Natalie Decker had a surreal weekend at Daytona. She had a lot of odds stacked against her going into the NASCAR Xfinity Series opener.
Decker's weekend nearly ended before it even began, as rain threatened on Saturday, the original date for the United Rentals 300. Had qualifying been rained out, Decker's No. 36 would not have been in the field.
She had no points, and not much hope, but Decker once again defied the odds, as she qualified her way into the field.
Jump forward to Monday night's race, and Decker proved she belongs in NASCAR. Decker found herself as the leader of the race late in the final stage.
Decker was out front for seven laps, and those laps led were very significant, as she became just the third woman to lead a race in the history of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. She was also the first since Danica Patrick did in 2013.
The Xfinity Series gave Decker a shoutout on X.
With seven laps led at @DAYTONA, @NatalieRacing is the first woman to lead an Xfinity Series race since @DanicaPatrick in 2013. pic.twitter.com/i1lk0m3EPQ
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) February 20, 2024
"With seven laps led @Daytona, @NatalieRacing is the first woman to lead an Xfinity Series race since @DanicaPatrick in 2013," they posted.
Decker was able to keep her nose clean throughout the race, and it was rewarded as she got the best finish of her Xfinity Series career. An 18th-place finish might not be much to be excited about, but Decker was overcome with emotion about how successful the weekend and race were for her in an interview with frontstetch.com's Stephen Stumpf.
"It's not just a big day, it's a big weekend. To start the year this way is amazing. We came down here taking a really big risk with the weather and not having owner points, so just to be able to qualify the car into the show was a win for us and the team. Then now to finish the race and bring the car home in one piece it's even better," Decker said. "I'm so happy to be here and I'm so thankful to be here ... and Amped Fitness and Wawa, DGM Racing everyone put so much hard work into this weekend and it really paid off."
Decker wasn't the only female in the field as Hailie Deegan had plenty of hype about her full-time debut. Despite all that hype, Deegan struggled while Decker quietly made an impact.
Hopefully, Decker showcased her skill enough to get more chances in the series.
