Crew chief Bootie Barker surprised by decision to split with Bubba Wallace

Bootie Barker understands why he and driver Bubba Wallace are being split up next season but it still caught him by surprise.

On one hand, Wallace had his best overall season in terms of consistency in that he scored the 13th most number of overall championship points and set career highs in average finish, top-10s and top-5s. On the other, he went winless for the second year in a row and failed to make the Playoffs after making his first appearance last year.

Wallace signed a contract extension over the summer and fhe decision was made by 23XI Racing to give Wallace a new voice to work with in Charles Denike, who comes to the team from McNally Racing in the Truck Series.

Barker will move to a shop role.

“It was a surprise,” Barker told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think … I’ll say this … I talked to Bubba and … let’s just speak in generalities right now — rarely does the crew chief get to set his own timetable or decide how he’s going to go out. It just doesn’t work that way.”

Barker has been atop the pit box for various Cup Series teams for over two decades but didn’t think this was the end for him in this stint with Wallace. 

“If you think about it too, I think Richard Petty and Dale Inman eventually separated at some point, but I heard them talking about it one time and it was maybe a family issue or something, so not the same deal.

“So when a crew chief is … if you don’t … it’s just part of the deal. It’s to be expected.”

The quote was broken because Barker was reluctant to speak too candidly or say the wrong thing about what didn’t work. 

“I even called a shot,” Barker said. I said it’ll happen sooner or later with Bubba, and to Bubba, but it surprised me because I thought as close as we were to getting in the playoffs that I felt we could keep going.

“So I wasn’t necessarily ready for it somewhat, because when you’ve done this as long as I have, you get a good sense for how it’s going to be, which way the wind is blowing so I can be prepared. So it took me a bit to get my head around it. I won’t lie.”

With that said, Barker said that everyone at 23XI was really gracious with how they explained the decision. 

“No one told me I sucked or anything like that,” he said, while explaining that Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin both made him feel valued.

Barker says he’s still working through details with the team on his assignment next year and that he wouldn’t be coming back if he didn’t feel valued and felt like he could be a positive factor.