Bubba Wallace comes clean on the ‘worries’ that forced him to conceal his ‘true colors’ from his new crew chief

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace appeared in the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast. A few minutes into the interview, Harvick asked Wallace how things were going on between him and his new crew chief, Charles Denike.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Wallace’s former crew chief, Bootie Barker, moved to a leadership role within the organization, overseeing car preparation and race strategy. Denike was tabbed to fill in for him, marking his first full year as a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Bringing in a new crew chief is known to alter the team dynamics, so Harvick was curious about how it had worked out for Wallace. Wallace said that at first, he was concerned about how much Denike knew about him as a driver and a competitor.

“A part of me feels like I've to be a bit buttoned up to start the first couple months together, don't really show my true colors,” Wallace explained (3:56). “Don't bring out the sarcasm card yet, don't slap it on the table...You know, do as he says and ask and respond.”

Wallace had heard about Denike’s success in the Truck Series. However, switching to the Cup Series is a big step. Wallace continued (4:26),

“I was worried that it was going to be too structured, too formal and you know me, I am the exact opposite of that. It feels like it was a plug-and-play system, and we've just continued to pick up the pace right where we left off.”

Bubba Wallace is vying for his first win of the season, also his first since 2021. The Alabama native is now ahead of his eighth race of the season, scheduled for Sunday, April 6, at Darlington Raceway. Fans can watch the event live on Fox Sports from 3 pm ET onwards or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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All signs are pointing upwards for Bubba Wallace in 2025

Bubba Wallace picked up back-to-back P3 finishes at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville, marking his best performances so far this season. He has been running fast consistently, with two top fives and three top 10s to his name and currently sits eighth in the driver standings. One can say that Wallace has gelled well with his new crew chief.

In an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, the driver said,

“All signs are pointing upward. It's nice to have some results to follow up with the effort that we're putting in, but it's a long season. [You] Can't get complacent gotta keep it going."

"We have a lot of good tracks coming up. Darlington and Bristol coming up for sure are two [tracks] that we're excited for. It takes a whole army to make everything happen for our race team, and it's nice to see it all being put together," he added.

2025 also marks Wallace’s first year with Robinhood as his primary sponsor for select races throughout the season. Known for backing the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards in the NBA, the California-based financial services company will also fund Corey Heim’s No. 67 “open” part-time entry.