EYES ON THE PRIZE.: UW-Stout student Paige Decker is racing to make her mark in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The college years are a time of career setting: Your life has led to this point to establish your plan for adulthood. For Paige Decker of Eagle River, the path to UW-Stout and a pursuit of an early childhood education degree has paralleled a drastically different – and literal – path: auto racing. At age 23, Decker is moving into position as the next prominent Chippewa Valley name in the racing world, having already made the tight turns at Virginia’s legendary Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

This is not a whim of trying something unique while young; Decker has honed her ability for a lifetime. Her father raced snowmobiles, and she began on such vehicles at age 3. Alas, a visit to her younger cousin’s go-kart race resulted in her uncle offering her that same day to compete for the first-time in a go-kart, and despite an objection from her father, she hit the track and won. A decision was necessary, and Decker’s choice of go-karts set her on her current trajectory.

“Just walking through the pits at Martinsville (Speedway) and seeing all the NASCAR drivers in person, and to think that you are there also! ... It really is pretty cool.” – Paige Decker

Following time competing in – and networking through – the Rev Racing Drive For Diversity, her big break came while at an event in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. “It all began when I got a phone call one day from a NASCAR team saying they wanted me as a driver for them!” she says. Some arranging and résumé-sending later, she was in.

In NASCAR hierarchy, after the Sprint Cup (for the casual sports fan, this is the big circuit with the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson, etc.) comes the Xfinity Series and then the Truck Series. The latter series is sponsored by Camping World, and races are often held at well-known speedways across the country such as Martinsville, the shortest and one of the oldest in the circuit. When Decker arrived for her first race at the venue, she had one of those “welcome to the big leagues” moments: “Just walking through the pits at Martinsville and seeing all the NASCAR drivers in person, and to think that you are there also! I am one of those ‘NASCAR drivers,’ ”  she says. “It really is pretty cool.”

Decker termed her debut truck race as being “thrown to the wolves.” Her college work required her to arrive the day before the race, and she was unfamiliar with the vehicle. “I had to sit in a car I have never seen or driven before, and then I had to go and race a car I have never even seen before the next day,” she says. “It was very hard, exciting, and a learning experience all packed into one.”

TV plays a trick on us watching at home, as the vehicles seem to glide along the track; Decker knows that is assuredly not reality. “It totally does not give you the right perspective on how hard things actually are,” she says of watching on TV. “You can’t see any banking either when watching on TV. Well let me tell you, there is a lot! In general, racing cars is a lot harder than what people think.”

Decker has held her own competing against some of today’s top names, such as Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. The latter racer won the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville on April 2, while Decker placed 25th in a 32-truck field.

Considering the sport’s finances, she drives whatever the funding and her given team will allow. The funding model currently requires her to rent what she calls a “ ‘start-and-park’ type truck.” That, she explains, means “it doesn’t handle that good, doesn’t have a good motor, (and) I do not get new tires.”

All this means that when I show up at a NASCAR truck race,” she continues, “I am planning on finishing the race in the back. My car is not capable of finishing top 15, it just isn’t.” As she notes, raising awareness of her career is the key to gaining sponsorships and getting a better driver position.

Despite her age, Decker says she is already old for this profession. She is both racing and working toward a college degree, a balance that she says can be a challenge depending on the understanding of her academic institution – understanding that has not come easily. “Can you imagine having to do homework, student teaching, and try and get a $15,000 sponsorship to run one race?” she asks. “It’s a lot of pressure that most people don’t realize is present. Another hard part is trying to get the support from professors. It can really complicate everything if your professor is against racing or doesn’t understand it.”

That does not stop her goal, which is to “get the funding to run a whole season in a NASCAR Camping World Truck series in a top 10 truck.” And if you read this and decide to make it your goal, follow Decker’s advice: “Race all the time. ... Talk to everyone and anyone. ... Do all you can to get your name out there. ... But most importantly in the end, don’t forget who and what got you started, and where your roots are.” Paige Decker’s roots are grounded, but her reach is surely spreading outward nationwide.

Learn more by following Paige Decker Racing on Facebook.

An Interview with Paige Decker

Volume One contributor Luc Anthony recently chatted with NASCAR driver and UW-Stout student Paige Decker. Here’s a full Q-and-A of their conversation.

V1: A press release from UW-Stout noted your family background in racing. Where did the family interest in racing come from, and what in particular got you interested in making racing something you wanted to do?

Decker: My dad and all of his brothers raced snowmobiles for years growing up; my dad specifically competing for the factory Bombardier/Ski-Doo team which had him living in Canada for quite a long period of time. My dad publicly retired at the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 1996 when I was 3 years old; this ceremony included my dad passing down his racing No. 03 to me and my kitty kat. This is where it all began! I started racing snowmobiles at 3 years old and never stopped! I raced snowmobiles all the way until I was 13 years old, ending up on a full-sized sled racing at national and local races. Now comes my transition to go kart racing. My little cousin Natalie Decker started racing go-karts and I went with to just watch and support her. Turns out my uncle (Chuck Decker) had bought a go-kart for me and wanted me to race AT THAT RACE. He made me call my dad and ask for permission before I could actually race, my dad said in exact words, ‘No way you are not ready and have had no experience.’ Well uncle Chuck let me race, and I ended up winning that race! My dad made me make a choice at that point between racing snowmobiles and racing go-karts, and I quickly choose go-karts which was a huge turning point in my racing career.

What was the point in your life you realized you could achieve a NASCAR-level career in racing?

After competing for the Rev Racing Drive for Diversity team, that opened a lot of doors in the NASCAR world for me. Essentially it allowed me to meet many new people and a lot of influential people who can help my career. However, it all began when I got a phone call one day from a NASCAR team saying they wanted ME as a driver for them! It caught me completely off guard, and at this exact time I was down at New Smyrna Beach competing at speed weeks at New Smyrna Speedway, so I didn’t do too much with it. A few weeks later and after many conference calls, my dad and I decided it was time, so I sent in my résumé to NASCAR to see if they would allow me to race. Well, I got approved, and really from there it was a whirlwind.

Is there a particular type or model of vehicle you most prefer to drive in a race, and why?

I have no preference between Chevy or Ford branded cars, and to be honest, whatever the funding will allow is what I am going to race. I have had experience with many different chassis in the Super Late Model and still have no preference, it just depends what the team is running that I am working with as well.

What, if anything, is unique or different about the racing scene in western/northern Wisconsin compared to the national scene and/or elsewhere in the state/region? Do you have a favorite local track?

My favorite track is Slinger Speedway! In northern Wisconsin you pretty much know everyone you are racing against, which can make things good or bad. However at the local scene here in Wisconsin, if you are trying to race on a bit of a budget you can still compete. At a national level, it’s sad to say but it’s all focused on money. To put things into perspective and this is just my personal opinion from first-hand experiences. I am at the point right now where I cannot afford on my own to go racing, therefore I depend all on sponsors.

With the small amount of money that I can raise I can only rent a “start-and-park” type truck, which means it doesn’t handle that good, doesn’t have a good motor, I do not get new tires, and my pit crew is not very good as well. All this means that when I show up at a NASCAR truck race, I am planning on finishing the race in the back, my car is not capable of finishing top 15, it just isn’t. So the reason why I am doing these NASCAR races is to get exposure and get my name out there in hope that a sponsor or high-end NASCAR team will take notice and take me in as a driver! It’s a long shot, but that’s all racers pursuing a career in racing can do nowadays.

Have you had a “welcome to the big leagues” moment while becoming involved with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series?

Just walking through the pits at Martinsville and seeing all the NASCAR drivers in person and to think that you are there also! I am one of those “NASCAR drivers.” It really is pretty cool. Especially at Martinsville because it is such a small track, therefore haulers are parked right next to each other with not many barriers. Another moment I can think of is racing against Joey Logano and Kyle Busch.

Martinsville is one of the more-legendary tracks in NASCAR. How did you feel the first time you drove the track, and how would you describe it to a racing fan who has watched TV races from there but never gone to the track?

Martinsville is known as a short track … which in my opinion is the best kind of racing around. It takes a real driver to do well at a half-mile track, compared to a 2-mile track where all a driver has to do is go full throttle. With that being said, I was what you would call “thrown to the wolves” having Martinsville be my first truck race, and it was easily one of the hardest things I have done. I had to go to Martinsville a day before the race (because remember, I am in college and can’t miss school) and I had to sit in a car I have never seen or driven before, and then I had to go and race a car I have never even seen before the next day. It was a very hard, exciting, and learning experience all packed into one. Not only that but when you watch a NASCAR race on TV it all looks so easy, almost in slow motion, it totally does not give you the right perspective on how hard things actually are. You can’t see any banking either when watching on TV, well let me tell you there is a lot! In general, racing cars is a lot harder than what people think.

What are the challenges involved in pursuing a college degree while maintaining a racing career, and how have you found a balance between the two paths?

It’s difficult for sure. Anyone who plays a college sport understands how hard it is to balance academics, a social life, and pursuing a career. Can you imagine having to do homework, student teaching, and try and get a $15,000 sponsorship to run ONE RACE, it’s a lot of pressure that most people don’t realize is present. Another hard part is trying to get the support from professors, it can really complicate everything if your professor is against racing or doesn’t understand it. Not only that but the ease of having your university support you as well can eliminate a lot of trouble with missing class and such. I would say that up to this point I have really struggled with both, I have one, maybe two professors who completely support my racing career, and my university is just now taking notice of me now in my senior year of school. It’s pretty upsetting.

What is your highest-level goal in the racing field?

My goal is just to do good in the next few races I have the opportunity to compete in; gaining the respect from other drivers, expanding my fan zone, and meeting more people involved in NASCAR. The better I do in the next few races the quicker I am going to get approved by NASCAR to run bigger tracks. Unlimited goal: Get the funding to run a whole season in a NASCAR Camping World Truck series in a top 10 truck.

If someone from the Chippewa Valley wanted to pursue a similar career, what must they do?

Start as young as you can! Drivers are continuously getting younger and younger, I am 23 and almost old in the racing community. Race all the time, doesn’t matter what you are racing. Seat time makes you better PERIOD. The more you race the better you will be. If you have the opportunity to race a go-kart, do it; if you can get in a dirt car, do it; if you can run a dirt fish rally car, do it; it all makes you better in the end! Talk to everyone and anyone; you never know who they are. Being a female in a male-dominated sport, there is some added attention and at times you want to choose to ignore it; well, you never know who you are ignoring, that person could have enough money to fund a team for you. Do all you can to get your name out there; as a new and upcoming driver anything and everything helps. Don’t say “no” to an interview, do not say “no” to an event you think will be boring. But most importantly in the end, don’t forget who and what got you started, and where your roots are.