NATALIE DECKER Fires Back at Female Driver Critics Over Daytona Sponsor Stunt

February 21, 2026

• NATALIE DECKER found herself defending a sponsor promotion stunt where she posed shirtless alongside comedian Bert Kreischer at Daytona, arguing her “bubbly, outgoing” personality shouldn’t be policed by fellow women drivers who criticized the move as inappropriate for NASCAR.
• The backlash came from multiple female competitors: TAYLOR REIMER (ARCA Menards Series), JADE AVEDISIAN (Toyota Racing Development), and KARSYN ELLEDGE (dirt racing), who felt the publicity stunt crossed professional boundaries and reflected poorly on women in motorsports.
• NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace jumped to DECKER’s defense, calling out the critics and reminding everyone that drivers face enough pressure without attacking each other, while noting that DECKER’s 15th-place run at Marshalltown showed her legitimate racing talent beyond the controversy.

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