NASCAR: Driver change confirmed for Charlotte playoff race

Legacy Motor Club have tabbed Mike Rockenfeller to drive the No. 42 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

Ever since Noah Gragson’s NASCAR suspension and subsequent release by Legacy Motor Club in early August, the team have needed to find new drivers to put behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet on a weekly basis.

While Gragson has since been reinstated, he is no longer a member of the team, and John Hunter Nemechek has been confirmed as his replacement for the 2024 season when the team switch manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota.

JR Motorsports Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry replaced Gragson when he was first suspended at Michigan International Speedway, and he returned for the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

In between those two races, Mike Rockenfeller competed in the two NASCAR Cup Series road course races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International.

Since the start of the playoffs, Niece Motorsports Truck Series driver Carson Hocevar has driven the No. 42 Chevrolet. He has finished outside of the top 20 just once in five starts for the team, giving him twice as many top 20 finishes as Gragson in less than one quarter the amount of starts.

But in next Sunday afternoon’s Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Rockenfeller is set to return for his third and final Cup Series start of the year.

https://twitter.com/LegacyMotorclub/status/1707772251787989251

Back in August, Rockenfeller finished in 24th and 19th place at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen, respectively. The 39-year-old German, who made his Cup Series debut in last year’s race at Watkins Glen with Spire Motorsports, also competed at Charlotte last year and finished in 29th.

Legacy Motor Club have not yet confirmed who will drive the No. 42 Chevrolet in any of the four races on the schedule beyond the Charlotte Roval race.

The three round of 8 races are scheduled to take place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 15; Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, October 22; and Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, October 29. The Championship 4 season finale is scheduled to take place at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 5.

The Bank of America Roval 400 is set to be broadcast live on NBC from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval starting at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 8. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don’t miss it!