You always want to see a driver performing well and get more chances, right? However, that can turn out to be wishful thinking, as motorsports can be quite cruel at times. And, well, NASCAR is no different in this regard, with the latest victim being Natalie Decker. The DGM Racing driver displayed a promising performance at the Daytona International Speedway this year and hoped to race again at Talladega. However, a recent update made it clear that the 26-year-old has withdrawn from the event, which garnered a strong reaction from racing fans.
Despite a fine Daytona display, Natalie Decker misses out
Natalie Decker seemed like a bright prospect the last time she took part in a Xfinity Series race. She finished P18 at Daytona and a lot of people were pleased with how well she ran. So naturally, the 26-year-old’s return to the Talladega Superspeedway was much awaited. However, in a disappointing turn of events, Decker will have no part in it. The news was shared by veteran NASCAR journalist Joseph Srigley on his official X handle.
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“ENTRY LIST UPDATE: @dgm_racing_ has withdrawn the No. 36 Chevrolet Camaro from Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at @TALLADEGA @NatalieRacing as listed as the driver on the preliminary entry list,” the tweet read. There has been communication from Decker’s side about the matter yet on social media.
ENTRY LIST UPDATE: @dgm_racing_ has withdrawn the No. 36 Chevrolet Camaro from Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at @TALLADEGA.@NatalieRacing was listed as the driver on the preliminary entry list.#NASCAR
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) April 16, 2024
The question is, why did DGM Racing drop Natalie Decker from the Talladega Superspeedway race? Fans have a lot of opinions, but most of them seem to agree that it had something to do with money.
Fans speculate the reason behind DGM Racing star’s Talladega withdrawal
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It’s quite tough to sustain oneself in motorsports financially. At a level as high as the NASCAR Xfinity Series, sustainment even for a part-time role means taking the help of sponsors. A lot of fans believe that Natalie Decker did not find enough sponsors to support her for the Talladega Superspeedway race next weekend.
“Gotta be sponsorship issues, she ran well enough at Daytona to warrant another appearance. Probably shenanigans with the bank,” one user commented. Another user had a pretty lengthy explanation about her absence which basically said that she did not have the money to run at the iconic track this year.
“Wow, kinda surprised that they just backed her out from competing. Either they had a sponsorship issue that they can’t find, or they just don’t want to possibly risk a possible DNQ and decide to save money for a later time for her for another race. Either way, I have no idea,” they wrote.
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Some users were shocked that she was not running on Saturday considering how well she did the last time she raced. “Why? Nat did well at Daytona,” one fan wrote. “That’s shocking, considering Natalie did well in that car at Daytona,” quipped another. One fan believes that the driver of the #36 car did not get paid for her Daytona showing which is why she is sitting this out. “That check from Daytona never cleared I guarantee it,” they commented.
Why? Nat did well at Daytona
— nascarfan (@nascarfan674) April 16, 2024
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But not everyone is a fan of the 26-year-old race car driver and their comments revealed that very aspect. “You love to see it,” one user commented while another stated that the weather forecast might have played a part in her not taking part in the race. “Probably looked at the forecast and know that if they don’t get qualifying in they won’t make the race anyway,” they quipped. One fan even step further and seemed to be pleased that Decker was going to miss out. “Lmfao,” they simply wrote.
Natalie Decker’s NASCAR return will be interesting to see. After this whole Talladega debacle, the 26-year-old will be hungry to prove herself and seems to have the capability to do so, too.