Natalie Decker Brings Excitement to First Salem Speedway Start

Decker, a fan favorite, started out the season winning the General Tire Pole Award and finishing fifth at Daytona and 11th at Nashville, expresses excitement and optimism headed into the weekend. Also to note, Decker’s Salem start will mark the energetic drivers’ 10th career ARCA appearance since jumping onto the scene last May at Toledo Speedway.

“I’m super excited to make my first start at Salem,” says Decker. “I came down with the team (Venturini Motorsports) last year after signing my deal to get acquainted with everyone and watch the Spring race. It didn’t take long for me to figure out why drivers like this place. It’s really racy with unique turns on both ends of the track – from a fan’s perspective it delivers a lot of excitement. I fell in love with this place right away.”

“We came down last week and had a really good test with our N29 Capital Partners Toyota. It’s definitely a tough track but we learned a lot and made some big gains throughout the day. Dave Leiner (crew chief) and I continue to work really well together and have a lot of confidence going back. As I visit these new tracks this year we’ll continue to work hard and set our goals. I grew up racing short tracks but there’s still a lot to learn in these ARCA cars. I’m happy with our start so far.”

Continuing her efforts to raise awareness about Distracted Driving, the 20-year old driver, will once again feature ‘People Against Distracted Driving’ (PADD) on the back of her bright red Toyota Camry at Salem.

Decker, the National Spokesperson for the New Jersey based charity, along with her sponsor N29 Capital Partners, will continue to push the message during the month of April (Distracted Driving Awareness Month) and throughout the season.

The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 is live on MAVTV at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22. Look for live timing, scoring and chat at arcaracing.com.