NASCAR: Natalie Decker tests positive for COVID-19
By Asher Fair
Natalie Decker’s 2020 season was filled with health issues that sidelined her from multiple NASCAR races, and now she has tested positive for COVID-19.
While she still ended up competing in more races than were on her initial 2020 NASCAR Truck Series schedule, Natalie Decker’s season was filled with health issues that sidelined her from competing in multiple events.
Most notably, she was hospitalized leading up to the Pocono Raceway race weekend in June, and she was withdrawn from the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in late September for medical reasons prior to taking the green flag.
While the 2020 Truck Series season is now in the books, the 23-year-old Eagle River, Wisconsin native still had additional races planned with Ave Motorsports in the Trans-Am Series.
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However, she will not be able to make what would have been her final two starts of the year in this weekend’s doubleheader at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as a result of the fact that she has now tested positive for COVID-19.
This doubleheader would have marked her national SGT class debut behind the wheel of the Audi R8 GT4 after competing in three races of the West Coast Series earlier this year. Decker shared this news on Twitter, noting that “it wouldn’t be 2020” without this latest development in her health.
It wouldn’t be 2020 with out ending my session like this 😭 pic.twitter.com/WC5GXf534U
— Natalie Decker (@NatalieRacing) November 18, 2020
Throughout the 2020 Truck Series season, Decker competed in 13 races behind the wheel of the #44 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports. In the season opener, she finished in a career-high fifth place at Daytona International Speedway.
Her fifth place finish was the first top five finish for a female in NASCAR Truck Series history.
It bettered her previous career-best result of 13th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from 2019 by eight positions.
Her only other top 20 finish of the season also came at Daytona International Speedway, albeit on the road course. She finished that race in 20th place.
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She finished her 13 races with an average finish of 26.2. Her plans for the 2021 season are not yet solidified.