“What the F*** He Was Thinking”- 23XI Insider Unmasks Bubba Wallace’s Crew Chief’s Hand Behind Alex Bowman Controversy

Grant Park 165 was a topsy-turvy race in every way. Whether it was the ever-changing track conditions, unpredictable weather, or the questionable on-track decisions. For 23XI Racing, it was a frustrating one as well, as Bubba Wallace, who started the race in sixth place, was forced into the wall by Alex Bowman on Lap 25 and ended up finishing 13th. To make matters worse, the 30-year-old was seen door-slamming Bowman in the cool-down lap, which may result in a penalty.

However, there appears to be more to this incident than meets the eye. Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, shared some juicy tidbits about what happened behind the scenes prior to the incident.

Wallace could be in hot water after Alex Bowman incident

Starting behind Shane van Gisbergen in sixth place at the Chicago Street Course, Bubba Wallace was optimistic about securing his fourth top-five finish of the season. If luck was on his side, the 23XI Racing driver could have even sneaked a win, securing a playoff spot. However, the race didn’t pan out the way Wallace would have wanted, largely due to Alex Bowman. The Hendrick Motorsports driver attempted to clear his windshield on Lap 25, but missed the mark, taking a wrong turn and causing Wallace to spin.

However, according to Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft, 23XI Racing crew chief Bootie Barker was also at fault for having a questionable strategy. Speaking at the ‘Door Bumper Clear’ podcast, Freddie Kraft said, “We did have a terrible strategy yesterday. We were in front of Alex Bowman in Turn 4 when it was raining. I wish Bootie didn’t put us there, I don’t know what the f*** he was thinking.” The incident was a major blow to Wallace, but the No. 23 driver managed to claw his way up to finish 13th, making the best out of a bad situation.

But the story doesn’t end there. With Alex Bowman enjoying his race win in Chicago, Bubba Wallace took his revenge by door-slamming into the Hendrick Motorsports driver in the cool-down lap. The situation may land him in hot water, as NASCAR has said that officials will look into the incident to determine if further action needs to be taken. However, Bowman has defended Bubba Wallace’s actions, saying “He barely hit me. It was fine, and it was plenty deserved.”

NASCAR typically issues penalties on Tuesday evenings, and a possible disciplinary action could seriously impact Bubba Wallace’s playoff hopes. The 30-year-old is currently involved in an intense playoff hunt, having entered the weekend in Chicago 51 points behind Alex Bowman and just outside the playoff cut line. Irrespective of Bowman’s comments, NASCAR could consider punishing Bubba Wallace for unsportsmanlike conduct. Considering that Carson Hocevar was docked 25 points and received a fine of $50,000, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Wallace could get something similar.

However, Bootie Barker- the man who made a bad call- is also a major support system if Bubba Wallace and his fans want to see the #23 car scratch the victory lane and, hence, the playoffs.

Bootie Barker turned the tide in Bubba Wallace’s favor in Chicago

He may have got a call wrong at Chicago Street Course, but Bootie Barker was also single-handedly responsible for making one of the best calls that 23XI Racing has seen all year. The 53-year-old has a wealth of experience, having worked at Hendrick Motorsports, Jasper Motorsports, Bill Davis Racing, and German Racing in the past, and is considered a respected figure within the community. So, it should come as no surprise that even though he gets it wrong sometimes, Barker gets it right most of the time.

Speaking about a call that Bootie Barker made during Grant Park 165, which turned the tide in Bubba Wallace’s favor, Freddie Kraft said, “The funny thing is, Bootie made one of the best calls of the year yesterday because we restarted 36th and we were one of the people who short pit the stage, put the dry tires on, and came out and it wasn’t a huge advantage.

“So, Booty says to me, if we can’t gain nothing, come back down pit road. So nobody pit in front of us, maybe one guy I think pit in front of us, so he says ‘Come down pit road’ so I just assumed we were coming down for fresh dry tires. Like have a little bit of fresh rubber. He put wets on them. And we drove from 36th to 13th in about five laps.”

With a place in the playoffs being the ultimate goal for Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 team, the 30-year-old needs more such calls if he hopes to participate in the postseason. As things stand, Wallace is in 17th place, 45 points behind Chris Buescher for the final playoff spot. The time for results is now, especially if he gets a penalty by NASCAR for the cool-down lap incident. With NASCAR heading to Pocono Raceway, Bubba Wallace and his team will know that nothing less than a win will guarantee a playoff spot.

Do you think Bubba Wallace deserves a penalty for the post-race incident? Let us know in the comments!