Bubba Wallace expresses frustration over Bootie Barker's absence for NASCAR finale, opens up on tough crew chief change

Ahead of the Cup Series championship race, Bubba Wallace voiced his frustration over his crew chief, Bootie Barker, missing out on what could have been their final race together at Phoenix Raceway. 23XI Racing earlier announced that Barker is set to switch roles within the team and a new crew chief will join Wallace for next season.

#23 Toyota driver Wallace and his 23XI Racing team were fined $100,000 and deducted 50 points each for race manipulation after last week's Martinsville race. Moreover, NASCAR suspended the #23 team executive, spotter, and crew chief for the upcoming race.

Reflecting on the veteran crew chief missing his last race as a crew chief, the 31-year-old Wallace said:

"I hate that Bootie’s last race with the 23 group has to be tarnished by (the penalty). Bootie has meant a lot to me in the short amount of time I’ve gotten to be with him the last three years. He’s become one of my best friends and I told him that when we made the decision to go a different direction."

"So it's been, it's been a frustrating week, but it goes on. Time doesn't wait for you. Schedule keeps going. So we're here," added Wallace.

The two-time Cup Series race winner Wallace claimed it wasn't an easy decision to switch Barker's role but unacknowledged that at at some point, one has to make certain decisions to progress.

---

"He will be a terrific addition": 23XI Racing's Dave Rogers on Bubba Wallace's new crew chief for 2025 season

NASCAR: GEICO 500 - Qualifying (Source: Imagn)

Dave Rogers, 23XI Racing's Director of competitions, shared his thoughts on Charles Denike joining the #23 team as a crew chief for Bubba Wallace in 2025. Denike is the current crew chief of Christian Eckes, who competes for McAnally-Hilgermann Racing in the Truck Series.

In a recent press release, Rogers spoke about Bootie Barker's experience which would be best served at 'Airspeed', the 23XI Racing's headquarters in Huntersville, North Carolina. Rogers said (via Speedwaydigest):

"As we began to look ahead to next season, we decided that Bootie's experience would best serve the organization in a different role based at Airspeed. His input will continue to be an asset to our teams."

Furthermore, the 23XI Racing executive added:

"We're excited to welcome Charles to the organization and look forward to getting started with him at the end of the season. He will be a terrific addition to the No. 23 team and 23XI as we continue to work to be better."

This transition from Truck to Cup Series will be the first for the Denike. Notably, he has experience working as a team manager and race engineer in several NASCAR touring series.