CONCORD, N.C. – Ave Motorsports and Natalie Decker will join forces for the Trans-Am Series West Coast Championship, which begins on March 15 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
This will be Decker’s third year racing for Ave Motorsports. In 2018 and ’19 she raced a handful of the Trans-Am Series races at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Road America, Virginia Int’l Raceway and Sebring Int’l Raceway.
“We are looking forward to running Natalie for a points championship this year, as well as having her help us develop some new equipment for the team,” said Ave. “We’ve got some different things up our sleeve for 2020 and beyond, and Natalie is a perfect fit to both develop the opportunities and reap the benefits in the driver’s seat as well.”
Decker will be honing her skills at unfamiliar race tracks in an unfamiliar race car. The GT4 N29 Technologies LLC Audi piloted by Decker will make its first laps around Sonoma Raceway March 13, with qualifying slated for March 14.
“I am looking forward to getting back on a road course with Ave Motorsports,” said Decker. “Tony Ave has taught me so much the past two years. It’s very exciting to know I have a team like Ave Motorsports to work with and race with, he has been a long time friend of my dads and he truly wants the best for me and my career.”
The Sonoma Raceway road course features more than 160 feet of elevation change from its highest point – 174 feet – to its lowest point – 14 feet.
“Preparing for Sonoma, I have been watching videos and getting on iRacing to make laps to help me with the layout of the track,” Decker said. “That will be most important when I get there, to show up with the knowledge of knowing what turn comes next so I don’t have to waste a session learning the track.”