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Natalie Decker meltdown: NASCAR driver shares big Pocono update after Dover fiasco; ‘Yes’
Natalie Decker confirmed her June 15 return at NASCAR's Great American Gateway 400 race after sharing an uplifting message following the Dover race.
NASCAR driver Natalie Decker gave a big update after making headlines over her meltdown at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway on May 15.
On Tuesday, she revealed on Instagram that she will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series' Great American Gateway 400 race at the Pocono Raceway on June 15.
Decker has been the talk of the NASCAR community after audio of her meltdown on Friday was aired during the broadcast and subsequently went viral. She received three flags at the Dover race and the last of which angered Decker so much that she decided to leave the race midway.
After she left the race, she had a conversation with her team where the purported meltdown happened. “You guys, I’m trying to hold my s*** together, but I don’t want to keep doing this,” she was caught saying on the hot mic.
She then hit out at the team owner Josh Reaume, saying: “Let’s remember what’s on our truck, and just bring it to the garage, right?.” Her final target was the NASCAR, as she saidI’m not going to come back to the Truck Series. This series f****** sucks.”
The meltdown sparked speculations as to whether Decker will be back in NASCAR races. But she put those to rest on Tuesday, confirming she will be back for Pocono.
Natalie Decker Confirms Pocono Return
Natalie Decker posted a reel containing a compilation of her good moments from the Dover race. She captioned the post with a quote from Proverbs 15:1: “Keep your softness, stay gentle, and remain kind. Don’t let the negativity around you make you bitter.”
Underneath the post, one fan asked Natalie Decker if she will be returning for the Great American Gateway 400 race on June 15. She replied "Yes" followed by a thumbs-up emoji.
Natalie Decker's Future Questioned
After the incident on May 15, many analysts criticized Natalie Decker's action. They alleged that her leaving the race was "unprofessional" and could significantly jeopardize her NASCAR career. But many have also questioned by the penalty decision that led to the meltdown, thereby putting NASCAR under the scanner.
Also read: Talladega NASCAR crash: Bubba Wallace gives first reaction after ‘Big One’ pile-up; ‘unfortunate…’
Decker also put out a response on Instagram after the race. She wrote: "I got a penalty at the drop of the green flag, I pulled out of line before the finish line, when serving that penalty, I got another one for speeding on pit road. I am not going to lie I am really disappointed in myself because after all those penalties mentally I never recovered.
"I know there is going to be a lot of hate around my last to weekends racing and nothing you can say is worse then how hard I am on myself right now," she continued. “But I am going to push myself to get through this and control what I can control moving forward and show up to my next race with a smile on my face and fire in me to keep doing what I love.”
