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Bubba Wallace’s Crew Chief Shake-Up: A Risky Move That’s Already Paying Off?

Simon Monroy by Simon Monroy
February 15, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Bubba Wallace’s Crew Chief Shake-Up: A Risky Move That’s Already Paying Off?

Feb 13, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) reacts after winning Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

After two winless seasons and a stalled trajectory, Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing made a bold call: a new voice atop the pit box. Bootie Barker, the man who helped guide Wallace to his first Cup Series wins, has been replaced by Charles Denike ahead of the 2025 season. The reason? A frustrating plateau in performance that left Wallace and his team searching for answers.

With his first-ever Duel victory at Daytona, Wallace is already proving that the shake-up might have been the right move.


Why Did 23XI Make the Change?

Wallace and Barker enjoyed some memorable highs together—a first Cup Series win at Talladega in 2021, followed by a second at Kansas in 2022. But after back-to-back winless seasons in 2023 and 2024, it became clear that something had to change.

“In ’24, we were like, okay. What’s after this peak here? And it kinda just plateaued,” Wallace explained on SiriusXM NASCAR. “It wasn’t from a lack of effort. It wasn’t because we had a fallout. It just… things didn’t line up the way that we thought they would.”

While Wallace did make the playoffs in 2023 on points, 2024 was a struggle. His midseason form fell apart, logging just one top-10 finish in June, and a race manipulation penalty at Martinsville only made things worse. He finished the season 18th in points, outside the playoffs.

“The last two seasons were very, very similar… We stalled out,” Wallace admitted. “So it’s like, man. Okay, what’s gonna change?”


Enter Charles Denike: Can He Elevate Wallace?

With no wins to show for two years of hard-fought battles, 23XI Racing knew they needed to shake up the leadership. They turned to Charles Denike, a crew chief with proven success in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, leading Christian Eckes to eight wins across 2023 and 2024.

Denike brings a fresh perspective—something Wallace believes will help reignite his trajectory.

“I don’t feel like I’ve reached my peak yet, nowhere near it,” Wallace said. “All of us hope, even Bootie hopes, that this was the right change to keep that climb going.”

Barker, meanwhile, hasn’t left 23XI Racing, taking on a competition director role instead. Wallace acknowledged that the transition was a bit awkward at first, but ultimately, he believes having Barker still in-house is an asset.

“It took him a while. And in the offseason, it was a little bit awkward. But I had the conversation like, ‘Where ya at?’
[Bootie said:] ‘I’m gonna stay with the team.’ And I was like, cool. I think that’s very beneficial for the team.”


Early Signs Are Positive

Wallace’s Duel victory at Daytona wasn’t just a morale booster—it was his first official win since 2022. It also locked him into his best-ever starting spot (P3) for the Daytona 500.

While one Duel win doesn’t define a season, it shows that the Wallace-Denike pairing is already clicking. Wallace’s ability to control the race, work well with teammate Tyler Reddick, and handle late-race pressure suggests that this could be the season he finally reaches the next level.

“I got a team that believes in me, and I have just as much faith in this team,” Wallace said after his win.


Is 2025 the Breakthrough Year for Wallace?

The signs are there. Wallace’s stats in 2024 were his best yet, but NASCAR isn’t about stats—it’s about winning. With a new crew chief, a hungry mindset, and early momentum, Wallace might just be primed for the biggest season of his career.

The real test comes Sunday at the Daytona 500. If he can carry this momentum into the biggest race of the year, 23XI Racing’s bold decision to shake up the leadership will already be looking like a championship-caliber move.

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