TC Daily Pit Stop: LEGACY MC Refutes Reports of Gragson Release; Rockenfeller to Drive No. 42 at Indy and WGI; Purdy, Sanchez Staying in KBM Network for 2024

TC Daily Pit Stop: Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

Joseph Srigley

Aug 9, 2023

Photo Credit: Jonathan McCoy | TobyChristie.com

Despite reports that state otherwise, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has refuted that Noah Gragson has been released from the NASCAR Cup Series organization, as they told TobyChristie.com on Tuesday.

“The report in The Athletic that we have parted ways with Noah Gragson is untrue, he has not been released from LEGACY [MOTOR CLUB],” said a team representative. “Mike Rockenfeller will drive for the next two weeks at Indy and Watkins Glen. Noah [Gragson] is suspended indefinitely by NASCAR so we will have to identify drivers to compete in the No. 42 in the interim. NASCAR will determine the timeline when Noah can return to the sport. We are working with Noah and his representation through this process.”

Mike Rockenfeller Tapped for Indy RC, Watkins Glen in LEGACY MOTOR CLUB No. 42

Photo Credit: Sean Gardner, Getty Images

Mike Rockenfeller, a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of LeMans, has been tapped by LEGACY MOTOR CLUB to pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro in a pair of NASCAR Cup Series events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course and Watkins Glen International.

The 39-year-old driver, who made his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen with Spire Motorsports in 2022, will have sponsorship from Sunseeker Resorts for his two-race stint in the entry.

“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.”

Chase Purdy, Nick Sanchez Returning to Kyle Busch Motorsports Network in 2024

Photo Credit: Craig White, Racing America

Chase Purdy and Nick Sanchez will return to the Kyle Busch Motorsports network for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Kyle Busch confirmed Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, will also return for his usual five-race stint in the NASCAR Truck Series, driving the No. 51 Chevrolet Camaro. The remainder of the races for that entry are still open, says Busch.

“We have my part-time races, my five races next year, and we have the rest of the truck still open for next year, and figure out what we are going to do from that respect,” said Busch. “But, [Chase] Purdy will be back, and [Nick] Sanchez will be back, so we are pretty good with where we are at.”

Austin Cindric Continues to Take Positive Steps with Stage Points, 12th-Place Finish at Michigan

Photo Credit: Nigel Kinrade, NKP, Courtesy of Ford Performance

From winning the Daytona 500 as a rookie to a sophomore season filled with woes, Austin Cindric has had his fair share of learning to do in the NASCAR Cup Series over the last two years.

This season, the No. 2 team seems to be lacking speed, so as a result, the call was made by Team Penske to make a change. Starting at Pocono, Cindric’s entry would migrate to a baseline setup similar to that of teammate Joey Logano.

“You’re maximizing your ability to have teammates,” said Cindric about the decision. “We obviously haven’t run as well as we wanted to at a lot of different events so far this year, and it’s kind of a good option for us to re-baseline kind of where we’re at whether it’s right or wrong.”