Bubba Wallace crew chief: All you need to know about Bootie Barker

Within a few months after 23XI Racing's debut in NASCAR, Bubba Wallace found himself with a new crew chief for the remaining eight races of the 2021 season. But what brought about this change?

The then crew chief of Wallace, Mike Wheeler, got an appraisal, and his prime contribution to the team started coming as the director of competition instead of a crew chief. So, naturally, a new face was required to ensure the #23 driver's smooth operation on the ovals.

Having served with Michael Waltrip, Casey Mears, Johnny Sauter, Max Papis, and several other drivers across the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Truck Series, and ARCA Series, Robert A. Barker III or renowned in the motorsports world as 'Bootie Barker', is no stranger to the crew chief scene. Bringing his plethora of experience to 23XI Racing, Barker became Bubba Wallace's crew chief and helped the #23 driver find steady ground in NASCAR with his first win at the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Barker's entry into the realm of NASCAR wasn't like any other crew chief out there. Born on March 2, 1971, the Virginia native spent his early days near the South Boston Speedway. Still, motorsports wasn't something he favored, and rather, found his mojo as a linebacker during his budding days. However, a fatal accident leading to paralysis resulted in parting ways with football.

Nevertheless, his years at Old Dominion University as a mechanical engineering student had something else written for him as Barker maxed out an opportunity at Ashton Driver’s late model team. He found himself amid the smells of burning rubber and roaring sounds from the high-octane fueled engines, and the love of those things kept the fire to ace the race ignited.

Within a few years, Barker became a racing buff and paid attention to the intricate details of NASCAR. Starting in 2006, he shared his remarkable opinions about NASCAR-related stuff on NASCAR RaceDay, making him one of the most admired and sought-after crew chiefs. From there, Barker climbed the charts in NASCAR and landed upon the responsibility of carving Wallace's career at 23XI Racing.

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Bootie Barker's dynamic curve in Bubba Wallace's journey of becoming a dominant NASCAR driver

Back in 2021, when the baton of becoming Bubba Wallace's crew chief was handed to Barker, he proved the team's decision to be an eminent one by paving the way for Wallace's first NASCAR Cup Series win.

However, in the 2022 season, NASCAR slapped Barker with a four-race suspension after a wheel came off Bubba Wallace's #23 Toyota Camry at the 2022 Texas Grand Prix, COTA.

But the tables turned during the 2023 season when Barker aided Wallace in ending his 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season at a career-best standing of P10. So, it's safe to say that by keeping the unexpected four-race suspension on the curb, Barker has surely refined Wallace's skills as a championship-winning driver and with years to come, he could pave the way to Wallace's first NASCAR championship.