“I strive for a family atmosphere. I don’t know how you get more family than Bootie.” Bubba Wallace grew emotional when his crew chief was suspended for the Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway. As part of the race manipulation penalty in Martinsville, NASCAR dropped a $200,000 penalty and crew suspensions for the 23XI Racing team No. 23. That included Bootie Barker, who was to call his last race in Phoenix.

Having served with Bubba Wallace and Co. since 2021, Barker was an intimate part of the 23XI Racing fold. Barker’s contributions ranged from winning races in Talladega to featuring in NASCAR’s Netflix documentary. He confessed that after this dynamic journey, he would see the end of his association with Michael Jordan and Co. so soon.

Bubba Wallace’s outgoing crew chief sheds a tear

Well, the relationship between a driver and a crew chief is sacred in motorsports. From sharing crucial resources and having strategy discussions to navigating through a race field, they do many things together. Bubba Wallace and Bootie Barker also achieved a lot. That included one Talladega win in 2022, 33 top-ten finishes, and a playoff entry last year. If Wallace had not incurred the Martinsville penalty for apparently slowing down and allowing Christopher Bell to pass, Barker could have attended his 103rd race in Phoenix as the crew chief. On 30th October, 23XI Racing announced that Barker would cease his crew chief role at the end of 2024. He will continue to work with the competition leadership team to prepare cars and strategize for races.

Although this meant that Barker would still remain at Airspeed, the NASCAR veteran could not help but slip his surprise. In a recent interview with NASCAR Sirius XM, he alluded to Richard Petty’s separation from his team. “I won’t lie, it was a surprise…I talked to Bubba and Larry…Let’s just speak in generalities right now as the crew chief. Rarely does a crew chief get to set his own timetable or decide how he is going to go out. It just doesn’t look that way…It’s just how it is. I thought…Richard Petty and Dale Inman, I heard them talking about…there was more of a family issue maybe, I don’t know what it was. But even they separate at some point.” Barker has a decorated career, having worked with drivers like drivers like Michael Waltrip, Max Papis, and Casey Mears.

Towards the end of his journey, Barker looked back at the missed opportunities. For instance, the regular season finale in Darlington saw an intense fight for the playoff spot between Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher. Barker was thinking about how to correct that and did not expect Michael Jordan and Co. to strip him of his duties so soon. “I saw like the 17 – how close we were in the playoffs…I thought about what we could do…I wasn’t necessarily ready for it. And I (bashed) myself for that somewhat…I think one of the reasons why I’m still doing it is because I have enough sense to see how things are going or which way the wind is blowing… Took me a bit to get my head around it, I won’t lie.” 

Yet the time to transition has come, so let us look at Barker’s replacement.

An army veteran to serve as Wallace’s pillar

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As 23XI Racing bids adieu to a shining gem in the No. 23 crew chief duties, it welcomes another. Before his NASCAR career, Charles Denike served nine years in the US Army as an engineer officer. He attained the rank of Major before being honorably discharged. Then Denike used his engineering degrees to focus on racing. He began his racing career with Precision Performance Motorsports as the team manager. He moved to the crew chief role in 2020, earning two Xfinity Series wins for GMS Racing. Then Denike helped McAnally-Hilgemann Racing earn its first win and playoff berth in 2023 in the Craftsman Truck Series.

Now, this decorated individual in both the army and NASCAR will join the Cup Series for the first time. After being named the crew chief for Bubba Wallace, Denike expressed his enthusiasm. “I am excited for the 2025 season with the No. 23 team and to work with Bubba and all of 23XI Racing beginning in the offseason. Bubba is a proven winner, and I believe we will bring out the best in each other. Thank you to Michael, Denny, and Dave for the opportunity to join the 23XI family. They have built an incredible culture at Airspeed. I am a believer that winning is a process. When you step foot into Airspeed, you see the tools and resources that it takes to win and are surrounded by people with the same vision and mindset.”

While the 23 team seems to be in good hands, it will dearly miss Bootie Barker’s absence. Let us hope for a long and fruitful bond between Barker and 23XI Racing.