Natalie Decker’s last NASCAR outing was a mess. During the race at Dover, things got so frustrating that she ended up going off on the radio, aiming for the series director and even her own team! Now she’s back, but fans clearly haven’t forgotten what happened. This time, though, she has a new team, a new car, and a sponsor that oddly fits the story.

NASCAR writer Joseph Sprigley revealed that Decker will make her Young’s Motorsports debut in Friday night’s Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet. She’ll be partnered with Ryan Ellis, who drives the team’s No. 02 Chevrolet full-time. And let’s just say that No. 42 will definitely stand out in the crowd.

Hulu’s Chad Powers is sponsoring the car, which will feature characters from the comedy across its paint scheme. Not just that, the timing is intentional, too, with the second season of Chad Powers set to premiere on Hulu just six days after the Daytona race. This partnership does really stand out, and there is a reason behind it.

The show is about a disgraced quarterback getting another chance at football. And Decker, after having gone through a difficult year, seems to have connected to that, according to her statements.

“I absolutely love Chad Powers,” Decker mentioned. “I rewatched it recently, and there are scenes that still have me laughing so hard I cry. But what I really love is that underneath all of the comedy, there’s a story about an athlete who gets knocked down, keeps going and believes there can still be another opportunity ahead.”

“That part really connected with me. Racing tests you physically and emotionally, and this year has definitely tested me. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to make my first start with Young’s Motorsports at Daytona, and doing it with a show and a character whose story I connect with makes this one really special.”

It will be her second race in NASCAR since the infamous Dover incident, which took place in May. The weekend began on a sour note for her, as she damaged her car before qualifying, forcing her to start from 33rd on the grid. And when the race began, the penalty floodgates opened.

Decker got a pass-through penalty on the opening lap for pulling out of line before reaching the start line. While serving that penalty, she sped in the pit lane and was penalized once again. By lap 81, she was nursing a slow, damaged truck several laps down and reached her breaking point when her pit crew asked her to park the truck in the garage.

“I’m sorry Josh, I’m not going to come back to the Truck Series,” Decker said to her crew chief over the radio. “I’m staying in the O’Reilly Series this series f***ing sucks.”

This was a bad look for NASCAR, at least as far as many insiders were concerned, and even former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick had zero sympathy for Decker. He felt that, when competing at this level, it was important for anyone, regardless of gender, to carry themselves professionally and avoid emotional outbursts like the one Decker had.

Decker kept true to her promise and didn’t return to the Truck Series. She lost her sponsors as a result, too, but returned a few weeks later to Pocono in the O’Reilly Series race, driving the No. 53 car for Joey Gase Motorsports. Now, she has another chance with Young’s Motorsports, and Daytona is a track where she has enjoyed some success.

Back in 2020, Decker finished fifth in the Truck Series race at Daytona and became the first woman to finish inside the top five in series history. She has also made four O’Reilly Series starts at the track since 2023, with her best finish being 18th in 2024 after leading seven laps. Young’s Motorsports team principal Tyler Young, meanwhile, is also looking forward to the weekend.

“We’re excited to welcome Natalie to Young’s Motorsports and have Chad Powers and Hulu with us at Daytona,” Young said. “It’s an incredible-looking race car; it’s a huge weekend for our sport, and we’re looking forward to putting together a strong run with the No. 42.”

But while Decker is looking at the race with maybe a fresh mindset, fans on X are still not able to forget and move on from what happened before. They remembered how she acted the last time she was in NASCAR, and the fact that she had a DNF on lap 17 — although it was no fault of hers — did not help.

One fan commented, “Is she bringing her therapist?” A direct reference to her breakdown at Dover.

Another fan commented, “Who is she going to run into and then blame this time?” Similarly, one more fan wrote, “Can’t wait for her to blame someone else for her crashing again.” This draws on the view that Decker has a history of becoming involved in incidents and then directing responsibility outward rather than owning the outcome.

Earlier this year at Daytona, Sam Mayer’s car came to a stop after a wreck in the O’Reilly Series race. Decker had around 15 seconds to avoid the incident but drove straight into his stationary car. She then ended up blaming Mayer for the crash.

One fan wrote, “I thought we learned,” echoing the sentiment of those who felt she should not have returned to NASCAR after the Dover incident.

Another fan wrote, “We were almost free of her,” showing a desire for the sport to move on from a driver many feel has not earned another opportunity. One fan also connected the sponsorship to the comedy’s premise, asking, “Do you think she could be like Chad and create a disguise that makes her good at driving a race car?”

These reactions come from a mix of poor results, high-profile struggles, and public frustration. Now, the question is whether Decker can put together a clean, competitive run at Daytona and start changing that perception.