When the tide changes, you need to go with the flow. In the past few weeks, Tyler Reddick has proven his mettle to fight for a NASCAR Cup Series championship. When all hope seemed lost at the Charlotte Roval, Reddick battled from a 26th-place restart in stage 2 to an 11th-place finish, locking himself into the Round of 8. Recently, in Homestead, he beat even his team owner, Denny Hamlin, to secure a Championship 4 berth. This dazzling performance influenced even Bubba Wallace’s side of the team.

The No. 23 driver had been assisted by Bootie Barker since his first steps in 23XI. The NASCAR veteran propelled Wallace to two race wins – Talladega in 2021 and Kansas in 2022. His 2023 venture also ended with a playoff entry. However, Barker made some crucial decisions in 2024 that did not match the winning atmosphere in 23XI.

Bubba Wallace’s crew has to keep up

When Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan first envisaged their team, expectations were low. Although Jordan’s goal was to win races, 23XI Racing was fledgling in terms of budget and growth. But over the past four years, its progress has been phenomenal – and is snowballing as we speak. Tyler Reddick’s eighth career victory came in dominating fashion. After Kyle Larson spun out on lap 255 of the Homestead race, Reddick flipped the script in 14 minutes. He toppled both Hamlin and Ryan Blaney within a lap and a half to clinch the victory.

Amidst this fantastic performance, Bubba Wallace‘s 14 top-tens and 6 top-fives with zero wins look a bit drab. That may have resulted in Bootie Barker’s role shuffle, as the former No. 23 crew chief moved to a managerial role. NASCAR expert Eric Estepp argued that times are changing. “It was time for a change…He is an industry veteran, very charismatic. He was the best choice for the job in 2021, 2022, maybe 2023. But now, the situation has changed – Bubba Wallace isn’t some scrappy underdog. 23XI isn’t some up-and-coming organization. Tyler Reddick is going to race for a Cup Series championship in two weeks. This team is legit.”

Estepp also cited some crucial strategy call misses that came under Barker’s supervision. “The regular season finale at Darlington – their decision to stay out late only to get beat by those with fresher tires. Then they came to pit road finally, only to get caught in the chaos…The crew chief’s gamble and miss on pit strategy all the time – that’s one thing. But the team never seems to keep up with track changes either. This week at Homestead…Bubba Wallace went from battling for the lead with his teammate in the first half to finishing 18th in the second half.” Hence, despite a solid chemistry with Bubba Wallace, Barker’s potential may have run into a dead end.

Yet Barker’s immense contribution to 23XI will not go unacknowledged.

23XI salutes Barker for his work

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After graduating with a mechanical engineering degree from Old Dominion University in 1996, Bootie Barker got interested in racing in a unique way. He listened to Benny Parsons talk about engineers building shock absorbers for race cars on the radio. Then he started off by selling tires and working for a Late Model team. Barker’s journey as a crew chief started in 2006, and he mentored prominent drivers like Johnny Sauter, Michael Waltrip, and Riley Herbst. After joining 23XI Racing, he landed himself and Bubba Wallace their first career victory at Talladega. Barker’s loyalty to 23XI through its formative years has been phenomenal, and the team hails him for it.

“Since joining 23XI, Bootie has provided Bubba and the No. 23 crew with the leadership and confidence they needed to grow into the team they are today,” Dave Rogers, 23XI director of competition, said in a release. “As we began to look ahead to next season, we decided that Bootie’s experience would best serve the organization in a different role based at Airspeed. His input will continue to be an asset to our teams.” Bubba Wallace also tipped his hat to his mentor for guiding him along NASCAR’s winning path. “Bootie has meant a lot to me and the No. 23 team. We’ve been together for some special moments, and I’m glad he’s still going to be a part of what we’re building at 23XI.”

Despite Bootie Barker’s questionable strategies this year, his contribution to 23XI Racing overall is great. As he begins a new chapter, Bubba Wallace also turns over a new leaf with a stellar Craftsman Truck Series crew chief.