th 4220 [47]
2019 DGR-Crosley 54 Toyota DAY
6 		FIF SLM TAL
23 		NSH TOL CLT POC MCH MAD GTW CHI ELK IOW POC ISF DSF SLM IRP KAN 56th 315 [48]
2020 Ken Schrader Racing with Fury Race Cars 52 Ford DAY
26 		PHO TAL POC IRP KEN IOW KAN TOL TOL MCH DAY GTW L44 TOL BRI WIN MEM ISF KAN 86th 18 [49]
2023 Emerling-Gase Motorsports 53 Ford DAY
14 		PHO TAL KAN CLT BLN ELK MOH IOW POC MCH IRP GLN ISF MLW DSF KAN BRI SLM TOL 92nd 30 [50]

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Team Event Rosters – Bristol Motor Speedway – Thursday, August 15, 2019" (PDF). NASCAR. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c White, Rea. "Decker sisters, cousin try to turn Martinsville into family event". Sporting News. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b Spencer, Reid. "Decker family aims to take three spots in Truck race". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  4. ^ Whitaker, Kent. "Kulwicki Development Driver Natalie Decker Debuts At Martinsville". Sports Blog. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Rev Racing Biography". Rev Racing. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  6. ^ Cooper, Cara. "Natalie Decker joins family fun with Camping World Truck Series debut this weekend". Martinsville Bulletin. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e f James, Brant (25 October 2013). "Deckers have Danica connection". ESPN. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  8. ^ "Natalie Joins NASCAR Drive for Diversity". Decker Racing. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  9. ^ "2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program Lineup Announced". Kulwicki Driver Development Program. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  10. ^ "Eagle River native, Natalie Decker, signs with Top National Team". WAOW. March 15, 2017. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  11. ^ "Burton flies ARCA checkers at Toledo Speedway". RacinBoys.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  12. ^ Fabrizio, Tony (October 27, 2017). "Natalie Decker taking next step as full-season ARCA driver in 2018". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  13. ^ Utter, Jim (February 9, 2018). "Natalie Decker takes pole for ARCA season-opener at Daytona". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  14. ^ Pockrass, Bob (February 10, 2018). "Natalie Decker keeps cool, finishes fifth in wreck-filled ARCA opener at Daytona". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  15. ^ Utter, Jim (November 30, 2018). "Natalie Decker to begin transition to NASCAR racing in 2019". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  16. ^ "Natalie Decker joins DGR-Crosley, to race across three series". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media LLC. November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  17. ^ "Hill earns first career win after overtime finish in Truck season opener at Daytona". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  18. ^ Bromberg, Nick. "Natalie Decker angrily rips Spencer Boyd's hat off his head and throws it after Truck Series crash". Yahoo! Sports.
  19. ^ "Natalie Decker scores best finish by a female competitor in NASCAR Truck Series history". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  20. ^ McFadin, Daniel (June 26, 2020). "Natalie Decker to miss Pocono Truck race due to hospitalization". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  21. ^ "Natalie Decker not medically cleared for Las Vegas Truck race". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  22. ^ "Natalie Decker not medically cleared for Las Vegas Truck race: UPDATES". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  23. ^ Carey, Michael (February 5, 2021). "Natalie Decker Signs with RSS Racing for Partial Schedule in Reaume-assisted No. 23". TobyChristie.com.
  24. ^ Long, Dustin (April 20, 2021). "Natalie Decker's Xfinity schedule with Our Motorsports revealed". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  25. ^ "(Twitter post)". Twitter. Natalie Decker. August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  26. ^ Srigley, Joseph (February 8, 2023). "Natalie Decker Joins Emerling-Gase Motorsports for Select Xfinity, ARCA Races". TobyChristie.com.
  27. ^ "Longtime family friend Tony Ave offers Decker road course experience at Sebring". ARCA Racing. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  28. ^ "Round 1 Trans Am 100 TA/TA3/TA4 Race Results" (PDF). Trans Am. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  29. ^ Massie, Michael (28 May 2019). "Natalie Decker: No Pressure to Replace Danica Patrick's Void, No Longer Facing Sexism". Frontstretch. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  30. ^ "NASCAR: Natalie Decker tests positive for COVID-19". Beyond the Flag. FanSided. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  31. ^ "NASCAR Xfinity Racer Natalie Decker Back on Track with AVE Motorsports at 'The Glen'". Trans Am Series. August 24, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  32. ^ "Natalie Decker Finishes Second in SGT Class at Watkins Glen Trans Am". TobyChristie.com. September 13, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  33. ^ "Brabham Captures Trans Am TA Thriller with Last-Lap Pass at CoTA | SpeedwayMedia.com". Speedway Media. November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  34. ^ Prusak, John (September 7, 2018). "Eagle River Derby Track Is Purchased By Industry Insiders Who Pledge A Bright Future For The Event". SnowGoer. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  35. ^ Ordway, Renee (February 23, 1987). "World Champion Snowmobile Racer Reflects on Fun of Life in Fast Track". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  36. ^ Christie, Toby (September 29, 2019). "Video: Natalie Decker Reveals That She Suffers From Rheumatoid Arthritis". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  37. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  38. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  39. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  40. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  41. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  42. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  43. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  44. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  45. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  46. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2017 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  47. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2018 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  48. ^ "Natalie Decker – 2019 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  49. ^ "Natalie Decker - 2020 ARCA Menards Series results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  50. ^ "Natalie Decker - 2023 ARCA Menards Series results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 23, 2023.

External links[edit]

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