Latest / Kenny Wallace Media / NASCAR Driver Natalie Decker Has an Amazing Story!

Transcript

NASCAR Driver Natalie Decker Has an Amazing Story! · Kenny Wallace Media

0:00
Hello everyone and welcome back to Kenny Conversation, brought
0:04
to you by Jags, the leader in high performance aftermarket car
0:09
parts. Remember to go to jags.com to
0:13
fix your hot rod up or everyday vehicle.
0:17
I have known this lovely lady for years.
0:20
I raced against her. Natalie Decker, Lemke, Natalie.
0:26
Welcome to Kenny Conversation. Thank you so much for having me.
0:29
I'm so excited. Well, there's so much to talk
0:33
about. Hey, first of all,
0:35
congratulations. You just got married in January
0:39
to Derek, right? Yes, and thank you for saying
0:43
Natalie Decker, Lemke. Well, it's.
0:47
Still so crazy to hear that. Right.
0:50
Well, I know you're in love, or else you wouldn't have got
0:52
married. And you know, I learned a lot
0:55
about this, Natalie with, you know, Kelly Earnhardt, you know,
1:00
and when we did NASCAR race day on national TV, it was like,
1:05
gosh, you know, what do you do? So I understand, you know,
1:09
you've been Natalie Decker and that's how everybody knows you.
1:14
But the decision, let's start right there, The decision, you
1:17
know, you you've got to put your married name in there.
1:22
What kind of thought got put into that?
1:24
We talked about it for a long time and I was going to just
1:27
completely change my name to Natalie Lemke, like legally and
1:33
but like publicly still be Natalie Decker, like on social
1:37
media and on TV. And then I was like, wait, it
1:40
would be really cool to change it for TV?
1:44
Because then I could have the first Lemke car in Xfinity and
1:48
like have bragging rights to Derek be like, ha, I'm the
1:50
reason limp keys on the car. Like his scream.
1:53
Is racing NASCAR too. So that was a that was a
1:58
discussion and a fun one for a while, But then when it came
2:01
down to it, we're like, you know what, I'll just stay Decker.
2:03
Everyone knows me as Decker, but you never know.
2:07
I could always switch it up down the road if I get bored.
2:10
Well, and you know, I have watched the Lady Drag Racers
2:15
Angel SWA Bla. She went to, you know, she got
2:19
married and it's like, oh, who's this?
2:20
Oh, that's, you know, so it can get confusing.
2:24
I think it's awesome what you did.
2:26
Listen, it's kind of like Billy Bob Jones.
2:29
Your three names is cool. So anyway, congratulations on
2:33
getting married to Derek. And what was that, January 1st?
2:39
Yeah, so it's New Year's Eve. Wait, OK, there's a story.
2:42
It's New Year's Eve was the night of our wedding and
2:45
ceremony when we celebrated. But we are so last minute
2:49
people, we forgot to apply for the marriage license to be able
2:53
to sign on New Year's Eve. So our actual, like, marriage
2:57
date we picked as the third for January.
3:00
So that's like legally when we got married, when we signed the
3:04
papers. But we celebrated on New Year's
3:07
Eve with our family. It was epic.
3:10
And I follow you on all your social media apps and and look
3:15
at you right there where you're at.
3:17
Natalie, I'm a big fan of yours because you're professional.
3:20
You do it right. Congratulations on all your
3:23
success. So well.
3:25
Listen, we'll put that to bed. You're married and we're excited
3:28
about it. You made history.
3:32
Let me read this off so I get it right.
3:35
Let's start out with a bang. You made history at Daytona
3:39
International Motor Speedway this year in the Xfinity Series
3:44
by being the Second Lady ever since Danica Patrick did it in
3:49
2013. You led lapse the second lady in
3:54
history ever in the Xfinity Series to lead lapse car #36,
3:59
Baby My number. Yes.
4:03
And you finished 18th. So it's all yours.
4:07
Tell me about this race and when you were leading.
4:11
Well, we have to start from the from the beginning.
4:14
I got approached with my agency that we had a sponsor for
4:18
Daytona and it was last minute and coming into this year I said
4:22
no more last minute deals. As a driver that's really
4:25
difficult. It puts me in a position to
4:27
where I won't be able to show myself the best on the race
4:31
track 'cause I won't have time to prepare and the team doesn't
4:34
have time to prepare. And I was so freaked out about
4:37
this last minute deal. I'm like, I don't want to do it
4:40
like this. We've been doing this for too
4:42
many years, putting ourselves in bad situations.
4:45
Then we go to the racetrack and we can't have the performance
4:49
that we want. And then after a while, Derek
4:53
was like, OK, what do you need from me?
4:55
Do you want me to talk you into it?
4:56
Do you want me to talk you out of it?
4:57
Like every day we were like, OK, talk me into it, OK, talk me out
5:00
of it. And then finally I'm like, you
5:02
know what, I'm getting a great opportunity and so many drivers
5:07
would kill for this opportunity to go to Daytona and race in the
5:10
Xfinity Series. And the issue was where I was
5:13
like nervous about going as we had no owner points.
5:17
I had not enough time to prepare mentally for this race.
5:20
It felt like my team only had about like 2 weeks to prepare
5:24
the car, which is not a lot of time at all.
5:28
And I'm a very petite person. So to fit me in this race car
5:31
and such a short amount of time was difficult and was going to
5:35
be a lot of work for the team and myself.
5:39
So I I was very nervous going into it with all of that.
5:42
Now with no owner points. The weather, looking at the
5:45
weather, oh, that gave me anxiety.
5:47
I had no control over the weather and it looked like it
5:49
was going to rain all day of qualifying day.
5:52
And I was like, OK, well there's we're not racing because if it
5:55
rains, we're not in the show. And walking into the racetrack
6:00
on the day of qualifying, Derek and I were walking in and we
6:05
walked past the fan zone in the garage area and they blast
6:08
music. It's a big party in the fan
6:09
zone. And the song that was playing
6:11
was if it's meant to be, it'll be.
6:13
And I look at Derek and I said that's a sign we're getting
6:16
qualifying in as it's like downpouring.
6:19
I'm like, that's a sign we're getting qualifying in.
6:22
It's happening. I can feel it.
6:24
And we got qualifying in. We I knew we had the car that
6:29
was fast enough to make it in on time.
6:30
We just needed our shot and we got our shot and then at that
6:35
moment I was so thankful that we made the decision to go to
6:39
Daytona because it was. It was a decision that was that
6:42
was hard to make because I didn't want to put myself in a
6:45
position to where we were going home and not racing.
6:47
And that's all that it said online was.
6:49
Natalie didn't qualify so. Yeah, but let me interrupt you
6:53
for a minute. I want to let you know that I'm
6:55
with you. I understand you.
6:58
Listen, I didn't have the best of career.
7:01
I spent a long time at Daytona, missing a lot of races under the
7:05
same circumstances. My anxiety, my heart was
7:09
pounding. I was depressed.
7:11
I did everything it took psychologically to keep my stuff
7:16
together. So I want to let you know that
7:19
I'm with you. I'm walking right with you right
7:21
now, You understand? I to the maximum peak.
7:24
Actually I got way more experience at missing races at
7:27
Daytona than you do. But OK, now we've we've got
7:32
that. Now we're in the race.
7:33
Now we're in the race, let's go. We're in the race.
7:37
Our our plan was to hang out and let the race play out.
7:43
It was going to get wild. We wanted to bring the car home
7:45
in one piece and I know a lot of fans are like it doesn't take
7:49
talent to hang out in the back. But it does.
7:51
Because mentally when you know you have a fast car and you can
7:55
be up there racing up front, but to mentally keep yourself in
7:59
check and to hang out and let the race play out, that's hard
8:02
to do because you want to be up there racing.
8:04
You know you're capable of it. You know your car is capable of
8:07
it, but you got to be patient. And that's difficult to be
8:09
patient sometimes. And it's still wild back there.
8:13
I after we LED laps and then I could experience the leading
8:19
laps to riding around in the back.
8:21
It's way more peaceful up there. Let me ask way more peaceful.
8:26
Let me ask you do not want to interrupt, but I have to.
8:30
So as you're leading laps, is your crew telling you?
8:34
Do you know it? Does anybody tell you?
8:37
Hey, Natalie, you're you're making history here.
8:40
They did not say the history part, but I saw it coming.
8:43
I saw that we were gonna be in the lead very shortly.
8:46
We're in the lead and no one says anything.
8:48
The The radio is silent for a full lap and once I get a full
8:53
lap and I lead one full lap, they're like Natalie, you are
8:57
currently in the lead and I was like.
8:58
Yes, I know, I know. That's great.
9:04
I'm so I got goosebumps right now.
9:06
It was amazing and I was just so thankful that I was given this
9:10
opportunity to be out on the track and with the team that I
9:13
was with. They were incredible, everyone
9:16
on that team. So my my teammate wrecked out in
9:21
one of the first wrecks and his pit crew could have easily just
9:23
went home or called it a day and they came to get behind me and
9:29
they became my pit crew for the rest of the race and everyone
9:31
like rallied behind me and the team owner who was in charge of
9:35
the other car. My teammate came and sat on my
9:37
pit box and there was just so much good positive energy and
9:41
everyone came together. For me to help get me through
9:44
this race and finish it out strong and 18th.
9:47
I wish we could have finished better.
9:48
We definitely had the car capable of finishing better, but
9:53
it it is what it is. There's a big wreck on the back
9:55
straight away that there was never a caution thrown for it
9:58
and a lot of drivers were confused about that.
10:02
And I, you know, I had to slow up for the rack and that's what
10:05
cost me a lot of positions at the end.
10:08
But our car was definitely capable of finishing in the top
10:11
ten like it was a fast car and I was just trying to take it easy
10:15
for my team. I wanted to be patient and bring
10:19
the car home in one piece because we were the only car
10:21
left on the track with my team. Both my teammates didn't finish
10:26
the race, so I wanted to give that to my team owner is loading
10:29
the car up in one piece and you know, finishing the race.
10:34
I, as you're talking, I understand everything and
10:38
everybody listening right now might not understand the
10:43
hardship that that you've gone through just to get to where
10:45
you're at, You know, I was talking to Brian Deegan, which
10:50
is Haley Deegan's father, and he said Kenny Haley's having a
10:56
rough time. Why do you think that is?
10:59
And I said, well, most of the guys are male chauvinists.
11:02
Most of the guys wrecked the girls.
11:04
I said Haley got wrecked more than she wrecked anybody.
11:09
You, in my opinion, and I want you to straighten me out.
11:13
The ladies are against all odds because although the the guys
11:18
show a good face, like you said, you're down there.
11:23
How tough was it for you to go? OK, I can't wreck the car.
11:27
I It's hard for me to race. And you're a lady.
11:30
I mean, for me, you're against all odds.
11:33
Psychologically, you're a bad ass.
11:36
How did you How did you compartmentalize?
11:38
I mean, your husband talked to you, your mom, Your dad.
11:41
How how did you go? How do you do all this?
11:44
Being a lady and have AI? Can't wreck the car.
11:47
I can't wreck the car. Yeah, well, so for Daytona,
11:50
since that was my my last race that I raced in, for example,
11:54
there was a restart and we were starting, you know, up front,
11:57
closer to the front. And it was our decision.
12:00
We could have come down Pit Rd. and then started in the back,
12:03
like what we kind of wanted to do all the whole race and the
12:07
whole night. But there was like something
12:08
inside of me saying, OK, we're here.
12:10
Like let's not, let's not drop to the back just yet, let's just
12:13
ride it out. Like I felt comfortable with the
12:15
guys around me. I felt like I was surrounded
12:17
with some good drivers and that nothing crazy was going to
12:20
happen and the restart happened and no one wanted to work with
12:24
me. You're a girl.
12:26
You're a girl. I at first I'm like, you know
12:29
what? I'm a rookie.
12:30
Technically. I'm not running for rookie of
12:31
the year, but I don't have a lot of laps and I especially at
12:34
super speedways. But the the car I had was was
12:37
fast and if someone were to work with me at that moment like we,
12:41
it would have been very awesome and my car was capable of it.
12:45
And I, you know, I'm pretty smooth.
12:47
Like, I feel like the best compliment I get at all the
12:50
Super speedways when someone ends up working with me, 'cause
12:53
they don't have a choice, they're always like, wow,
12:55
Natalie, like, you hold a really smooth wheel.
12:57
And I'm like, thank you. I know.
12:59
Yeah, yeah. And when you lead laps, there
13:03
was a string of like 6 cars behind you.
13:05
You you led that group and I think you know at that point
13:11
it's like OK, Natalie, the lady is is Choo Choo training you're
13:16
you're you're leading this group and and they couldn't do
13:19
anything with you. So that proved, yeah, they could
13:20
get around me. And the the guy behind me, he
13:23
did have damage Alfredo. So like, it was going to be more
13:26
difficult for him to get around me.
13:27
Like it it probably wasn't going to happen.
13:29
But I did eventually pull out a line.
13:31
He like, he was not very respectful, but he was trying to
13:36
get his lap back. But like he almost wrecked me
13:38
two different times while I was leading and everyone's like, oh,
13:41
I saw some things on social media like oh, she couldn't even
13:44
stay in the lead. And it was like, no, no, like I
13:46
LED 7 laps and then I was like, all right, that's enough.
13:48
Like, I'm not going to risk it because the guy behind me is
13:51
being stupid and wanting to get his lap back.
13:53
I was like I might as well just pull out of line like we did
13:56
what we wanted to do. We LED laps, we showed that we
13:59
could do it. Now we got to save our car.
14:01
It wasn't worth me staying up there and getting wrecked for no
14:05
reason. So that's why I pulled out of
14:07
line and I was like, I'll just let him go, I'll get, I'll get
14:09
behind everybody. It's no big deal and I think we
14:11
like we're in 3rd then once I pulled out of line.
14:14
But yeah, I just feel like sometimes the girls do get raced
14:19
harder and I have experienced that.
14:22
There's there's some drivers who I've experienced very good, like
14:27
very good side by side racing like really fun.
14:29
At the end of the night I'm like, wow, like we come and talk
14:31
to each other and we're like, that was really fun.
14:33
And then there's other drivers who will literally wreck you if
14:37
they can't get by you because they're just pissed that they
14:39
can't beat a girl. Yeah.
14:42
OK. So I don't know if you watch
14:46
Kenny conversation, but we, we have audibles.
14:48
It means we we kind of start there, then we go here, then we
14:52
go back there. So we, we talked about Daytona.
14:56
Congratulations, It was history. You did it and you're looking
15:02
good right now. But what I want to talk about is
15:05
I want, I want to brag on your talent.
15:09
You know, sometimes people bring up things that happened to me 20
15:12
years ago and I'm kind of like, oh, but but I want to do this to
15:18
tell everybody how much I believe in you.
15:21
So I went to Marshfield, WI. I think that's the name of this
15:24
race show. I I come in there late because I
15:29
was somewhere and I'm in somebody's asphalt car and
15:34
you're there. And I I I knew about you, but I
15:38
didn't know you. You were extremely nice to me.
15:43
You had a great race car, I thought, until I started racing
15:47
you and I was behind you. Your car might have been fast,
15:51
but you were so loose. I was.
15:54
I mean, I was getting just. I mean, we were racing hard, but
15:57
you were loose, loose, loose. And I'm like, how much longer
16:00
can this little lady 'cause it ain't like, you know, your
16:03
petite and and she's got to be wearing herself out.
16:06
But you never did. Your stamina was strong.
16:09
You wield that thing up off a turn 2.
16:11
Loose. Loose.
16:13
You know it took me forever, you know, to to get around you and
16:19
and I was no better than you. But your car failed you.
16:22
But at that moment I started bragging on you all around the
16:26
world. I said that Natalie Decker
16:29
Lempty. She can drive.
16:33
Do you remember that night? I do remember that, and I have
16:39
raced there quite often, but not as many times have I raced at
16:44
other tracks in Wisconsin. But that track is difficult and
16:48
I do remember my car being very loose and I do remember working
16:52
my butt off in that car all night and fighting it all night.
16:56
But here's the thing, I Kenny, I knew you're going to bring that
16:59
up. So thank you so much for
17:00
bringing that up, because that was so much fun racing with you,
17:02
and you brought the energy that night.
17:04
Like everyone had so much fun with you being at the track.
17:07
And it was so fun to be able to be like I raced against Kenny,
17:11
like I told everyone in high school when I went back to
17:14
'cause I was still in high school, maybe in 8th grade, I
17:16
don't even know. I was very young and. 1516 years
17:19
old. And I like told everyone I was
17:22
like so excited and showing everyone our the pictures when I
17:25
went back to school and everyone on my hockey team, it was a big
17:29
deal that you got to come race against us in the Midwest.
17:32
So thank you for coming by the way.
17:33
That was amazing. But here's the thing.
17:36
I feel like so many people on social media don't know about my
17:43
past. They don't know where I came
17:45
from. And The thing is, is like, I'm
17:48
not that old. But also social media wasn't
17:51
what what it is now. It wasn't like that back then.
17:54
There wasn't a way for me to like publicly showcase what I
17:58
was doing, like all my championships, all my wins.
18:01
We raced a lot and I have a lot of experience short track racing
18:06
before I came into the Arca Series and then that's when I
18:09
feel like social media really took a shift and it was a big
18:12
part of everybody's career. So like, I jumped on the train
18:16
of social media posting a lot. I've like gone viral a couple
18:19
times on there and it was like then people kind of figured out
18:23
who I was, but no one really knew where I came from and they
18:26
still don't. And it's like I started racing
18:29
when I was nine years old and I like fought my way through short
18:33
track racing and through the Midwest to get to the Arca
18:36
Series eventually. I think I was around 1819 when I
18:39
started racing in the Arca series, but it's not like a lot
18:42
of people think. I just like randomly came out of
18:45
nowhere with Daddy's money. They say I wish, I wish because
18:49
I would totally, if I had Daddy's money, I would totally
18:52
be racing off of my dad's money if I could.
18:55
But like, people think I just came out of nowhere and it's
18:57
like I have a lot of history and a lot of races under my belt
19:01
before I came into the Arca Series.
19:04
I asked the difficult questions and as you're talking, I I'm
19:08
going to ask you a difficult question.
19:09
But you. But you know it's coming from a
19:12
a good heart. I have three daughters.
19:14
I remind everybody all the time. I'm a girl, Dad.
19:17
I have Brooke, Brandy, Brittany, they're 303234.
19:21
So I'm going to take a deep breath and I'm going to ask you
19:24
this, and I hope you understand. You are a beautiful lady.
19:30
Do you do you think that gets in the way of you being respected?
19:36
Because I respect you do. How do you balance being a
19:40
beautiful lady and in getting out there And you, because men
19:44
are male chauvinists? You know it.
19:47
I'm. The hard question.
19:49
Yeah. You know, I don't know if it
19:51
like, like gets in the way, but it definitely is talked about a
19:55
lot. Like my looks are always talked
19:57
about. It's always, oh, you know she's
20:00
only there because she's prettier.
20:01
She's she only has that ride because she's a girl.
20:04
And it doesn't matter what career you're in.
20:07
I've talked to many successful women and many different career
20:11
paths, and all women get that. And I, this year, decided that
20:16
I'm just going to take that as a compliment.
20:18
People are like, oh, she's only in there because she's pretty.
20:21
Well, thank you. Thank you for thinking I'm
20:24
beautiful or I'm pretty or whatever it is because, you
20:28
know, I've worked my butt off to get to where I am today.
20:33
And so has every other driver. They're there because they want
20:37
it and they worked for it and they deserve it.
20:41
And just because I'm a girl, just because, you know, I'm
20:44
blonde, a lot of it I feel like has to do with my hair color.
20:48
But it doesn't matter, you know? It doesn't matter about looks.
20:50
It doesn't. It doesn't matter.
20:52
So I've decided this year that I'm going to start taking it as
20:54
a compliment. So you?
20:58
Yes. And you should.
20:59
You should be yourself. Let let me just stay right there
21:04
for a minute. I was going to ask you something
21:05
else. Have you ever talked to Danica
21:08
Patrick? You know, I was just going to
21:10
bring her up, so. We're going to have her on here
21:13
in a couple weeks. So there was, I don't know if it
21:17
was a documentary or what it was, but she was getting
21:19
interviewed in someone in this documentary series and someone
21:22
was like, you know, what's it like?
21:24
Like being looked at as a sex symbol or some something along
21:27
the lines of that. And I don't know a word for word
21:30
what she said, but it was something like, you know, she's
21:33
proud to be looked at as those things because you can be sexy,
21:38
you can be nurturing, you can be, you can be strong, you can
21:42
be driven, you can be all of those things.
21:45
So you should be proud to be all of those things.
21:47
Women can be nurturing. We can be beautiful.
21:50
We can be successful. It just because, you know, we
21:53
want to be driven in a certain industry doesn't mean we can't
21:57
do other things outside of it, like be a mother or get married
22:01
or, you know, be into things like modeling.
22:04
I, you know, my brother's a model.
22:06
I'm not the model. I wish I I could do that.
22:08
Oh, come on, you can be a model. I'm.
22:12
Too short. But you can do, you can do all
22:14
of those things. And she said that.
22:16
And when I was younger I heard her say those things and I was
22:20
so scared to be myself. It was right when I was getting
22:22
into the ARCA series and I was being told from all different
22:26
directions like, you need to act this way, you can't dress this
22:29
way. You need to do this or else
22:30
you're not going to get taken seriously.
22:32
And that messed with me for years.
22:34
And this is my year, Kenny. This is my year because I am
22:37
finally. I'm sick of it.
22:38
I'm going to be myself. I I like to be girly.
22:41
I like to, you know, I'm excited that I'm married now.
22:45
I'm a married woman. I feel very womanly and I want
22:48
to embrace that and I kind of embrace that.
22:50
And after seeing Danica talk about that, it just has inspired
22:53
me more and more to truly be myself and to not care what
22:58
other people think they're there's they're going to like me
23:00
or they're not going to like me and I should just be myself.
23:03
Yes, and I agree with that. And I I love your social media
23:07
and I I have, I've watched you embrace yourself this year.
23:11
Being a lady, I think it's wonderful.
23:13
Listen, my wife, she's a badass. She's absolutely beautiful.
23:18
I fear her because because she keeps me in line.
23:23
And I I want to say something else.
23:27
The the men, you know, the, you know, men are are mentally, you
23:32
know, they shave up. They want to look good.
23:35
You look at Denny Hamlin, he likes you go through Denny Ham
23:38
on social media. So he's trying to be cool.
23:42
He, you know, he's he's got that Michael Jordan schwag.
23:46
And so men like to look good too.
23:50
You know, they're they're not a bunch of grease balls.
23:52
So it can't work both ways. If the men want to look good,
23:56
then the ladies can look good too.
23:58
So I'm right there with you. I applaud you be yourself.
24:02
And I I shave, you know, and and and you get ready.
24:07
So I feel like we all do do the same thing.
24:10
We all do the same thing. And you know what?
24:12
It's you want to feel proud about yourself.
24:15
So like, you know, I struggle with a lot of things, with my
24:18
health. And the one thing I learned at a
24:21
very young age is take take care of yourself.
24:23
You know, take care of your health and take care of your
24:27
body. It's the only one you get.
24:28
And I learned that at a young age, and I feel like that's one
24:31
of the things that I try to do every single day, and I'm proud
24:34
of it. So when people are like
24:36
targeting me and trying to be mean for, you know, trying to
24:39
take care of myself, I'm. I just don't understand because
24:42
it's like that's something that people should look up to and
24:44
people should strive to do every single day.
24:47
Yeah. And I'm going to tell you what,
24:49
just talking to you right now, this is the first time I've been
24:52
able to talk to you in depth. My mom is probably your size.
24:57
And when I was young, my mom was a a ball of fire and she would
25:01
say Ken Hun. That's what she called me.
25:04
She said she'd say dynamite comes in small packages.
25:08
And yeah, how do you do you get help?
25:16
I've been to Topeka, KS. I went to a sports therapist.
25:21
My wife went with me. My sponsor, Square D, paid for
25:25
it. I've interviewed all the Cup
25:27
drivers. They all say they do.
25:29
Now, who helps? You say I'm strong.
25:35
I'm. I'm not.
25:36
They're not going to get me. These people are not going to
25:39
beat me down. And who are these people at
25:41
social media? It you.
25:42
You hear the whispers. We hear we got good ears.
25:46
Who helps you stay such a bad ass?
25:49
Well, I do want to say that Derek, my husband, is the number
25:53
one reason on why I can stay strong through these times.
25:57
Because he's the one that I turn to the most.
25:59
Because I know he's going to love me unconditionally.
26:02
So when I have a hard time and I need to take it out on someone,
26:05
he's the one that gets the end of it.
26:07
And you know, I just know he'll love me through it, so.
26:11
Right, right. He'll forgive you.
26:13
He'll forgive me and and he keeps me strong and he keeps me
26:16
in line and he really helps me a lot.
26:17
But I do want to bring up that when I moved from the ARCA
26:21
series to the Truck Series and I was racing for DGR, David
26:24
Gilland said that I should go see a sports psychologist.
26:28
And he gave me the sports psychologist I should see and I
26:30
went and I saw him and it changed my life.
26:34
It was amazing. The things that I learned and
26:38
how to control your mind is insane.
26:41
And the one thing I learned was A + B = R Well, I learned many
26:45
things, but this was the one that really has stuck with me.
26:48
So A is everything you can control.
26:51
So you can control like your diet you can control like
26:54
leading up to a race, how much water you intake, like what you
26:58
need and what your body needs to make sure you make it through
27:00
the race. You can control watching film
27:02
and studying and working with your team and showing up on
27:04
time. And then there's things you
27:06
can't control. And that's B it.
27:08
So things like the motor blowing up or brakes going out or like
27:13
stuff on the car that is out of everybody's control and there's
27:17
a lot of things out of out of lot of people's control.
27:19
Maybe A wreck that's happened that you were involved in that
27:22
had nothing to do with you and then R is your result.
27:25
So A + B = R So if you are constantly focused on everything
27:29
you can control and the task at hand B, there's gonna be B
27:34
factors, there's gonna be things you can't control.
27:36
But if you focus on A, your result will be the best it can
27:39
be. So when I learned that, I put
27:44
that into my daily life and into racing.
27:47
But overall it has helped me so much to be a good daughter, a
27:52
good sister, a Good Wife overall, like at home.
27:55
So like I try to let other people in on that little secret
27:58
A + B = R because it will change your life.
28:01
You know, there's daily things like traffic or things that are
28:05
so out of your control that people will get so angry about.
28:09
And it's like if you just focus on what you can control, your
28:12
result at the end of the day is going to be the best it can be
28:15
and that's all you can ask for. And that, my friends, is a
28:20
lesson for everybody out there. You just inspired me because
28:24
although I went to sports psychology, spent two days
28:27
there, I do my best. I surround myself with PMA
28:31
positive mental attitude. I think people know that about
28:34
me. But I feel like I'm always
28:36
trying to help people. You saying that and me listening
28:41
to you, you just inspired me. I I'm better already.
28:45
I know Charlie who's the YouTube manager here.
28:49
I know you know he's a Sportster.
28:51
Thank. Thank you for that.
28:53
You you you inspired me. That's fantastic.
28:55
Well, I'm glad I inspired you. Thank you.
28:57
Yes. Yes, and and and let me say
28:59
this. That is why nobody can get you
29:02
my friends. That's why she's a a petite
29:05
lady. But she's a bad ass because you
29:07
can't get her. You know I always say this,
29:10
Natalie. I'm going to get you before you
29:12
get me. Don't think you're going to get
29:14
me. I win.
29:15
The end. Don't even go there.
29:18
Well, you know what? So someone asked me a while ago
29:22
in a different podcast. Like, you know, how do you stay
29:24
so positive? How are you always so happy?
29:26
And I have my days. I have my days where I have bad
29:29
anxiety or I'm depressed or I'm angry.
29:32
You know, everybody has those days.
29:34
But I learned from my mom. I grew up watching my mom.
29:39
When her world was falling apart around her and she had a
29:43
function. She had a go to or she had a
29:44
meeting. She had a run and she would be
29:47
able to turn it on in a second and she'd be happy.
29:49
Smiley and there for everybody. And watching her be able to just
29:53
turn on the happiness. I, you know, it's a positive
29:57
thing. That a positive trait.
29:58
I have to to an extent. Obviously, you know, sometimes
30:02
you need to be able to take good time for yourself and and rest
30:06
and do whatever. But to be able to watch her do
30:09
that and learn that from her, I'm so glad I have that trait.
30:12
Because, like, you know, my world could be falling apart
30:15
around me and nobody's going to know it because I'm going to put
30:17
on a good face and I'm going to be positive and a happy person.
30:20
I feel like that I'm lucky like you too.
30:24
My mom. You never get my mom.
30:26
And I'm like, I'm just like my mom, my brother Rusty, he's got
30:30
a, you know, Jimmy Spencer once said to me, I'm not as mentally
30:35
strong as your brother Rusty and Dale Earnhardt senior.
30:40
And it shocked me. And I brought this up over the
30:42
last month. You know, some people just get
30:45
beat down and start not believing in themselves.
30:48
So anyway, let's wrap it all up #1 you lead laps at Daytona,
30:55
You're mentally strong, You're getting it done.
30:59
And this is where Kenny conversation does that audible.
31:04
And I found something out about you, and I want you to tell me
31:08
if I'm right or wrong. You have cousins.
31:12
Are they ladies? Claire and Paige?
31:14
Deckers. Are they racers?
31:16
They, yeah, we grew up racing together as a family, even.
31:19
My brother, tell me, Tell me. OK, so how it all started.
31:24
This is how it all started. I wanted to go go Kart racing.
31:27
It took me like a year to convince my dad We finally got a
31:30
go Kart. And then my cousin Paige, who
31:32
babysat me a lot, she came. She started coming to the
31:35
weekends that I was racing and my dad was like, Paige, you're
31:38
not going to come to the weekends unless you're racing.
31:40
I'm buying you go Kart, don't tell your dad.
31:42
So she started racing and then and then all the other cousins
31:45
found out. Then my brother found out.
31:47
Then her sister found out. And everyone's like, well that's
31:49
not fair. If Paige and Natalie get to race
31:51
on the weekends, we want to race too.
31:53
So now it's like my uncle, my aunt, my cousins, my parents, my
31:57
brother. We would travel every weekend in
31:59
a motorhome together and go go Kart racing and then that's how
32:03
we all fell in love with the sport.
32:04
And we were all like, OK, well you know, can we do this as a
32:08
career? Let's go NASCAR racing and they
32:10
have both made starts in NASCAR. Paige was the first Decker girl
32:14
to make starts, and then Claire did it.
32:16
And then now here I am. OK, I this is pretty cool.
32:21
I didn't I didn't know all this. You know I do my best.
32:25
I always show everybody you know, I, I, I I do my notes.
32:29
It's not easy just to talk to people.
32:32
It's hard to know everything. You just taught us a lot.
32:35
I I had no idea and. Now they're married and they
32:39
have kids and my brother doesn't race anymore.
32:43
Like I said, he's a model and an actor, which is crazy.
32:46
So like, growing up he was the racer.
32:49
He started in snowmobiles and my dad was like training him to do
32:53
snowmobile racing and I was in dance and plays and doing all
32:56
this stuff with my mom. And then we like, did a full
32:59
switch. I'm like, OK, well, I want to be
33:00
the race car driver. And he's like, I want to be the
33:02
model and actor. Well, hey, listen, I always tell
33:06
people I learned years ago and I'm going to share the quote
33:10
with him if he's watching this, that that I learned men can be
33:15
32 years old and still don't know what they want to do with
33:18
their life. Absolutely.
33:20
So good for him because it's most people don't know what they
33:23
even want to do. They just work and they're like
33:26
they hate their job. So that's.
33:27
So true. And I'm so glad you brought that
33:29
up because I was on the phone with him a couple weeks ago,
33:32
maybe months ago, around my wedding, and I was telling him
33:34
because he just started getting into acting.
33:37
He was in modeling for a long time and he was giving himself
33:41
like a time caps of like when he should like, you know, not like
33:47
give it up, but like OK, he's like, feels like he didn't make
33:50
it. And I'm like, no life.
33:51
Listen, you keep working at it because you don't know your
33:55
timeline is different than everyone else's.
33:56
You don't know when your success is going to come or when you're
33:59
going to breakthrough. It could be when you're 45 and
34:01
married and have kids and all son, you're the next superstar
34:05
starring in all these movies. You have no idea when it's going
34:08
to happen. So just keep doing what you
34:09
love. If you love it, don't give it
34:11
up. Just keep going for it.
34:13
And that's a great example because I'm 60.
34:17
I don't know if you remember the great country western singer
34:19
Kenny Rogers. He was a 41 year old overnight
34:24
success that that's when he found success.
34:27
So I I believe that. All right.
34:31
So let's move on. I want to get my 200 glasses on
34:36
and I want to tell you a little bit about yourself.
34:39
So please allow me to brag on you for a little bit.
34:44
You've done some great things. Obviously, we talked about it at
34:48
the start of Kenny conversation. You are the highest finishing
34:52
female driver in 2020 in the Truck Series where you finished
34:59
fifth at Daytona, at Daytona. And you are the you are the
35:05
second female in history to lead laps in the Xfinity Series.
35:10
So you have done two things that most ladies, millions of ladies
35:17
have never done. You've set incredible history
35:20
breaking records Now 2021 Trans Am Series Sgt. class, Pro Am
35:30
Challenge champion. Did I get that right?
35:33
Yes. Yes, it's a mouthful.
35:35
It is. You know and and you did a lot
35:40
of stuff when you, you were young championships up there in
35:44
Wisconsin, as you mentioned, you grew up in in a racing family.
35:50
You're a baby. You're only 26 years old, but
35:55
you've matured so much as a lady.
35:56
As you look back and I said some of those things, what goes
36:01
through your mind? Oh gosh, a lot of things.
36:05
You know you're. Too young, right?
36:08
You know, I, you know, going looking back, you know, you
36:13
don't want to be like, oh, I wish things were different
36:15
because then you wouldn't be living the life you're living
36:17
now. You know everything happens for
36:18
a reason in the journey. You need to enjoy it.
36:21
But there's so many things I wish I would have known when I
36:24
first started racing in the ARCA Series, because I feel like
36:27
there was a lot of things that could have went better for me if
36:30
I were to to have known a lot of these things.
36:34
And I was just I came into the sport only knowing what I see on
36:38
TV and damn, it is not at all what it what you see on TVI.
36:44
Have I have scars in my back from being stabbed so much?
36:48
It let me just say, if you're going to go into NASCAR, you
36:52
better bring your friends with you.
36:54
And I did. Because you don't got it.
36:57
You don't got. Anybody.
36:58
Nobody. And everybody it is and it is.
37:02
Nobody sees that. It's like I fight so many
37:05
battles quietly, and I have been fighting so many battles when I
37:09
first started racing in the ARCA series until now.
37:12
And then finally I'm like, you know what, 2024 is my year.
37:16
I'm going to be transparent. I'm going to say it how it is,
37:19
and if people don't like it, people don't like it.
37:21
And that's why this year I'm like, I'm the biggest fan of
37:24
Denny Hamlin because, you know, a lot of people don't like him.
37:27
And why I like him is because he is himself unapologetically.
37:32
And I'm like, that's who I want to be, you know?
37:35
I want to be myself all the time.
37:37
And if you don't like me, you don't like me.
37:38
Big deal. Oh my gosh.
37:40
You have, you have you have no idea.
37:44
I tell people all the time, it's none of my business what you
37:47
think of me. Exactly.
37:50
That's their problem. Number #1.
37:52
And then number two, I've been told my whole, my whole life.
37:56
People say, Wallace, you're so weird.
37:58
You're goofy. I got to be 50 years old.
38:01
And I said, you know what? I'm going to go with it.
38:03
Look at me. I'm crazy.
38:04
Stay away. And it's it's worked for me.
38:07
So from me to you. And I wish I would have known
38:11
all these things. Natalie, you're only 26.
38:14
You're much smarter than me. No.
38:17
That I was at that age. When I was at that age, I had, I
38:20
was breaking out in welts because I wanted to be Jeff
38:24
Gordon. And then when I realized I
38:26
wasn't going to be Jeff Gordon, it was a major blow to me.
38:30
So you've got a head start on me.
38:32
I'm a big fan of you because of that.
38:35
OK, two new things. #1 Tell your Mama I love her because she she
38:43
likes she. Tell her I see what she does.
38:45
She likes a lot of my things on social media.
38:49
Tell her I see her and I appreciate and I appreciate her
38:53
very much. OK, that's that.
38:56
Let's go somewhere that you have talked about on social media and
39:02
straighten me out. You have arthritis.
39:06
Yes, tell me. Yeah, I have an autoimmune
39:09
disease. So I was born with an autoimmune
39:11
disease called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
39:14
And then once for all the people listening that have autoimmune
39:17
diseases or someone in their life with an autoimmune disease,
39:20
you all know this. Once you have one autoimmune
39:22
disease, you're more than likely to keep getting more.
39:25
So as I've gotten older, I've accumulated a lot of autoimmune
39:29
diseases, and I've been so nervous growing up sharing that
39:34
about myself. It was a big secret I never told
39:36
anybody. None of my friends knew.
39:38
What age did you know? So I got diagnosed at age 2.
39:42
Oh my gosh. And I have to thank my parents
39:44
so much because they were my biggest advocates for me.
39:47
They did not stop fighting until they found out what my diagnosis
39:51
was. And I'm so thankful they did
39:53
because my life would have looked a lot different.
39:55
I'd probably be in a wheelchair or having hip replacements by
39:58
the age 20. And my life, you know, could
40:02
have been a lot different. But my parents fought for me
40:04
every day until they got the answers that they needed.
40:07
And when I was two, I got put on a chemotherapy drug called
40:10
methotrexate, and I was on the chemo drug for about 10 years.
40:14
And it put me into remission. So there's no cure for the
40:18
autoimmune diseases, but there you can go into remission.
40:22
And I was in remission until I was about 1617 years old.
40:25
So I had, I was in remission for a while and then it came back
40:28
and when it came back, it came back really hard.
40:31
And this was when I was really trying to make that push into
40:34
NASCAR. So it was a really difficult
40:36
time for me and my body was just fighting itself.
40:40
So what what my body does is it's attacking itself daily.
40:44
So all the good cells in my body, my they think they're
40:48
foreign and my body will attack it.
40:50
So in my joints and my liver and all different parts of my body,
40:54
my eyeballs, my body is constantly attacking itself
40:57
itself. And so, you know, like those
41:00
symptoms you get when you have the flu and you're like fatigued
41:04
and feel weak and body aches. I'll wake up randomly and have
41:08
those symptoms for days and have like a really bad flare up or
41:11
like that's what my day looks like constantly is those
41:14
symptoms because that's essentially what my body's
41:17
doing. It's fighting itself, just like
41:18
if you were fighting off, you know, the flu.
41:21
And now I've surrounded myself with some really good doctors in
41:27
the Arthritis Foundation and I'm proud to talk about it.
41:31
I've, I've always been scared that people are going to view me
41:33
as weak. But it has taught me so much and
41:36
I truly feel strong that I get to, you know, advocate for the
41:41
kids that are diagnosed at such young ages that cause so many
41:45
people hear the word arthritis and think of grandma and grandpa
41:49
or, you know, like stiff joints or like a swollen knee.
41:52
But there's so much more to it. And I've been put in the
41:56
emergency room plenty of times. I've had to, you know, I've been
42:00
out of the car multiple times when I was racing in the Truck
42:03
Series with nice Motorsports. There's been that was a rough
42:06
year for me and there's so much behind it and I just want to be
42:11
an advocate for those people and they're not alone.
42:14
And there's so many fans that have come out to the racetrack
42:19
and we're like Natalie, like my wife has the same autoimmune
42:22
disease or I have the same autoimmune disease or my
42:24
daughter. And just to connect with those
42:27
people. Because when I talk to my
42:29
husband about it, he can only understand it so much.
42:31
So to be able to talk to someone who lives with the same disease
42:35
as me, you can connect on such a strong level, it's incredible.
42:39
And you like become family at that point and.
42:42
And and right now I'm I'm, I'm like this.
42:44
Wow. If I had a sticker right now I
42:47
was sitting, I want to put a sticker.
42:49
Wow. And here's why.
42:52
Because you have this, this arthritis.
42:55
And at the beginning, you were such a good daughter because you
43:01
thanked your mother and father for, you know, helping you at an
43:05
early age. You're so complimentary when
43:08
most people would be mad. And you Now I can see why I'm a
43:14
big fan of yours. I I just I just kept thinking
43:17
how does she put up with all this and and and now I realize
43:20
it bleeds down to even your health.
43:23
Wow. You got it.
43:25
You got a a great group around you and I just can't compliment
43:29
you enough. I feel like I'm just telling you
43:31
that you you're you're a great speaker too.
43:33
Thank you. Do you give speeches.
43:36
I give a lot of speeches. I.
43:37
Should it'd be? Fun.
43:39
Yes. And and and let me say this,
43:42
I'm, I'm going to tell you my experience as we grow a little
43:46
older. You're a baby, you're only 26,
43:49
you've already done a lifetime. All you have to do is stand up
43:53
in in front of people and and tell them your story.
43:56
And that's, that's a speech. And they'll pay you $10,000 to
43:59
do that. Well, Dang.
44:01
Get me connected with those people.
44:03
You can do it. You can do it.
44:05
So I kind of quit doing it just because it's a lot you, you
44:09
know, I I got a whole. Emotionally, I bet a lot.
44:12
Well, it's it's kind of like an M&M thing, you know, palms get
44:17
sweaty, but but I'm strong. I am a bad ass.
44:20
I can stand. You are.
44:21
I can stand in front of 1,000,000 people and tell them
44:23
what I think. But you got to, you got to be
44:26
ready to do that. Yeah, so I did.
44:29
The Arthritis Foundation invited me out to Atlanta and they were
44:31
having this really big fundraiser and they asked me if
44:34
I would speak. And of course, I'm like,
44:36
absolutely whatever I can do to help raise more money and bring
44:39
awareness. So I go down there, I'm all
44:41
dressed up. I got this beautiful green dress
44:43
on. Oh, it's World Arthritis Day
44:45
today. That's why I'm wearing green.
44:46
Arthritis color is green. So yeah.
44:49
So today is World Arthritis Day. But I go to this event and they
44:53
help me write this beautiful speech about my story.
44:56
And I read through it multiple times.
44:58
I'm like, so ready to tell my story.
45:01
And I'm like, they're like, just so you know, like, it's OK if
45:03
you cry. And I'm like, oh, I'm not going
45:05
to cry. I'm not going to cry.
45:07
I get up there and I bawl my eyes out as I'm telling my story
45:09
because I've never told my story and that that amount of motion
45:13
and so many people around me like just to feel the support of
45:17
every single person in that ballroom.
45:19
It was it was the hardest thing I've ever done.
45:21
Afterwards, I'm like Derek. Give me a martini.
45:24
Yeah, right. You're right.
45:25
I like that. And for all you men out there
45:29
that don't draft with her, once you realize what she's going
45:33
through, you need to you need to draft with her because she'll be
45:35
your best partner on the speedways.
45:37
My gosh. I will.
45:39
I won't do anybody wrong. I promise I'll do my.
45:42
Best Hey, listen, Morgan Shepherd once told one of the
45:46
like, you and all I do is share my experiences.
45:49
I don't tell people what to do anymore.
45:51
I share my experiences and that's that's different.
45:54
My brother, the great Rusty Wallace, and yes, I'm proud of
45:57
him and I brag on him all the time.
46:00
So Rusty comes to me and goes, hey, now this is like 25 years
46:05
ago, he says. Morgan Shepherd says you are one
46:08
of the best drafters he's ever drafted with.
46:11
And I said that's because I pick and choose my battles on the
46:14
speedways. I'm like boys, let me know when
46:16
there's 20 to go, let me know when, 'cause if I'm going to
46:19
wreck, hopefully it's going to be going for a good position at
46:22
the. End at the checkered flag.
46:25
Yes, yes, exactly. Oh, the the great Dick Trickle.
46:30
You know everybody messes it up. But the great Dick Trickle for,
46:34
you know, I know you're you're from Eagle River but Dick
46:37
Trickle from, you know, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, a little
46:41
small town. But Dick was a philosopher and
46:45
when I first started racing, he put his arm around me.
46:48
He was my mentor and he said, my boy, you must first finish to
46:54
finish first. And I got down South and I
46:56
started running NASCAR and it'd be a 200 lap race.
46:59
It'd be lap 80. And my teams want me to run all
47:02
up and over people and I'm like, whoa.
47:05
Time out got a lot of time left. I want to win.
47:08
You know, I don't know where the hell you're going with this, you
47:12
know, But I need to win the race.
47:14
And that's what I grew up in ASA doing, you know?
47:16
So, yeah, OK, here we are already almost in an hour.
47:22
Let's wrap it up like this. Natalie, I know you're running a
47:25
limited schedule this year, and a lot of times that's better.
47:29
People have proven limited schedules to be better.
47:32
What are we doing for the rest of 2024?
47:36
You've already run Daytona. So as of right now, when I was
47:40
going into the Daytona weekend, that was my only sponsor, my
47:43
only race on the schedule. But every day we work towards
47:47
finding sponsorship. I mean that's like our full time
47:49
job. So we come to be at the
47:51
racetrack racing and I feel like a lot of the fans think that
47:55
like I pick and choose like when I want to race, Like if it was
47:59
up to me, I would be doing any and every race I could possibly
48:02
do, like give me any opportunity and I'll take it.
48:04
Like doesn't matter what class, What Car, dirt, racing, whatever
48:08
it is, like I'm down and I would love any opportunity, but it
48:12
takes money and that's what we have to go out and find funding
48:16
for and making, you know, relationships and partners and
48:20
all those things. That's what we do day in and day
48:23
out. As of right now, I don't have a
48:26
race on my schedule, but we are like this close with getting
48:30
some funding and sponsorship to be able to announce what I'll be
48:33
doing next. And it's a struggle, you know,
48:36
The behind the scenes is honestly sometimes more mentally
48:39
tough than the weekend racing. The weekend racing is the fun
48:42
part. It's like, I can relax.
48:45
We're here, we made it, we're doing the thing.
48:47
But all the work behind it, there's a lot.
48:49
And I'm so lucky I get to do that with my family.
48:52
I work with my husband and my parents.
48:54
We're a family everyday. Like we get together, we have
48:57
our meetings, we reach out to partners, we do it together as a
49:00
family. And if I didn't have that, I
49:03
don't know how much longer I could take of it because it's a
49:05
lot of work. But to be able to do it with my
49:07
family, that's what makes it worth it.
49:09
I get to spend all this time with them and it's enjoyable
49:12
most times. Sometimes we do all fight, but
49:15
it's enjoyable. I I spent my whole career
49:19
getting my own sponsors. I know what you're saying.
49:22
I I got, I got Square, DI got AutoZone, You name it, I did it.
49:29
I feel like you're my little sister because our our careers
49:33
really did. You know?
49:36
I think what put me over the top was they asked me to do TV and
49:40
and I'm that guy that has nine lives, you know, Wallace is
49:45
done. He's out.
49:45
Oh, hold on. I'm going to do TV.
49:48
Hey, Wallace is done do TV. Oh, hold on.
49:51
I'm going to do. I'm going to do radio.
49:53
Wallace is really done now. Oh, now he's back in the
49:56
racetrack doing trackside live. So I'm with you.
50:00
You're my little sister that never was.
50:02
And stay digging that, you know. So they're going to try to
50:06
swallow you. They're going to try to put
50:08
their their foot on your throat. They want to choke you out.
50:12
And. And and that, my friend, is
50:15
competition and father John that married Kim and myself.
50:20
He said be careful, young man. And for you, young lady
50:24
competition will kill you. Don't let it get you.
50:28
You win. And that is that.
50:31
That was my story. So, well, listen, you were
50:36
wonderful. Thank you so much.
50:38
I want to tell everybody that we are in podcast form.
50:43
You can listen to us on iTunes and Spotify.
50:47
Listen to Natalie on the way to work in the morning and then on
50:51
your way home, listen to her again because this is a long
50:54
one. Natalie, thank you so much for
50:57
being on Kenny conversation. Thank you so much for having me.
51:01
It was so much fun talking with you and I I always have a good
51:05
time when I get to hang out with you.
51:06
You're you're a fun time. Well, it's because positive
51:10
mental attitude, that's all there is to it.
51:13
And and I'm a girl. I'm a girl.
51:14
Dad, too. Yes.
51:15
Yeah. All right.
51:18
Well, until next time, everybody.
51:20
Remember, Kenny, conversation is digging.
51:22
Boy, we are rolling now. We got Kyle Busch coming.
51:25
We got, as we mentioned earlier, with Danica Patrick Court, Erica
51:30
Enders. The ladies just keep on coming
51:32
on Kenny conversation until next time.
51:35
Goodbye everybody.