Bubba Wallace can improve on career year with new crew chief in 2025

Denike currently serves as the crew chief for Christian Eckes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In 2024, Denike and Eckes have won three races together and are seeking to make the Championship Four at Martinsville on Friday. 

As Wallace closes out the 2024 season, a new crew chief for his eighth full-time season in 2025 will be a breath of fresh air for the 31-year-old driver. 

Wallace and Barker have been a solid pairing but have stagnated a bit over the past two seasons. Wallace's last win came at Kansas in September of 2022, and while Wallace made the playoffs last season, the No. 23 team missed out on the postseason this year. 

That doesn't mean 2024 has been all bad, though. Wallace has a bad career year in every statistic but wins, and had it not been for a plethora of winners below the cut line, he would have easily made the playoffs. 

Even so, Barker's inability to elevate Wallace to the "next level," as well as documented struggles with consistently improving cars during races, makes the move an understandable one for a team in 23XI that expects nothing less than championship contention. 

Denike may not be able to elevate Wallace to championship contender status in their first year together, but Wallace has shown marked improvement in every year of his Cup Series career. With a new crew chief to guide him through a new season, don't be surprised if he makes a surprising run in 2025.