Memorable substitute drivers in NASCAR Cup Series

Justin Allgaier will fill in for Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Chevrolet this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion reporting a positive COVID-19 test. Allgaier will join the list of memorable substitute drivers over the years.

Alex Bowman

Year: 2016, for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Comment: Perhaps no driver on this list took advantage of his role better than Alex Bowman, who filled in for Dale Jr. for 10 races in 2016. Leading 194 laps at Phoenix helped cement Bowman as the full-time replacement in the No. 88 following Junior's retirement after the 2017 season.

Jeff Gordon

Year: 2016, for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Comment: After a farewell season just one year prior, Jeff Gordon found himself back in the seat of a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -- the No. 88 -- when Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed the second half of 2016.

Bubba Wallace

Year: 2017, for Aric Almirola
Comment: Three drivers filled in for Almirola over a span of seven races following a nasty wreck at Kansas Speedway that sidelined the Richard Petty Motorsports driver. Wallace filled in for four of them, the first coming at Pocono Raceway. He improved in every run and, when Almirola left for Stewart-Haas Racing the next year, RPM tapped Wallace to fill its No. 43.

Regan Smith

Years: 2018, for Kasey Kahne; 2017, for Aric Almirola; 2014, for Tony Stewart; 2012, for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Comment: The original "super sub," Smith has earned starts in several big rides over the years due to his reliability on the track. His best finish as a substitute driver was a seventh-place run at Kansas in 2012 for an injured Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Ross Chastain

Year: 2020, for Ryan Newman
Comment: A frightening Daytona 500 wreck sidelined Ryan Newman for three races, before NASCAR paused for two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chastain's best finish was 17th at Auto Club Speedway.

Erik Jones

Year: 2015, for Kyle Busch
Comment: Jones was one of three drivers to fill in for Kyle Busch, who sustained leg injuries in the opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race of 2015. Jones would go on to win the Gander Trucks championship that season, and he currently drives for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20 Toyota.

Matt Crafton

Year: 2015, for Kyle Busch
Comment: The Gander Trucks stalwart made his first NASCAR Cup Series start in 2015 in the biggest race of all -- the Daytona 500. He drove the No. 18 Toyota to an 18th-place finish in place of an injured Kyle Busch.

Mark Martin

Year: 2013, for Denny Hamlin
Comment: Martin competed in 28 races during his final season in 2013. This lone start stands out: A 10th-place run at Martinsville in the No. 11 Toyota, as Denny Hamlin missed four races with an eye injury.