For the First Time, Bubba Wallace Comes Clean on Difficult Decision to Part Ways With Crew Chief Bootie Barker

After impressing his owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan with his qualifying position – P3 – following his Duel 1 race win, Wallace is seemingly quite confident. Although he has a rather good track record in the Daytona 500 races, having finished top-five in three out of seven starts in his career, the current season is special because it’s the first time since 2021 that Wallace is running without his former crew chief, Bootie Barker. Instead, he’ll be partnering with Charles Denike.

Although Barker already reflected on his departure from the team, Wallace took his time and recently elaborated on the team’s decision to bring Denike on board. He explained, “In 24 we were like, Okay, what’s after this peak here? And it kind of just plateaued. And it wasn’t from a lack of effort; it wasn’t because we had a fallout, it’s just things didn’t line up the way that we thought they would, and it led to a change.”

He elaborated further, “Bootie… It took him a while. And I’ll say, in the offseason, it was a little bit awkward and I finally had the conversation like ‘Where ya at?’ [Bootie said:] ‘After some thinking and after some time I’m good with it. It sucks… I’m gonna stay with the team.’ I was like, cool. I think that’s very beneficial for the team.”

📈 "I don't feel like I've reached my peak yet, nowhere near it."@BubbaWallace speaks on the difficult decision to change crew chiefs for the 2025 season with @23XIRacing from Bootie Barker to Charles Denike. pic.twitter.com/qBTZkqLODM

— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) February 14, 2025

Barker had previously expressed his shock over being replaced as the crew chief. He shared that he discussed with Wallace post-decision. Amid the shock, he acknowledged that the transition to Denike was unexpected, especially considering how close they [Wallace and Barker] had come to making the playoffs, believing they had the momentum to continue their pursuit.

Wallace’s realistic expectations from the 2025 season

The #23 driver last tasted victory in 2022 at Kansas. Despite nearing success in subsequent races, converting those opportunities into wins has eluded him. In a candid discussion with FOX 32 Studios, Wallace expressed a singular focus for the forthcoming season: victory. He emphasized that his team is focused and has strategically positioned the right people to consistently compete at a high level every weekend.

Amidst this drive for success, Wallace’s team, 23XI Racing, finds itself entangled in a legal dispute with NASCAR, a situation that adds tension for owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, intensifying their desire to sidestep any further setbacks from lackluster performances. Meanwhile, Wallace’s teammate, Tyler Reddick, has set a high standard within the team by winning a regular-season championship and making a top-4 finish last year.

Wallace’s playoff berth in 2023 slightly dampened the criticisms. However, a failure to achieve results this season could place the team at a juncture, compelling them to contemplate difficult decisions about his continued role.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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