TRUCKS: Natalie Decker unable to keep up the pace at Watkins Glen
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
Natalie Decker picked up the 3rd last-place finish of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career in Friday’s Bully Hill Vineyards 176 at Watkins Glen International when her #22 Nico’s Bagels and Brunch Ford fell out for running too slow after 20 of 74 laps.
The finish, which came in Decker’s 33rd series start, was her first of the season and first in a Truck Series race since September 25, 2020 at Las Vegas, 129 races ago. In the Truck Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 9th for running too slow, the 11th for the #22, and the 145th for Ford. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 13th for dropping below minimum speed, the 50th for the #22, and the 1,092nd for Ford.
In the time since she last competed in the Truck Series near the end of the 2020 season, Decker has made all 15 of her starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races. In that time, she’s remained a part-timer who has run predominately on the superspeedways at Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta. Her best finish of 18th came in the 2024 season opener in Daytona, where she led seven green-flag laps during an exchange of pit stops. But in her latest Daytona start this past February, she became the subject of controversy.
On Lap 92 of this year’s season opener, Sam Mayer was involved in a multi-car crash in that caused his car to roll slowly toward the outside wall exiting Turn 2. An instant before Mayer could hit that wall, Decker scrubbed the outside wall and clobbered the right-front of Mayer’s car. Both drivers escaped serious injury, and Decker received widespread criticism. Decker explained that she was already committed to the high lane and said Mayer came up the track unexpectedly. But replays no cars running to her inside at the time Mayer rolled up the track. Coming into Friday, Decker’s only other NASCAR start of 2026 came last month in Talladega, where she wasn’t involved in any incidents and finished one lap down in 33rd.
Coming into Friday, Decker had not competed in a NASCAR race on a road course since July 3, 2021, when she drove for Our Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Road America. There, a multi-car crash left her in the 32nd spot. The last time she’d run a Truck Series race on a road course was on August 16, 2020 at the Daytona Infield Road Course, where she ran 20th for Niece Motorsports. That was also the same year she’d competed in any Truck Series races at all. It was thus surprising when it was announced at midweek that she landed a ride with Team Reaume for Friday’s race. She’d pilot the team’s #22 Ford, both for this race and next Friday’s return to Dover. She’d carry sponsorship from Nico’s Bagels and Brunch, a company founded by a grieving father whose son Nico was lost to suicide. According to the team’s press release, the company works in conjunction with Nico’s Hope For Life Foundation, “which works to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage open conversations around mental health.”
Decker was one of 38 drivers entered to attempt Friday’s 36-truck field, and one of three female drivers seeking places on that grid. In opening practice, Decker ranked just 37th with a best of 20 laps coming in at 81.987 seconds (107.578mph), which was 10.306 seconds off session leader Brent Crews and 3.327 seconds back of the next truck in 36th. That truck happened to be Stephen Mallozzi, one of her two teammates, who’d been tabbed to drive the #33 Southside Restaurants and Spirits Ford in place of Frankie Muniz due to a scheduling conflict. Decker’s was the 14th truck to take time in qualifying, and in that session ran the slowest lap of the session at 78.998 seconds (111.648mph). This was 8.776 seconds off Crews’ pole lap and 1.870 seconds behind the next-slowest truck of her third teammate, Jackson Lee, in the #2 Levrack Ford.
Decker still secured the 36th and final starting spot based on Owner Points, and happened to send home the other two female drivers who each clocked in faster laps for part-time teams. Toni Breidinger was to debut McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s new fifth team, designed to be a driver development entry shared by Mason Massey. Breidinger’s #20 Celsius Chevrolet put in a lap of 73.886 seconds (119.363mph), missing the cut by about six-tenths of a second. Joining her was the #69 Foxxtecca Toyota of Dystany Spurlock, the only driver Decker had outpaced in opening practice. Running double-duty with the day’s ARCA race (where she finished 29th) Spurlock ran more laps than anyone in the session (13) and improved nearly 7 full seconds from practice to a best of 75.982 seconds (116.080mph), but remained another two seconds off Breidinger’s time.
Prior to the start on Friday, Deker was joined by three drivers for pre-race penalties: a transmission change for 27th-place qualifier Dawson Sutton in the #26 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet, and unapproved adjustments for both 26th-place Kris Wright in the #81 AHN Chevrolet and 20th-place Tyler Reif in the #42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet. All three lined up ahead of Decker, who was shown last in line as the leaders came to take the green flag.
Immediately, Decker struggled for speed. By the end of Lap 1, she was last across the stripe, 18.780 seconds back of the lead, nearly four full seconds back of teammate Stephen Mallozzi, once again in 35th. By Lap 4, Decker fell to 28.967 seconds back of the lead, more than eight seconds back of Mallozzi (20.395), then on Lap 5 was 38.379 back of the leader, nearly 15 full seconds back of Mallozzi (24.864). On Lap 6, she was 50.378 seconds back of the lead. Then on Lap 7, she was 60.880 seconds back of the lead, more than 27 seconds back of Mallozzi (33.529). On Lap 8, she was 71.704 seconds back of the lead, nearly 30 seconds back of Mallozzi (41.899). Moments later, as she entered the Esses, hers was the first truck to be lapped.
On Lap 9, Ben Rhodes dropped onto pit road after battling for the 8th spot and pulled his #99 TYM Ford behind the wall, citing transmission issues that left him with only second gear. By Lap 10, Decker had dropped Rhodes to last place. Decker then incurred a penalty for failing to meet minimum speed, forcing her to pit road for extensive repairs. By Lap 17, Decker had fallen three laps down, five laps ahead of Rhodes, who was still behind the wall. By Lap 20, the last lap of Stage 1, Decker joined Rhodes in the garage for additional repairs, and the third Team Reaume entry of Jackson Lee fell off the lead lap with an extended stop.
First Decker, then Rhodes returned to the track for the start of Stage 2, where on Lap 25, Rhodes remained in the last spot, now 15 laps down to the leader, with Decker 7 down in 35th, eight laps ahead of Rhodes. By the end of that lap, Decker had returned to pit road, allowing Rhodes to begin to close the gap. Now on pit road was Texas last-place finisher Cole Butcher, whose #13 Atlantic Tilt Load Ford was turned into the inside wall on the frontstretch. By Lap 33, Rhodes was still 15 laps down, but had finally clawed his way to 35th, dropping Decker to last place. That time by, Lee was in 34th, showing 6 laps down, with the damaged Butcher 3 down in 33rd, his “Crash Clock” about to expire. By Lap 46, Butcher was declared out of the race along with new 33rd-place runner Wesley Slimp, who ripped the splitter off the front of his #62 HNTB Toyota driving through the grass of the Inner Loop. Rhodes climbed past Butcher into 34th by Lap 48.
With Butcher now 35th ahead of last-place Decker, the question remained whether Decker would return to the track with enough time to climb out of last place. On Lap 55, Decker returned to the track 34 laps down, but returned to the garage area on Lap 57. Team owner Josh Reaume got on the radio, offering to step in for Decker and continue to diagnose the issues they were having with the truck. Reaume has done this in the past, most recently just last season and on two occasions with driver Alan Waller. But there were conflicting reports that they’d been parked by NASCAR and wouldn’t be allowed to return.
With about 15 laps left in the race and still about 11 laps needed to catch Butcher, there appeared to be just enough time to take the 35th spot. But Reaume decided not to get back out, and the team prepared to load up for the afternoon. Butcher remained in 35th, and now takes the lead from Clayton Green in the 2026 LASTCAR Truck Series Driver’s Standings. Rhodes climbed to 32nd by the checkered flag, dropping to 33rd Grant Enfinger, whose #9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet had a transmission failure that stalled him at the exit of Turn 1. NASCAR instructed Enfinger to stay where he was to receive a tow.
Kaden Honeycutt finally a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner
When the checkered flag fell, it finally first crossed the nose of the #11 Safelite + Foster Love Toyota of Kaden Honeycutt, who in his 67th career start won his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, and just hours after winning the same day’s ARCA race at the same track. Over the last five seasons, where he’s cobbled together progressively larger schedules with such underfunded teams as G2G Racing, On Point Motorsports, Roper Racing, and Young’s Motorsports – not to mention his two O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts for Mike Harmon and Mario Gosselin – Honeycutt has shown many flashes of brilliance. His first top-ten finish came in only his ninth series start at Phoenix in the fall of 2022, when he finished 9th.
In 2024, Honeycutt took the next step with Niece Motorsports, taking 6th in Atlanta and 4th in both Kansas races. In 2025, he started leading more laps – 20 at Martinsville, 12 at Rockingham, and 10 at Charlotte. When news of his current deal with TRICON Garage leaked, he lost his ride with Niece at mid-season, and at this same Watkins Glen race a year ago rejoined Randy Young’s team to keep his full-season status. That immediately paid off when he was called upon to relieve an injured Stewart Friesen, inheriting his spot in the Playoffs, and actually reaching the Championship Four. Friday’s win came after nearly winning in his home track at Texas, where he’d already earned his fourth top-five finish in the previous five races. Congratulations to Honeycutt and the TRICON Garage effort on their victory.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This marked the first last-place finish for the #22 in a Truck Series race at Watkins Glen.
*Decker is the second driver this season to finish last for failing to meet minimum speed. She joins teammate Clayton Green, who also drove Team Reaume’s #22 Ford at Bristol before he was parked after 103 laps. As of this writing, it’s not clear if Decker was driving the same truck as Green, or if she was dealing with the same tight condition he had that night. Decker is the first Truck Series last-place finisher to be parked for running too slow on a road course.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #22-Natalie Decker / 20 laps / too slow
35) #13-Cole Butcher / 31 laps / dvp
34) #62-Wesley Slimp / 34 laps / crash
33) #9-Grant Enfinger / 57 laps / transmission
32) #99-Ben Rhodes / 60 laps / running
2026 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Team Reaume, ThorSport Racing (2)
2nd) Front Row Motorsports, Halmar Friesen Racing, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Niece Motorsports (1)
2026 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Ford (5)
2nd) Chevrolet (2)
3rd) Toyota (1)
2026 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
