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The end of this season brought different emotions for both NASCAR fans and drivers. Many expected that this season would bring something unpredictable, which in the end happened. Joey Logano managed to win the championship once again, but it's also interesting that there were many more changes.
Bootie Barker, Bubba Wallace's crew chief has confirmed that he won't be returning as Wallace's crew chief. 23XI Racing will certainly be at a loss after such an important figure will have another role in the team, and Wallace, like his colleagues, will have to get used to life without him. In an interview with the media, Baker referred to the team's role in such a decision, noting that he was surprised. He pointed out that he spoke with Wallace, stressing to the popular driver that even he doesn't know how things will unfold.
“I won’t lie it was a surprise. It was a surprise,” Barker said, as reported by On3.
“I will say this, I talked to Bubba before … as a crew chief, 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. It’s just how it is.”
Bubba Wallace didn't achieve his goals this season, but this season can be said to be successful by all parameters. The popular NASCAR driver had plenty of Top 10s and Top 5s, though he didn't make the playoffs. The leaders of 23XI Racing realized that this wasn't enough for a team like 21XI, and decided to part ways with Barker.
Bootie Barker explains that changes in crew chief positions are not uncommon in NASCAR and that he expected a split from Bubba Wallace sooner or later. However, he was surprised when it happened because he believed in the team and their progress towards better results. He admits he wasn't completely ready for the change and blames himself for not evaluating the situation better. It took him time to accept the decision, even though he understands the nature of this sport.
Barker pointed out that he is someone who is critical of himself. Despite everything, he didn't expect things to go in this direction, as he hoped for another scenario. NASCAR fans have no doubt that the experienced figure of the NASCAR scene will be equally amazing in the new role, and possibly be motivated to show the 23XI Racing officials that they made a mistake.
On the other hand, it will be interesting to follow Wallace's progress and see how much this controversial driver can do in the seasons ahead. The 30-year-old is making progress from year to year, but the general impression is that Bubba wants much more to achieve. Some believe that he is a driver who has the potential to become a champion, but it is necessary that many things come together for such a thing. Who knows, we might see Wallace on the throne next year.
Bubba Wallace before the 2024 season
Before the start of this season, the popular driver spoke about his ambitions for 2024. It can be said that 2023 was great for Wallace, and no one can deny that this season was also successful for him. It can already be said that the experienced driver has revealed that he is motivated to achieve victory, pointing out that this is his main motive. Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Wallace admitted he was proud of everyone within the team, with a huge desire to show the same success in 2024.
"Everybody I see in the industry the last couple days have come up to me and continued to remind me how good the season was, and it is when you peel back the layers and look at it," said Wallace to NASCAR. "We checked a lot of boxes, but I don't know if it's just me being young and hungry, but I got zero wins. So that bugs the hell out of me."
"But yeah, we made a good run," he continued. "Proud of the efforts from the team. It was a good year. I'm so excited to ... not get started yet because I'm enjoying the downtime, but I'm excited for the next one to start."
Looking at the races behind us, certainly, Bubba wanted much more, but we cannot say that he has a bad season behind him. In fact, this season has shown the qualities of the 30-year-old, who we have no doubt can score victories on NASCAR tracks in 2025. One of the most followed faces on the NASCAR scene could surprise you in 2025.
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