NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Natalie Decker, and husband Derek Lemke have welcomed their first child, the couple revealed in a social media post on Tuesday.
In the post, Decker reveals that she gave birth to the couple’s son on February 5.
“February 5th, 2025 was the best day of my life and also the worst day of my life,” the post reads. “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.”
February 5th 2025 was the best day of my life and also the worst day of my life. 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… pic.twitter.com/nK9UcBD1Tv
— Natalie Decker (@NatalieRacing) February 11, 2025
“It was the longest three days of my life watching my little boy fight to get stronger in the NICU. Our family of three are healthy and have been home for three days, God is so good! We are blessed with the best gift and I couldn’t be in a happier place.”
A native of Eagle River, Wisconsin, Decker has been competing in NASCAR’s National Series on a part-time basis since 2016, spending time in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
In February 2020, Decker finished fifth in the NASCAR Truck Series season-opener at Daytona, becoming the first woman to finish inside the top five in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Five years later, that record still stands.
Derek Lemke, a native of Shakopee, Minnesota, has also competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, running a pair of events for Reaume Brothers Racing at Richmond Raceway and The Milwaukee Mile, collecting a career-best of 31st.
In August 2024, Decker and Lemke announced that they were expecting their first child.
