Natalie Decker explained Wednesday on social media why she was not cleared to race Sept. 25 at Las Vegas and has yet to be cleared to return to the Truck Series.
In a video, Decker said she did not feel well before the Las Vegas Truck race and went to the infield care center. She said that “I had a really high heart rate and really high blood pressure, and they did not want me going out in that race and putting the stress on my body and maybe having one get higher or too high and maybe me black out. So that is why they did not clear me.”
Her Niece Motorsports team was unable to find a driver to replace her at Las Vegas. Kaz Grala filled in for her last weekend at Talladega, finishing ninth. The Truck Series is off this weekend. The series returns Oct. 17 at Kansas Speedway. Decker hopes to be cleared to compete in that race.
“Why they wouldn’t clear me still me for the next coming races was because they didn’t understand with being so young and healthy and in shape why my blood pressure was so high randomly,” she said in the video,. “So they wanted to run all these scary tests. ... I was very terrified because there was a lot happening, a lot of testing being done, a lot of what ifs.”
Decker said she had not posted on social media lately because of the unknowns with her health.
“I’m back now because we have all those scary things ruled out,” she said in the video. “So that’s the good news. The bad news is I’m still not cleared. I still have very high blood pressure and there’s something, maybe a medication or something, in my body right now making that happen, but it’s very minor. It’s not something scary. So we’re going to figure that out in the next couple of days, cross my fingers, and then I will be medically cleared to come back and race.”
The 23-year-old Decker has made 11 of 19 starts this year. She missed the June 28 race at Pocono after she was hospitalized due to bile duct complications related to her gallbladder removal in December.
NEWS!!
— Natalie Decker (@NatalieRacing) October 7, 2020
Update on my Heath and Racing! I love you all so much and thank you for all the kind words and prayers! I will be back in the car soon💕💕 pic.twitter.com/YFKSSrUsEd