It might look like Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s passion project is headed in the right direction. But Bubba Wallace and the #23 team haven’t exactly been able to match strides with the team’s rapid progress. And looking back at Wallace’s 2024 season, it feels like next year is going to be a real test for the driver and his team.

Now, it’s fair to say that Bubba Wallace has his fair share of critics reminding him of his shortcomings. But NASCAR veteran Larry McReynolds’ assessment of Wallace’s continued woes has only added pressure onto the #23 team.

Bubba Wallace and the #23 team need to step up their game in 2025

23XI Racing is certainly making strides in contending for wins and championships. This was evident from Tyler Reddick and the #45 team’s success this year. They won the regular season championship, beating drivers like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Moreover, Reddick converted this strong run into a Championship 4 appearance. With Bubba Wallace, there is a different story. There is a genuine concern about the stark contrast between the #23 and the #45 team in terms of on-track performance. Especially with both teams having almost similar setups and resources to work with for the whole season. Reddick was able to clinch two race wins and came just short at tracks like Las Vegas, the Chicago Street Race, and the Brickyard 400.

And going by Larry McReyonlds’ words, Wallace will be on the hot seat come 2025. “I get a feeling this is a pretty critical year for Bubba Wallace. You know Tyler Reddick won one more race this year, just this year alone, than Bubba Wallace has in his whole career. Two wins in 255 starts and as I said, he’s been there since day one with 23XI when they first rolled out the beginning of 2021. I just feel like this is a pretty critical year for Bubba Wallace to go out there and contend for wins.” McReynolds said this on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

In comparison, Bubba Wallace had a string of top 5 finishes, but that wasn’t enough to see him advance to the playoffs. It’s not the case that the #23 Toyota Camry lacked speed, but the team had been inconsistent and wasn’t able to execute when they were up against the odds. Wallace is on a winless streak of almost 43 races; his last win came back in 2022 at Kansas. With 23XI Racing spreading its wings and adding a third car with Riley Herbst next year, all eyes will be on the 31-year-old.

Well, if we are to judge Wallace’s 2024 outing statistically, he had his best-ever run. But, 23XI Racing wants the #23 team to turn a corner for good by being in contention for wins. This was evident from the massive overhaul they made to the #23 team and the departure of Bootie Barker.

Charles Denike will take command of the No. 23 team

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With fourteen top 10s and six top 5s, Bubba Wallace had his best season in terms of statistics and direct comparison to his previous runs. This also included an average finish of 15.278, which might be good for a mid-pack team but not for an ambitious organization like 23XI Racing. That is why they made a tough call and ejected Bootie Barker from his seat and replaced him with Charles Denike.

Interestingly, Barker had no clue about this change within the team and was taken by surprise to see the team opting for a new crew chief. “I won’t lie; it was a surprise. I will say this: I talked to Bubba before… as a crew chief, let’s just speak in generalities right now. Rarely does the crew chief get to decide how he’s going to go out. It just doesn’t work that way. It’s just how it is.” Barker said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Denike’s experience leading a race team so far has been restricted to just the Craftsman Truck Series. He has nine wins to show for himself, and he has climbed the ranks and worked with drivers like Chase Elliott and Sam Mayer. But this opportunity is going to be a big challenge for the new crew chief at 23XI Racing. Well, this move by the team owners could either prove to be a huge success or end up being a bad bet.