The 2026 Truck Series race at Dover Motor Speedway on Friday night (May 15) took a difficult turn for Natalie Decker. Driving the No. 22 Ford for Reaume Brothers Racing, the part-time driver entered the weekend as one of the three women in the historic grid, but her outing did not go as planned.
The race began to slip away early. Decker was handed a pass-through penalty for a starting violation in Stage 1, when she moved before crossing the start/finish line. Shortly after, she was penalized again after struggling to keep pace with the field, putting her under immediate pressure in traffic.
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By the time the second penalty compounded her situation, the frustration was evident. The race turned into a survival exercise, and the radio communication on Lap 75 reflected that.
“You guys, I’m trying my best to hold my sh*t together, but I don’t want to keep doing this,” Natalie Decker cried over the radio. “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**king director of the series.”
Team owner Josh Reaume remained calm on the other end, guiding her through the moment. He even offered her a clear option to bring the truck back to the garage if it became too much.
“I feel like a f**king failure, if I do that… There’s so many things I want to say, and I’m probably going to get f**king suspended, you have no idea.”
The situation worsened when Natalie Decker was black-flagged for failing to maintain minimum speed. Under NASCAR rules, the team had one opportunity to make adjustments before she returned to the track, with the expectation that she would meet the required pace. That threshold ultimately became the breaking point, both competitively and emotionally.
Decker’s race ended with a 34th-place DNF after further issues, bringing a difficult night to a close. On her way back to the pit stall, Josh Reaume continued to calm the situation, asking her to relax and even keeping water ready as she returned.
Natalie Decker says she will not return to Truck Series after Dover incident
For Natalie Decker, the Dover outing was only her second Truck start of the season, having primarily competed in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series in 2026. Her results – 36th at Watkins Glen and 34th at Dover – reflect a difficult run in the truck this year.
In the middle of the radio exchange, Decker decided on her immediate future in the series, calling on her husband Derek Lemte to take over her:
“I’m sorry Josh (Reaume), I’m not going to come back to the Truck Series. Derek can take it from here on out… I’m staying in the O’Reilly Series, this series f**king sucks.”
Reaume responded pragmatically:
“Derek (Lemke), we gotta put something together for you for Nashville.”
Natalie Decker also acknowledged the fan reaction that would follow the incident, showing awareness of the scrutiny she has faced throughout her career.
“The amount of hate I’m going to get online for this is just going to be insane, I’m not ready.”
With Nashville scheduled for May 29, attention now shifts to whether Derek Lemke steps into the No. 22 truck for that race. Reaume himself is expected to drive the NO. 22 entry at Charlotte next weekend, marking his fifth appearance in the truck this season as the team regroups after a difficult night at Dover.
Edited by Anurup Chakraborty