NASCAR Driver Set For Daytona Comeback After Giving Birth
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
NASCAR driver Natalie Decker is set to make her season debut at s after giving birth back in February.
Decker will become one of the few female drivers who became mothers and then competed in NASCAR.
Shawna Robinson, Sara Christian, and Tina Gordon are among the legendary drivers who gave birth and came back to race.
She gave birth on February 5th, and six months later, Decker will get behind the wheel of a race car.
Natalie Decker, driver of the #92 Bikini Zone Chevrolet, prepares to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series BetMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2024 in Concord, North Carolina.
Natalie Decker, driver of the #92 Bikini Zone Chevrolet, prepares to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series BetMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2024 in Concord, North Carolina.
Getty Images/Photo by Logan Riely
"February 5th 2025 was the best day of my life and also the worst day of my life," Decker wrote on X after giving birth.
"Giving birth was so beautiful but having your baby taken away from you minutes after to get rushed to the NICU was the most painful thing I have ever experienced.
"It was the longest 3 days of my life watching my little boy fight to get stronger in the NICU. Our Family of 3 are healthy and have been home now for 3 days, God is so good!! We are blessed with the best gift and I couldn't be in a happier place."
The 28-year-old woman will drive the No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet with sponsorship from Wawa.
Decker races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where she has made 12 race starts.
Despite driving machinery at a high speeds, she said giving birth to her son, Levi, was harder.
"It was really difficult, and I didn't understand how strong I was until I was pregnant," Decker told WASW, a CBS news affiliate.
"Giving birth was incredible, the best experience of my life, and it was the biggest adrenaline rush I've ever had. I go 200 miles per hour, but giving birth topped that."
Decker was desperate to get back on track soon after giving birth.
"I've always wanted to be a mother. I've always wanted to be a NASCAR driver and it's like full circle, everything coming together," Decker said on Fox News.
"I cannot wait to get back to the track. I'm just looking forward to be back in the car doing what I love and being there with my family.
"Because that's the whole reason why I fell in love with racing was I go to the racetrack with my family and the competitiveness and just the whole thing and seeing Levi get to be there is going to be the best part."
The best result of her time with the NASCAR Xfinity Series was at Daytona, finishing 18th.
Previously, she competed in the NASCAR Truck Series and finished fifth at Daytona during the 2020 season, securing the best result for a woman in the series.
For more NASCAR news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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