Natalie Decker

Natalie Marie Decker Lemke (born June 25, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She currently competes part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 35/53 Chevrolet Camaro SS/Toyota GR Supra for Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen, and the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Young's Motorsports. She was a 2015 NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant and 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development competitor. She is the cousin of Claire Decker and Paige Decker who have also competed in NASCAR.

Racing career Local and regional racing

Decker won four karting championships in two years. She began racing in 4-cylinder modified stock cars as a 12-year-old; Decker began racing in the ARCA Midwest Tour

NASCAR and ARCA Decker was one of seven drivers to compete in the 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development program; she was awarded $7,777. 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. Decker made her ARCA debut at Toledo Speedway. After spending much of the race in the top-ten, she finished eleventh on the lead lap.

Decker poses with fans at Madison Speedway in the 2018 ARCA Racing Series.

Venturini later announced that they had signed Decker to drive the full 2018 ARCA schedule. Decker began the season by winning the pole at the season opening race at Daytona; she would finish fifth in a crash-filled race. 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 eighth. She finished the season seventh 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.

Decker racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the 2019 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

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. 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.

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. She missed the Pocono race after being hospitalized for bile duct complications related to her gall bladder surgery in December 2019. 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. 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.

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. She remained in the No. 23 after Our Motorsports assumed operations.

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 to determine 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.

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.

On February 7, 2024, DGM Racing announced that Decker would drive their No. 36 car in the Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona. Decker was also going to drive the same car at Talladega in April, but like at Daytona in August 2022, had a sponsor that was not approved by NASCAR. As a result, DGM withdrew the No. 36 car, and she did not get to run that race. She would make another start for the team at Charlotte in May in their No. 92 car.

Decker became known in 2026 for a meltdown while driving for Team Reaume at Dover after NASCAR parked her for failing to maintain a reasonable pace. It was the second consecutive race she was black-flagged, after being parked for the same reason at Watkins Glen.

Other racing 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. Ave wanted her to drive his car after he was impressed by her performance in the 2017 Road America ARCA race, where she finished seventh, 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.

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. 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.

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. She also finished second at Watkins Glen. She won the race at the Circuit of the Americas and won the SGT ProAm Challenge Title.

Personal life Decker is the cousin of sisters Paige and Claire Decker (daughters of Allen Decker).

The Decker family was prominent in snowmobile racing in the 1970s and 1980s; 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.

In December 2022, Decker got engaged to fellow NASCAR driver Derek Lemke (who would make his Truck Series debut for Reaume Brothers Racing in 2023). Decker and Lemke got married on New Year's Eve in 2023.

On August 14, 2024, Decker announced that she was expecting her first child. In February 2025, Decker gave birth to her first child, a son named Levi. She later stated that she had experienced complications during the delivery. Approximately six months after giving birth, she competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway.

Motorsports career results

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

O'Reilly Auto Parts Series NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts 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 Pts Ref 2021 RSS Racing withReaume Brothers Racing 23 Chevy DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL MAR 53rd 42 Our Motorsports TAL DAR DOV COA CLT MOH TEX NSH POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IND MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL CLT TEX KAN MAR PHO 2022 Reaume Brothers Racing 33 Toyota DAYDNQ CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH 63rd 17 RSS Racing 28 Ford MAR35 MBM Motorsports 13 Ford TALDNQ DOV DAR TEX CLT PIR ATL27 NHA POC IND MCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL CLT LVS HOM MAR PHO 66 Toyota NSH32 ROA 2023 SS-Green Light Racing 08 Chevy DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR CLT34 PIR SON NSH CSC ATL NHA POC ROA MCH IRC GLN 64th 5 Emerling-Gase Motorsports 53 Ford DAY35 DAR KAN BRI TEX ROV LVS SS-Green Light Racing 07 Chevy HOMDNQ MAR PHO 2024 DGM Racing 36 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO COA RCH MAR TEX TALWth DOV DAR 56th 27 92 CLT PIR SON IOW NHA NSH CSC POC IND MCH DAY DAR ATL GLN BRI KAN TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 2025 DGM Racing withJesse Iwuji Motorsports DAY ATL COA PHO LVS HOM MAR DAR BRI CAR TAL TEX CLT NSH MXC POC ATL CSC SON DOV IND IOW GLN DAY22 PIR GTW BRI KAN ROV LVS TAL MAR PHO 65th 15 2026 Joey Gase Motorsportswith Scott Osteen 35 Chevy DAY33 ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR CAR BRI KAN TAL33 TEX GLN DOV CLT NSH -* -* 53 Toyota POC34 COR SON CHI ATL IND IOW Young's Motorsports 42 Chevy DAY22 DAR GTW BRI LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM

Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman 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 24 25 Pts Ref 2016 MAKE Motorsports 14 Chevy DAY ATL MARDNQ KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW KEN ELD POC BRI MCH MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 118th - 2019 DGR-Crosley 54 Toyota DAY ATL LVS MAR TEX DOV KAN CLT TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN POC ELD MCH BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR PHO HOM 19th 281 2020 Niece Motorsports 44 Chevy DAY LVS CLT ATL HOM POC KEN TEX KAN KAN MCH DAY DOV GTW DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL KAN TEX MAR PHO 33rd 153 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 HOM PHO 114th 0 2026 Team Reaume 22 Ford DAY ATL STP DAR CAR BRI TEX GLN36 DOV34 CLT NSH MCH COR LRP NWS IRP RCH NHA BRI KAN CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM -* -*

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points

K&N Pro Series East NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pts Ref 2019 DGR-Crosley 98 Toyota NSM BRI19 SBO SBO MEM NHA IOW GLN BRI GTW NHA DOV 47th 25

ARCA Menards Series (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 Pts Ref 2017 Venturini Motorsports 25 Toyota DAY NSH SLM TAL TOL11 ELK13 POC27 MCH MAD IOW IRP POC10 WIN ISF ROA7 DSF SLM CHI KAN12 23rd 1150 55 KEN12 2018 25 DAY5 NSH11 SLM17 TAL28 TOL7 CLT15 POC8 MCH15 MAD6 GTW15 CHI12 IOW16 ELK5 POC15 ISF10 BLN10 DSF12 SLM8 IRP16 KAN6 7th 4220 2019 DGR-Crosley 54 Toyota DAY6 FIF SLM TAL23 NSH TOL CLT POC MCH MAD GTW CHI ELK IOW POC ISF DSF SLM IRP KAN 56th 315 2020 Ken Schrader Racingwith Fury Race Cars 52 Ford DAY26 PHO TAL POC IRP KEN IOW KAN TOL TOL MCH DAY GTW L44 TOL BRI WIN MEM ISF KAN 86th 18 2023 Emerling-Gase Motorsports 53 Ford DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT BLN ELK MOH IOW POC MCH IRP GLN ISF MLW DSF KAN BRI SLM TOL 92nd 30