23XI Racing announced Wednesday that Bubba Wallace will have a new crew chief in 2025.
Bootie Barker, who has been Wallace’s crew chief since late in the 2021 season, will move into a competition leadership position with the team. Barker will oversee car preparation and race strategy.
Charles Denike will be Wallace’s new crew chief next season. Denike is the crew chief for the No. 19 Truck team of Christian Eckes at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
“23XI has been good to me, and I hope I have been as good for 23XI,” said Bootie Barker in a statement from the team. “Loyalty is important to me and I will continue to do all I can in my new role to help everyone here succeed. I was fortunate to be a part of 23XI’s inception, and I look forward to being a part of the team’s continued journey.”
“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,” said Dave Rogers, 23XI Director of Competition, in a statement from the team. “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. We’re excited to welcome Charles to the organization and look forward to getting started with him at the end of the season. He will be a terrific addition to the No. 23 team and 23XI as we continue to work to be better.”
“Bootie has meant a lot to me and the No. 23 team,” said Bubba Wallace in a statement from the 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. I’m excited to work with Charles and see what we can accomplish together.”
Denike began his racing career as a team manager at Precision Performance Motorsports, overseeing its K&N Pro Series East and Xfinity Series teams. He moved to GMS Racing in 2016. He was an engineer his first three years there on the organization’s Truck and Xfinity programs before becoming a crew chief in 2020. He served in that role for three seasons before joining McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
This will be Denike’s first time in the Cup Series.
“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,” said Charles Denike in a statement from the team. “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. I am looking forward to this next chapter and to be able to contribute to 23XI’s growth and journey to winning championships.”
