![\"NASCAR](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Natalie-Decker.jpg\")
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\u00a9 Mark J. Rebilas\/Imagn<\/p>\n
As evidenced by her nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram, NASCAR driver Natalie Decker is immensely popular. But the 28-year-old is quickly losing support in the garage, not just from men, but from her fellow female racers as well.<\/p>\n
Decker is a part-time driver in both the Camping World Truck Series and O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series. However, she has just one top-20 finish in either series in the last five years, and has been at the center of a number of controversies, including multiple in the last week.<\/p>\n
Prior to last Saturday\u2019s O\u2019Reilly Autoparts Series race at Daytona, she made headlines by posing for a picture with comedian Bert Kreischer while her racing firesuit was half-uncovered. The post has over 25,000 likes.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the week, Decker made headlines on\u00a0Speedway Sessions\u00a0podcast with Matt Tiftt when she revealed that her husband, Derek Lemke, first messaged her on Instagram when she was just 14 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe messaged me on Instagram and he was like, \u2018Call me when you\u2019re 18,’\u201d Decker said.<\/p>\n
Lemke was 18 years old at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoa. Is that grooming? I feel like that\u2019s grooming,\u201d Tiftt replied, leading to an awkward chuckle from Decker.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Natalie Decker Loses Support Of Female Drivers<\/p>\n
To make matters worse, Decker then went out and finished in 33rd out of 38 drivers in the race at Daytona after getting into a crash midway through the race.<\/p>\n
Decker, over her radio, blamed fellow driver Sam Mayer for sliding up the track before she careened into him.<\/p>\n
\u201cF\u2014, that hurt so bad. Why the f\u2014 did he roll up the track?\u201d Decker asked. \u201cWho the f\u2014 was that? That pisses me off so much. That f\u2014ing hurt! Holy f\u2014.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayer did not have brakes at the time after he was already involved in the wreck. Decker, meanwhile, crashed into him only after speeding up while well behind the crash.<\/p>\n
Her controversial week has since drawn plenty of criticism from fellow female drivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween the taking three business days to run into Sam Mayer and the multitude of things I saw on social last week \u2026 It\u2019s honestly embarrassing,\u201d Karsyn Elledge, a dirt car racer, the niece of Dale Earnhardt Jr., and a co-host of the Door Bumper Clear\u00a0podcast, said of Decker.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elledge wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n
ARCA Menards Series drivers Taylor Reimer and Jave Avedisian both took to X to indirectly call out Decker.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026As a woman in motorsports, I feel it\u2019s my responsibility to be a role model for young and upcoming women in this sport,\u201d Reimer wrote<\/a>. \u201cI understand how difficult it is to secure sponsorship in this sport. I\u2019m fully funded based on the partners I bring in each year. It\u2019s a grind, and I know many others are in the same position. I made a promise to myself that I would do it the right way. <\/p>\n