Currey to Replace Hospitalized Decker for Pocono

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer

Niece Motorsports driver Natalie Decker is ruled out for Saturday’s Pocono Organics 150 at Pocono Raceway after confirming Friday that she’s been hospitalized the last four days with bile duct problems.

“Sadly I won’t be racing this weekend but want to wish my 44 team and all my teammates at Niece Motorsports good luck this weekend,” said Decker Friday. “I’ll let everyone know when I’m released and home resting.”

@NatalieRacing "I’ve been in the hospital for the last four days with bile duct problems..Sadly I won’t be racing this weekend but want to wish my 44 team and all my teammates at Niece Motorsports good luck this weekend! I’ll let everyone know when I’m released and home resting" pic.twitter.com/uGW6XyoFXl

— Claire B Lang (@ClaireBLang) June 26, 2020

Bayley Currey will replace Decker, who turned 23 years old Thursday, in the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado. The Texan previously made two starts for the Al Niece owned team a year ago at Pocono and Michigan, scoring a career-high sixth at the latter venue.

Currey said she hopes Decker has a speedy recovery and thanked her and the No. 44 team for giving him an opportunity to compete in his third NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start of 2020.

Everyone pray for @NatalieRacing’s speedy recovery. I want to thank her and her entire @NieceMotorsport team for considering me for this oportunity. I will do my best to represent her and her team in a positive way. https://t.co/JdEq0PPkEB

— Bayley Currey (@BayleyCurrey) June 26, 2020

Last December, Decker underwent surgery to remove her gallbladder which she shared on social media her progress:

“I have been not being able to eat much food and have been in so much pain every time I eat we went through lots of testing like upper endoscopy and gallbladder function test,” said Decker on December 10. “They finally figured it out and my gallbladder wasn’t functioning right! I had to get my gallbladder removed before I could go back on my Arthritis medication. I’m so thankful everything went very well!”

Since joining Niece, Decker is currently 24th in points with her only top-five to date coming at Daytona in February before finishing 21st at Las Vegas and 27th at Charlotte.

Live coverage begins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EST on FS1. Fellow Niece Motorsports driver Ross Chastain, who will be competing in the No. 40 truck, is the defending race winner.