While one side of the garage is vibrant, the other is a bit morose. That is the situation right now inside Cup Series racing team 23XI Racing. No. 45 driver Tyler Reddick sparked immense joy in Michael Jordan when he drove his car to a Homestead victory, locking himself for the Championship 4. Meanwhile, his teammate Bubba Wallace could not even crack the playoffs. Yet winds of change are afoot and may sweep up Wallace to greater heights.

The No. 23 Toyota team recently announced a significant personnel shuffle. Wallace’s crew chief, Bootie Barker, will move into a managerial role, making way for a golden talent. Charles Denike has breathed fire in his Craftsman Truck Series pursuit recently. He may carry the fuel for achieving what Wallace desperately needs.

Ingredient for success for Bubba Wallace

Any time you jump from Truck to Cup, that is a big adjustment no matter if you’re a driver or a crew chief. Consider the totally different race cars and separate rulebooks that apply to both of NASCAR’s series. However, Charles Denike may have the potential to make this massive change feel like a breeze. Originally starting out as a team manager at ARCA and Xfinity in 2012, Denike became a race engineer in 2016 at Truck. He finally became a crew chief in 2020, clinching nine Truck Series wins – one each with Chase Elliott and Sam Mayer. Hence, Bubba Wallace’s winless streak may overturn soon.

NASCA expert Eric Estepp totally agrees as he shared in a recent video. Bubba Wallace’s last Cup Series victory came at the 2022 Kansas race, and this year, he came dangerously close to the playoffs with 5 top-fives. However, Denike may help him actually grab a few checkered flags. Estepp detailed Denike’s recent ventures with a truck phenom, “He’s been a Truck Series crew chief for the past two years now. He’s had the most success in the past two years with driver Christian Eckes. They’ve won a combined 7 races the past two seasons, and this year looked like serious championship threats. Just like the Miles Stanley-Wood Brothers situation, Denike will also be a rookie Cup Series crew chief next year.”

The man himself feels thrilled about joining a championship-contending Cup Series team. Being a nine-year veteran of the US Army, Denike believes in the winning mindset of 23XI Racing. “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. I am looking forward to this next chapter and to be able to contribute to 23XI’s growth and journey to winning championships.” Bubba Wallace is equally pumped to work with the Craftsman Truck asset. “I’m excited to work with Charles and see what we can accomplish together.”

Denike is not the first to make this huge jump within NASCAR.

A golden precedent to show the way

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Rick Ware Racing has been a fixture in NASCAR since 1998. The team’s performance has never matched the highest-achieving Cup Series teams, even after it attained full-time status in 2017. Yet lately, a few drivers have excelled under the RWR banner. Justin Haley, 2016 ARCA Menards champion and four-time Xfinity winner, fetched some solid finishes with RWR this year. He finished inside the top ten at Darlington, Gateway, and Talladega – along with a 4th-place finish at the All-Star Race. These small milestones could be attributed to a new crew chief at RWR – Chris Lawson.

So while arguing a strong case for Denike’s potential to uplift Bubba Wallace, Estepp cited Lawson. The latter has propelled Zane Smith to the 2022 Craftsman Truck Series championship. And now Lawson is upgrading RWR to a slightly better position. “Chris Lawson spent several years in the Truck series and the last couple of years he worked with Zane Smith at Front Row on the 38. And they had a ton of success, won a championship. This year, Chris Lawson jumped from trucks to Cup with Rick Ware. How many times have we said to ourselves, ‘Wow. Look at Justin Haley!’ …Lawson has helped elevate Rick Ware Racing this year.”

Evidently, Bubba Wallace’s fortunes may pick up next year. As the 2024 season rolls to a stop soon, changes for 2025 are already afoot.