Bubba Wallace’s start to the season last year with two consecutive top-5 finishes initially set the NASCAR world abuzz. While he has not been able to replicate the same this year, a top-5 finish at Homestead has recently reignited his confidence. Following a ninth-place finish at Atlanta, Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing driver experienced a dry spell for three races, leading some fans to brace for another dull season.
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However, the tides turned at the Homestead-Miami race, where Wallace led for 56 laps and settled for a third-place finish. Denny Hamlin attributes this resurgence to the expertise of Wallace’s newly appointed crew chief.
Last October, 23XI Racing reshuffled their deck, announcing that Bootie Barker would step aside from his role as the #23 team’s crew chief, a position he had held since 2021. Charles Denike, stepping up from the Truck Series, was slated to take over in 2025.
This move, according to the 23XI co-owner, is now paying dividends, evidenced by the #23 car’s enhanced performance and Wallace’s presence at the forefront of the pack.
“We feel like we got a game changer there in Charles that’s getting the best out of Bubba. Their cars are fast. I would contend the 23XI cars in general are just… really fast. And so, I think they got really fast cars and Bubba’s putting it together. He’s putting in the work. It’s showing with results right now,” Hamlin remarked.
“Bout f***ing time we got one.” – @BubbaWallace
Wallace discussed being grateful for having a good run and what he could’ve done differently at the end. @dennyhamlin spoke about his run, what more he and JGR need for speed, and on Wallace’s great run.
: @stephen_stumpf pic.twitter.com/9SfIIBtD4S
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) March 23, 2025
Wallace kicked off the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway from the ninth position, racking up six stage points and taking the lead thrice. He also secured the bonus point for clocking the fastest lap of the race with a time of 32.335 seconds on Lap 218.
Entering the event, Wallace was positioned eleventh in the driver standings, sitting comfortably with an 11-point buffer above the playoff cutline. His performance at Homestead though, has catapulted him to seventh in the standings, now boasting a 36-point lead over the cutline and outpacing his boss, Hamlin, who currently holds the eighth spot.
Reflecting on the race during his post-race interview, Wallace remarked, “It was really good. We showed up here in Miami and had speed. That’s the first box you want to check… We fired off the race just OK and it really made me think our balance was similar to what we’ve had the past two years and we’ve just been average. So, I was just praying for track position.”
Wallace comments on his relationship with his new crew chief
A strained relationship between a crew chief and a driver can spell trouble for any racing team. Given the abrupt departure of his former crew chief, Bootie Barker, with whom Wallace had developed a solid rapport over the years, it was anticipated that the Mobile, Alabama native might need some time to gel with his person at the helm of the ship, Charles Denike.
However, the #23 driver reported that from day one, Denike hit the ground running, showing a lot of dedication to improving team performance. He never shied away from pushing Wallace to tweak his approach when needed. The reciprocal openness has seemingly solidified their partnership.
Denny Hamlin’s earlier assertion that Denike could be a game-changer for the team is starting to bear fruit. Yet, it remains to be seen whether Wallace can sustain this momentum and when he will clinch his third Cup race victory.
