The No. 23 team at 23XI Racing will have a new person atop the pit box in 2025. Bootie Barker will take on a new role inside the organization as Charles Denike joins forces with Bubba Wallace.
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23XI Racing announced the news on Wednesday and said that the Phoenix race will be Barker's final event as the crew chief for the No. 23 team. He will then continue to work with the competition leadership team while working at Airspeed, the team's headquarters in Huntersville, N.C.
This role will feature Barker helping the team prepare the cars each week of the season while also focusing on strategy.
Wallace started his 23XI Racing tenure with Michael Wheeler as his crew chief. Barker took over after the first 28 races of the 2021 season, and he has remained with Wallace ever since. Their tenure together includes two Cup Series wins, 17 top-five finishes, 34 top-10s, and one playoff appearance.
"Bootie has meant a lot to me and the No. 23 team," Wallace said in a statement. "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, a nine-year veteran of the United States Army, is a new addition to the organization. He currently serves as the crew chief of the No. 19 Truck Series team at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. He has guided Christian Eckes to seven wins over the last two seasons.
Before joining McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Denike worked at GMS Racing. He scored Truck Series wins with Chase Elliott and Sam Mayer. Now, he will take on Cup Series competition for the first time in his NASCAR career.
"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. "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."
