Kaz Grala will replace Natalie Decker as the driver of the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet for the upcoming NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, according to NASCAR’s entry list.
Decker was not medically cleared by NASCAR to compete in the race, Niece Motorsports later stated in a press release.
Decker was slated to start the Chevrolet Silverado 250 in 28th, so this driver change means Grala will have to drop to the rear of the field before the start.
Decker has dealt with health issues already this year. She missed the race at Pocono Raceway due to a health issue. Then, in the series’ most recent race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR did not medically clear her to compete. Decker thus did not start the race, though she was credited with a last-place finish (36th).
Decker herself has not yet addressed the Talladega change, though she tweeted September 26 regarding her removal from the Las Vegas race.
I know you are all wondering what happened and what is going on.
We are boarding soon to get back home where there will be more tests run so they can further evaluate and diagnose. I will let you know as soon as that is complete. Thank you for all your prayers and support— Natalie Decker (@NatalieRacing) September 26, 2020
This will be Grala’s first Truck start since he ran full time in 2017. In 32 career starts, he has one win at Daytona International Speedway, five top fives and 14 top-10 finishes.
At Talladega, Grala has only made one Truck Series start in 2017, where he finished 29th due to a crash that ended his race with a DNF.
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.