Written by Adrian Beecher
Las Vegas, NV – After starting 12th, falling back to 21st at the end of stage 1, and 25th at the end of Stage 2, Natalie Decker fought back and climbed her way into the top 15 for a 13th place finish in the Strat 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday night in the Gander Outdoor Truck Series action. This capped off race one of her “Double-Decker” weekend, with another coming on Sunday.
Now, lets recap all the action under the lights in Vegas!
After an early first caution on lap 7
“The start of the race, the truck was super free, I couldn’t roll the outside and just getting in I had to pinch the corner way off. It was super free. We came down after the first stage, made an adjustment. It helped a little, but it was still pretty free.”
Stage two was not kind to Decker; she would fall down a lap due in large part by the pace being set by eventual race winner Kyle Busch. At the end of the stage, Natalie had dropped to 25th. Then, it was time for her crew to make some major adjustments to the truck.
“So, after the 2nd stage, the truck was definitely the best it was. They made a big adjustment on it and tightened it up a lot.” says Decker.
The adjustments paid off immensely.
Natalie started to climb the ladder. She was picking off trucks one by one as she climbed into the top 20 and then the top 15. Even though she was down a lap, she maintained lead lap speed throughout the entire final stage, one of only 13 cars to do so. Still a lap down, she eventually climbed into the 13th position as the checkered flag flew.
“I wish we had the truck we had at the end in the beginning. I feel like it could have been a little bit better, but, I’m really happy with a top 15.” said Decker post-race.
Of the 32 cars to enter the race, only four failed to finish. Only nine trucks finished on the lead lap, and 19 of them ended down two or more laps. Natalie was also the highest finisher of the three females in the race. It also marks her highest truck finish in a career that is only 3 races young.
Decker will now take a step back from the truck series as she sets her focus on qualifying for the W-Series in Spain during the third week of March. However, first comes a flight to Sebring, Florida, where Decker will compete in her first Trans-Am race of the year on Sunday. Saturday starts the action though with a mandatory drivers meeting at 9:00am and a practice session from 11:25-11:45am EST. Then at 5:20pm is qualifying, leaving little time for sleep.
“I’m going to have to sleep on the plane. ” says Decker, “That’s going to be the biggest thing, getting sleep. I’m just so thankful I was here and my sponsor is here. He comes to all the races, N29 Technologies LLC, he’s going to be coming and flying to Sebring with me as well. So it’s going to be a good day.”
(Header Image Courtesy of Toyota Racing)
