Natalie Marie Decker Lemke Bio
Natalie Marie Decker Lemke (born June 25, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro SS for DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji 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.
Early Life and Background
Natalie Marie Decker Lemke was born on June 25, 1997, in Eagle River, Wisconsin, United States. 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. Decker won four karting championships in two years and began racing in 4-cylinder modified stock cars as a 12-year-old. The Decker family has a long history in racing, particularly snowmobile racing in the 1970s and 1980s, with four Decker brothers competing in snowmobile racing.
Path to NASCAR
In 2011, Decker moved up to the Super Stock class and won the 2012 class championship at Marshfield Motor Speedway. In 2013, she began racing in the ARCA Midwest Tour and earned Rookie of the Year honors by finishing third in points. That same season, she also took third place in a three-race Midwest Truck Series at Madison International Speedway. In 2014, Decker won seven limited late model features and two super late model features, establishing herself as a rising talent in regional racing.
Natalie Marie Decker Lemke Career
Early Career (2013-2018)
Decker was added to the Rev Racing team in 2015 as she was named to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. In 2017, it was announced that Decker would drive in three ARCA races for Venturini Motorsports at Elko, Toledo, and Pocono. She made her ARCA debut at Toledo Speedway, finishing eleventh on the lead lap. Venturini later signed her to drive the full 2018 ARCA schedule, where she began by winning the pole at the season-opening race at Daytona and finished fifth in a crash-filled race. Later that season, she was injured via hernia and had Brennan Poole substitute for her in one race, with Poole finishing eighth. She completed the season seventh in the point standings among drivers who competed in every race.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2019-2020)
In 2019, DGR-Crosley announced plans for Decker to run a partial Truck Series schedule. Her Truck series debut at Daytona was challenging as her No. 54 Toyota suffered a left front tire cut and oil line rupture, setting the truck on fire on the first lap. At Kentucky Speedway, she was involved in an on-track incident with Spencer Boyd, eliminating both drivers from the race. The following season, Decker signed with Niece Motorsports and on February 14, 2020, she finished fifth at Daytona, becoming the highest-finishing female driver in Truck Series history. Unfortunately, she missed the Pocono race after being hospitalized for bile duct complications related to gall bladder surgery.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Era (2021-Present)
On February 5, 2021, it was announced that Decker would make her Xfinity Series debut driving the No. 23 for RSS Racing/Reaume Brothers Racing in at least five races beginning at the Daytona Road Course. 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. On February 7, 2024, DGM Racing announced that Decker would drive their No. 36 car in the Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona. She would later make another start for the team at Charlotte in May in their No. 92 car.
Driving Style and Strengths
Decker has shown versatility across multiple racing disciplines with particular strengths at superspeedways and road courses. Her racing style combines aggressive wheelmanship with strategic race craft. She has demonstrated strong adaptability when transitioning between different car types and racing surfaces. Her partnerships with crew chiefs have been instrumental in developing her competitive edge, particularly during her development years in the ARCA series and beyond.
Notable Races and Milestones
Decker’s most significant milestone came in 2020 when she became the highest-finishing female driver in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history with a fifth-place finish at Daytona. Her first Truck Series pole position at Daytona in 2018 marked another career highlight. In 2021, she claimed victory in the Trans-Am SGT class at the Circuit of the Americas and won the SGT ProAm Challenge Title. She also has numerous ARCA poles to her name, including her historic pole at Daytona in 2018.
Natalie Marie Decker Lemke Career Wins
Throughout her career, Decker has achieved notable victories across multiple racing disciplines. Her win at the Circuit of the Americas in the Trans-Am SGT class in 2021 cemented her status as a capable competitor in road racing. In ARCA competition, she has demonstrated consistent performance with multiple top-five finishes. While her wins in NASCAR national series have been limited, she has shown the capability to achieve top-five results, notably becoming the highest-finishing female driver in Truck Series history.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Decker’s best NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series result came in 2020 when she finished fifth at Daytona, breaking the record for the highest-finishing female driver in the series. While her full-time Truck Series schedule was hampered by medical issues, she demonstrated strong qualifying ability and race craft during her time in the series.
Other Wins & Performances
Decker has enjoyed success in the Trans-Am Series, where she won the SGT class at the Circuit of the Americas in 2021 and subsequently won the SGT ProAm Challenge Title that same year. In ARCA competition, she has secured multiple pole positions, including a pole at Daytona in 2018, and has consistently run in the top ten of the standings. Her ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2013 marked an early indication of her potential in stock car racing.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCA Menards Series | 0 | Multiple | Multiple |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Natalie Marie Decker Lemke Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Natalie comes from a racing family deeply rooted in motorsports. Her father Chuck Decker won the 1987 World Championship Derby race at Eagle River. The Decker family was prominent in snowmobile racing in the 1970s and 1980s, with four Decker brothers competing, including Allen Decker, a factory rider for Bombardier. The Deckers also had connections to the family of Danica Patrick, with Natalie’s aunt Sue Decker introducing Patrick’s parents. She is the cousin of sisters Paige and Claire Decker, who have also competed in NASCAR.
Personal Life
On September 29, 2019, Decker revealed that she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, which she was first diagnosed with at the age of two. In December 2022, she got engaged to fellow NASCAR driver Derek Lemke, who would make his Truck Series debut for Reaume Brothers Racing in 2023. They 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, she gave birth to her first child, a son named Levi. She later stated that she had experienced complications during the delivery and returned to competition in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway approximately six months after giving birth.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Natalie Decker returned to competition after giving birth to her son Levi in February. She made a part-time appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway, marking her return to racing following maternity leave. The appearance demonstrated her commitment to balancing motherhood with her racing career. While limited in appearances during the 2025 season, her return to competition after childbirth showcased her determination as both an athlete and mother, with the potential for more appearances later in the season as she continues to balance family responsibilities with her racing career.