[autotag]Bubba Wallace[/autotag] has been a top-10 driver during the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs; however, there will be a big change for the No. 23 team in 2025. On Wednesday afternoon, 23XI Racing announced that Bootie Barker will not return as Wallace’s crew chief for the 2025 NASCAR season. Charles Denike will take over as Wallace’s new crew chief.
Denike currently serves as the crew chief for Christian Eckes and the No. 19 team at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. In 2024, he has guided Eckes to three wins, including a victory at Nashville Superspeedway, where the No. 19 truck led every single lap. This will be Denike’s first time as a crew chief in the Cup Series.
23XI announced that veteran crew chief Bootie Barker will move to a new role within 23XI and continue to work with the competition leadership team at Airspeed following the season finale. Charles Denike, current crew chief of the No. 19 team in the Truck Series, will take over… pic.twitter.com/dNTLFFc4NM
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) October 30, 2024
While Barker will not return as Wallace’s crew chief, he will remain with 23XI Racing in a behind-the-scenes role. Wallace missed the 2024 NASCAR playoffs but has been better over the last eight races. Denike has proven to be a very good crew chief in the Truck Series, providing optimism that he can take Wallace to the next level.
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