From Trucks to Tracks: Bubba Wallace's New Crew Chief Steps Up to the NASCAR Cup Series

If one side of the garage is energetic, the other is a little more subdued. That's the current state of affairs within Cup Series Racing Team 23XI Racing. No. 45 driver Tyler Reddick locked himself in for the championship 4 and drove his car to the Homestead victory, sparking a huge cheer for Michael Jordan. Meanwhile, his teammate Bubba Wallace didn't even make the playoffs. Yet the winds of change are blowing and may sweep Wallace to greater heights.

The No. 23 Toyota team recently announced a significant personnel shuffle. Wallace's crew chief Booty Barker will move into a managerial role, making way for a golden talent. Charles Denike recently breathed fire in the pursuit of his Craftsman Truck Series. He may carry the fuel to get Wallace what he so desperately needs.

Anytime you jump from truck to cup, whether you're a driver or crew chief, it's a big adjustment. Consider the completely different race cars and separate rulebooks that apply to NASCAR's two series. However, Charles Denike may have the ability to make this massive change seem like a breeze. Denick started as a team manager in ARCA and Xfinity in 2012 and became a race engineer at the truck in 2016. He eventually became a crew chief in 2020, scoring nine Truck Series wins — alongside Chase Elliott and Sam Meyer. So, Bubba Wallace's undefeated streak may come to an end soon.

Bubba Wallace's last Cup Series victory came at the 2022 Kansas race, and this year, he came close to making the playoffs with 5 top-fives. However, Denike might help him catch some checkered flags. Estep explained Denikin's recent ventures with a truck phenomenon, saying, “He's been doing a truck series for the past two years.