Bubba Wallace to get a new crew chief in 2025
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Bubba Wallace will have a new crew chief atop his 23XI Racing pit box for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Charles Denike will take over for Bootie Barker as crew chief for Wallace in 2025.
“23XI has been good to me, and I hope I have been as good for 23XI,” Barker said. “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.”
Barker will remain at 23XI and work with the competition leadership to prepare the cars and strategize for races.
“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,” said Dave Rogers, the director of competition for 23XI.
Denike comes to 23XI Racing from McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. In two seasons as crew chief for Christian Eckes and the No. 19 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team, they have earned seven wins, 23 Top-5 finishes and 33 Top-10s in 44 starts.
“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 as we continue to work to be better,” Rogers said.
Led by Denike, Eckes has led 26.5% of all of the laps run in the series. He only has one finish outside of the Top-10 – 32nd at Atlanta. Brake issues took him on lap 50 after he led 20 laps and won the first stage.
“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,” Denike said. “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.”
Before starting his NASCAR career, Denike served for nine years in the U.S. Army as an engineer officer.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com