Natalie Decker returns to NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series with clean run in Talladega
- RACERS
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
Natalie Decker made her return to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Talladega Superspeedway, completing a clean and increasingly competitive run that resulted in a P33 finish after an encouraging comeback weekend.
Natalie Decker made her return to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Talladega Superspeedway, completing a clean and increasingly competitive run that resulted in a P33 finish after an encouraging comeback weekend.
Back behind the wheel of the Joey Gase Motorsports #35 Chevrolet, Decker returned to competition for the first time since the season opener at Daytona, having stepped away from full-time racing over the past year to start her family and welcome her first child.
Talladega offered an ideal opportunity, and she did just that with a composed and disciplined drive in one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable venues.
After qualifying P36 with a lap of 53.55 seconds at 178.81 mph, Decker lined up toward the rear of the field for the start. The opening laps were immediately interrupted by a caution following a mid-pack incident involving Staropoli and Starr. Decker made slight contact with the car ahead but avoided damage, moving up to P35 under the first full course yellow. Opting to stay out while several competitors pitted, she gained further track position to run P33 for the restart on lap 4.
Settling into the race rhythm, Decker initially held her ground in the pack, though she later lost the slipstream and dropped slightly back, running consistently in P35. Despite this, she maintained solid pace and avoided trouble to complete the first stage in P35. When pit stops began, she stayed out an extra lap before pitting on lap 29 from as high as sixth overall, taking fuel and four tyres. After the cycle, she rejoined in P33.
The second stage marked a clear step forward. Taking the outside lane on the restart, Decker gained positions with a confident run, moving up to P31 and then P30 as she followed Ellis through the draft. Continuing her progress, she climbed to P27, setting her best lap times of the race up to that point and dipping below the 51-second barrier, later improving into the 50.6-second range.
Running comfortably in the pack and managing tyre wear effectively, she maintained P27 through the stage, finishing it firmly in the midfield, in a significant improvement from her early race position.
As pit stops opened again, Decker initially stayed out and cycled as high as third before pitting on lap 54. Rejoining in P29, she entered the final stage in a tightly contested midfield group. On the restart, she slotted into P33 but quickly re-established herself in the draft, running clean laps and maintaining position.
The final stage unfolded largely under green-flag conditions, placing the focus on strategy and fuel management. During the last round of pit stops, Decker cycled up to P22 before pitting on lap 72. After the stops, she rejoined in P31 but lost some ground to a group that had pitted earlier and maintained stronger draft momentum. Nevertheless, she worked her way back up to P29 by lap 80, later running P28 as penalties affected other drivers.
In the closing laps, Decker remained part of a small group alongside drivers including William Sawalich and Tyler Ankrum, maintaining consistent pace while managing fuel as the leaders began to close in. With no late cautions to bunch the field, she dropped back to P33 in the final laps but crucially kept the car clean throughout.
Despite a last-lap incident ahead, Decker safely navigated the situation to take the chequered flag in P33. She was particularly convincing during the second stage, with the Talladega round marking a positive and confidence-building return behind the wheel, as she will now look to build on this solid foundation ahead of otential returns to the series later this year.
