Derek Lemke, who is married to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Natalie Decker, has made select NASCAR starts of his own in 2026, and he has done so in both series.
Lemke made the first two starts of his Truck Series career with Reaume Brothers Racing in 2023, placing 33rd at Richmond Raceway and 31st at the Milwaukee Mile. He did not compete in 2024 or 2025 but made his return back in May at Nashville Superspeedway, placing a career-high 21st with Team Reaume.
The 32-year-old Shakopee, Minnesota native made his O'Reilly Series debut at Iowa Speedway with DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports in August, and he finished 26th. He returned for the following weekend's Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway and finished 24th, again with Team Reaume.
This weekend, he is set to be back in the O'Reilly Series, and he's set to join a new team.
Derek Lemke lands new NASCAR O'Reilly Series ride
Lemke is set to drive the No. 53 Chevrolet for Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen in Saturday's 200-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Concord, North Carolina oval. The car was also run in the May race at the track, and David Starr drove it to a 20th place finish, its second-best finish of the year.
Only Glen Reed, who placed 15th at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway), has a better finish in the No. 53 car this year. Lemke is set to become its 11th different driver in 18 races.
Decker made one start in the No. 53 car herself, when it was run as a Toyota at Pocono Raceway back in June. She was knocked out of that race with an early engine issue.
Beyond this weekend, neither Lemke nor Decker have any more starts lined up for the remainder of 2026. Phoenix Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway are all set to host both Truck Series and O'Reilly Series races after this weekend to wrap up the season.
The CW Network is set to provide live coverage of the Blue Cross NC 300 from Charlotte Motor Speedway starting at 4:00 p.m. ET this Saturday, October 10. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action from the fifth of nine races on the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series postseason schedule!
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