Getty Images Bubba Wallace walking alongside crew chief Robert "Bootie" Barker
NASCAR: Full Speed is a joint effort between NASCAR, Netflix and executive producer Dale Earnhardt Jr. that follows the lives of Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin and other top NASCAR Cup drivers. But the true breakout star of the series is crew chief Robert “Bootie” Barker.
Barker is the crew chief for Bubba Wallace, No. 23 with the Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin-owned 23XI Racing. Barker, who’s been working at NASCAR tracks since 1999, was paralyzed from the waist down at age 17 after a car accident during his senior year of high school.
If there is going to be a made-for-Netflix movie about Barker, it’s clear that he’s ready to play the lead himself.
Bootie Barker, NASCAR Lifer
As much as the intent of “NASCAR: Full Speed” was to help NASCAR attract a younger, more diverse audience, Barker’s realness, deep NASCAR insider knowledge, plus his pull- no-punches attitude, made him a hit with viewers of the Netflix five-part series, which was released in January. “NASCAR: Full Speed” prominently features NASCAR bad boy Hamlin and the popular Wallace — a smart move by 23XI to have their two top drivers in close proximity to Netflix’s cameras.
But Barker nearly steals the spotlight. The real surprise is just how well Barker’s good ol’ boy attitude — with a touch of dirty dog — plays with audiences.
Anyone who watched the Netflix series on NASCAR probably was impressed about Bubba Wallace crew chief Bootie Barker’s bourbon collection. What he said about what fans saw and why he let the cameras into his home to film it.
Barker can be described as a NASCAR lifer. He started as a shock specialist with Jeff Gordon in 1999 and has held numerous jobs throughout his NASCAR career. He was named Wallace’s crew chief in 2021. Wallace’s first NASCAR Cup win, at the Talladega Superspeedway in 2021, was also Barker’s first as a crew chief — after more than 400 races.
🛞 What happened to @BubbaWallace’s wheel on Sunday @LVMotorSpeedway?
@23XIRacing’s Bootie Barker explained to #LateShift ⬇️
🗣️ “It wasn’t egregious […] it was just a subtle thing in timing that caused something that I wouldn’t have believed.”
More → t.co/WGRTG5gVtL
Barker has worked for Bill Davis Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and many others. But it’s his media work off-track, including his frequent guest spots on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and his turn as co-host on the old Speed Channel “NASCAR Performance” series, that makes it clear he knows his way around a car — and a camera.
Bootie Barker, Accidental Celebrity
Barker told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass in a March 6 story that, as someone who uses a wheelchair, he “shuns talk about being an inspiration.”
Barker said his newfound popularity came to him; he didn’t seek it out.
“Barker frankly said he didn’t really want to have the microphones and the cameras focused on him,” Pockrass wrote. “He let the cameras follow him around because his team owner, Denny Hamlin, wanted the team to open its doors as much as possible and he also has a soft spot for television folks because his wife works in the industry.”
Barker’s definitely become a media draw.
“Barker … is the unquestioned revelation of ‘Full Speed,'” the Daytona Beach News-Journal wrote in February. “From shooing off Netflix’s brass and pouring some whiskey after a tough loss, to quick-witted, one-liner quips dripping with a southern-Virginia drawl, many of the show’s best moments belong to Barker and his relationship with Wallace.”
The paper added: “We’ll just be over here waiting on the ‘Leave It to Barker’ spin-off series.”
They won’t be the only ones.