In NASCAR, talent behind the wheel can only take a driver so far. That’s because the road to the top requires not just speed, but dollars, millions of them. From early days in go-karts to late nights chasing sponsorship deals, financial backing can make or break a racing career. For women in the sport, the climb is even steeper, burdened by both the usual funding hurdles and the weight of competing in a male-dominated arena. In fact, Natalie Decker once said that sponsorship is the hardest part about racing.
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Few understand reality better than Amber Balcaen, who has managed to keep her racing dreams alive by building and funding her own ventures. Balcaen, who’s raised roughly $67 million on her own, had to learn to be a businesswoman before she could truly be a race car driver, something few in the sport can balance successfully.
Natalie Decker, who competes part-time in the Xfinity Series, echoed that sentiment in a 2024 interview with Frontstretch. “Finding a sponsorship, period, even if it’s just a one-off weekend thing or a multi-race deal, it’s so difficult,” she admitted.
Despite her determination, the struggle has limited her seat time. “I’ve only been in the car once this year so far, and now it will be twice after the Charlotte race, but it’s so hard. A lot of people, the outsiders looking in, they’re like, ‘Well, you’re a female, it must be easier to find sponsorship.'”
Decker quickly shut down that misconception. “No, regardless to if you’re male or female, it doesn’t matter, because it’s so difficult no matter who you are in the sport. It’s the hardest part about the sport, and it’s what you have to put your most effort into so that you can try to go to that next race,” she continued.
Off the track, Decker’s year has been equally eventful. In February, she welcomed her first child, a son named Levi, though the journey wasn’t without complications during delivery. Just six months after giving birth, she returned to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway, marking a remarkable comeback and finishing P22, a new mother balancing family life and racing ambition.
