With eight races to go in the 2021 season, 23XI Racing made a decision that would go on to benefit the #23 team greatly over the following years. Bubba Wallace’s then-crew chief Mike Wheeler was being promoted to be the Director of Competition and Bootie Barker was announced as his replacement. Two full seasons later, Barker has now led his team to heights it never reached before.
Advertisement
A mechanical engineering graduate from the Old Dominion University in Virginia, Barker entered the racing world by working on late-model cars during his days in college. In 1996, he moved to Charlotte with the dream of being the crew chief of a NASCAR team before he was 30 years old.
Starting from the ARCA Menards to the Cup Series, he worked alongside a list of well-known drivers including Michael Waltrip, Casey Mears, and Ward Burton before landing the 23XI Racing job. His biggest role before 2021 was at Ty Dillon’s team at the Germain Racing garage in 2017. The effects of Barker getting into the 23XI Racing garage were immediately visible.
On October 4, 2021, Barker brought 23XI Racing and his driver their first win in the Cup Series at Talladega. Since that race, he has played a huge role in transforming Wallace into a better driver and improving the performance of the #23 car. Wallace’s 10th-place finish in the 2023 driver standings (0 wins, five top fives, 10 top 10s, 285 laps led) evidences the same.
What do Bootie Barker’s colleagues at the 23XI Racing garage say about him?
Barker’s work in the 2023 season has led to him being one of the most covered crew chiefs in the new Netflix docuseries, NASCAR: Full Speed. Talking about the same to Fox Sports, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin and the team’s drivers shared their thoughts about his personality.
Hamlin said, “Bootie is awesome. I mean, I got to know Bootie a little bit more through the documentary, so, Bootie is great for sure.” Wallace added, “He is not the camera person. But he will always pick up the slack. When I don’t do it, he will pick it up.”
The Netflix series “NASCAR: Full Speed” dropped today. Denny Hamlin said he feels it portrayed him accurately. One crew chief who got significant time was Bubba Wallace’s crew chief Bootie Barker. Hamlin, Wallace and Tyler Reddick give their thoughts on Barker’s personality. pic.twitter.com/k9DUPsPgOf
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 30, 2024
The #45 team driver Tyler Reddick heaped praise on the crew chief the most. He said, “We could be having some tough meetings and he knows exactly what to say to lighten the mood. I mean, his way with words, communication skills, and knowing when to throw in a good joke… He is just a really fun guy to have around, to be honest with you.” With recognition and love pouring in through the docuseries, Barker heads into the 2024 season with the single goal of climbing further up the ladder than he did last season.
