Not getting any sympathy from Harvick.
Natalie Decker made headlines over the weekend during a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race when the part-time driver went viral for a meltdown over the radio, splitting the internet on whether they felt sorry for her or whether she belonged in NASCAR in the first place.
Decker was driving the #22 truck for Team Reaume when she was given a penalty for jumping a restart, and subsequently black flagged for failing to maintain minimum speed on the track. She then keyed up her mic and told her crew that she was done in some clearly emotional comments:
“You guys I’m trying my best to hold my sh-t together but I don’t want to keep doing this.”
Her crew did their best to keep her calm, with team owner Josh Reaume assuring Natalie that she could park the truck if she wanted to. And the driver continued to express her frustration with the Truck Series:
“There’s just so many sh–ty things that I could say right now, and I’m just trying to keep it together, about the f—ing director of the series.”
Coincidentally, Decker was sponsored by Nico’s Hope for Life Foundation, something that Reaume reminded his driver of as he assured her that it was fine to bring it back into the garage. But Decker was clearly disappointed in herself:
“I feel like a f—ing failure if I do that. There’s so many things I want to say and I’m probably going to get f—ing suspended, you have no idea.
I’m sorry Josh, I’m not going to come back to the Truck Series … I’m staying in the O’Reilly Series, this series f—ing sucks.”
She also expressed concern about the hate that she would receive online for the incident:
“The amount of hate I’m going to get online for this is just going to be insane, I’m not ready.”
Well after the comments went viral, many expressed sympathy for Decker, given that she was clearly struggling mentally and maybe realizing that she’s in over her head. Others, however, believed that realization came too late and that she had no business being out there in the first place.
So where does former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick fall in the debate? Well, he made that perfectly clear:
“I’m in the zero sympathy category. I think that racing is something that either you’re good at or you’re not. And I don’t like to see a mockery made out of what our sport is.
We have so many great up-and-coming female drivers. And you look at what Danica Patrick did, and you look at Catherine Legge, and a lot of the females that have done such a great job. And I hate to see all the work for a Jade Avedisian that is coming up through the ranks, Isabella Robusto, all the females that are trying to do it the right way by being good at their craft and seeing the rage quit that she went through this weekend.
I have zero sympathy for throwing a temper tantrum and blaming it on a series director and all the things that she said over the radio and all the things that have happened before this. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for this one.”
It’s far from the first time Decker has faced criticism for the image she gives to female drivers, who have a hard enough time coming up in the male-dominated sport as it is.
There have been quite a few talented female drivers in NASCAR over the years, from Janet Guthrie, Shawna Robinson, and yes, Danica Patrick, who has the highest finish for a female in the NASCAR Cup Series.
And there are quite a few talented up-and-coming female drivers out there right now. If you watch the ARCA Series, you probably already know that Isabella Robusto is one of the most promising drivers in the series, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently pointed to Jade Avedisian as one of the drivers he would choose to start a new Craftsman Truck Series team with.
Decker made her first start in NASCAR in 2019, and ran most of the 2019 and 2020 seasons in the Truck Series, while also making a handful of starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Her best finish in the Truck Series came in 2020 when she finished 5th at Daytona, and she has a best finish in the O’Reilly series of 18th at Daytona in 2024.
But it’s not just her lack of success that’s made her a controversial figure in the sport: It’s some of the boneheaded decisions she makes on the track.
Despite her limited starts in NASCAR, Natalie has caused more than her fair share of crashes over the years. And earlier this year, Decker drew criticism following the race at Daytona not just for driving into a crash three business days after it started, but also for posing on pit road with comedian Bert Kreischer with her fire suit pulled down to expose her bra.
Decker has long been known for her modeling career and posting sexualized photos on social media, but as many in the comments pointed out, doing things like pulling down your firesuit for an Instagram photo is only making it harder for other women to be taken seriously in the sport.
Her actions drew criticism from some of her fellow female drivers, who don’t appreciate the image that Decker is giving them as they try to come up in the sport.
Karsyn Elledge is the granddaughter of Dale Earnhardt and a former driver herself, as well as currently co-hosting the Door Bumper Clear podcast for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media. And while addressing the situation, the Earnhardt side came out as Elledge gave her unfiltered thoughts on Decker’s antics:
“Between the taking three business days to run into Sam Mayer and the multitude of things I saw on social last week … it’s honestly embarrassing. It’s embarrassing for the women who have worked hard to have a place in this sport, to be taken seriously, to be seen as an equal competitor.”
And Taylor Reimer, another female driver who’s working her way up in the ARCA Series, took to social media to share her thoughts, without mentioning Decker by name:
“[A]s a woman in motorsports, I feel it’s my responsibility to be a role model for young and upcoming women in this sport. I was a Division I cheerleader in college, and my job was to represent the University at the highest level. Every move you make someone is watching. On and off the field. The same applies in racing. People are always watching: sponsors, teams, fans, and kids.
I work hard every day to earn respect in this sport. The only way that happens is through on track performance and that’s my main focus. I look forward to the day when a female driver in racing isn’t different, it’s expected.”
And Avedisian also shared Reimer’s post, adding that “[a]s a female in racing my goal in life is to carry myself with a high standard on and off the track.”
After the latest incident involving Decker, the Door Bumper Clear hosts once again addressed Decker’s situation, expressing more sympathy than Harvick but acknowledging that she probably doesn’t belong in one of NASCAR’s top series just yet.
Freddie Kraft, the spotter for Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR Cup Series, took issue with Decker’s comments blaming the series director, and made clear that she needs to spend more time getting her reps in before returning to the Truck Series or even the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
I have a feeling NASCAR is going to have a long conversation with Decker and her team before allowing her back on track, but maybe she needs to spend more time behind the wheel during the week at local tracks before trying to compete in NASCAR.
