Noah Gragson will be substituted by Mike Rockenfeller for the Indianapolis and Watkins Glen race

Days after Noah Gragson's indefinite suspension by NASCAR, Legacy Motor Club has announced Mike Rockenfeller as the substitute driver for the #42 Chevrolet.

Accomplished racer Rockenfeller will be racing in the Cup Series in this weekend's Verizon 200 at the Brickyard and the following weekend's race at Watkins Glen.

The German driver recently teamed up with LMC co-owner Jimmie Johnson for the NASCAR Garage 56 roster for the Le Mans 24. He has also previously driven alongside him in the IMSA series. The 39-year-old will now be driving for Johnson's team in the Cup Series, which he called an "honor".

The seven-time Cup Series champion is also looking forward to having an experienced pair of hands behind the wheel of the #42 Chevy.

“Rocky and I were teammates and helped develop the G56 program,” said Johnson.

“I couldn’t think of a better person to assist our Club in this tough situation. These back-to-back road course events will be great for Rocky from the technical side as they will bring out his expertise. Rocky is extremely knowledgeable and talented, and I know he will get us the best results possible," he added.

The 2010 Le Mans winner made his NASCAR Cup Series debut last season driving the #77 Chevy for Spire Motorsports at Watkins Glen. He made his second start at Charlotte Roval in the same car. Both of his outings last year weren't impressive as he was classified 30th and 29th respectively.

However, Rockenfeller is glad to get a Cup Series call-up again, and this time he will drive for his friend's team. Despite not having made a start at Indy he is aiming to maximize his results in the #42 car for the upcoming weekends.

Noah Gragson has a 12th-place best finish this season. Josh Berry, who replaced him at short notice in Michigan, crashed out of the race and was hence classified 34th.

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Noah Gragson responds to his suspension from NASCAR

The #42 Chevy driver's rookie season in NASCAR has taken a turn from bad to worse after his suspension from the series. Gragson was suspended for allegedly liking a meme that mocked George Floyd's death in 2020. The meme liked by the rookie driver resurfaced recently during the weekend in Michigan.

After Legacy Motor Club issued a statement immediately suspending the driver for not upholding the team values, he responded with a post on social media accepting his mistake.

"I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media. I understand the severity of this situation. I love and appreciate everyone. I try to treat everyone equally no matter who they are. I messed up plain and simple." Noah Gragson's tweet(X) read.

Noah Gragson will likely have to go through sensitivity training before he makes his return to the premier series. However, with Legacy Motor Club switching to Toyota next season, Xfinity driver John Hunter Nemechek is rumored to replace him.