Legacy Motor Club, co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, has sued former Spire Motorsports executive T.J. Puchyr .
According to the team, Puchyr intervened and disrupted the deal they had with Rick Ware Racing to buy one of their charters in the Cup Series.
At the center of the issue is Charter №27, which Legacy says they agreed to buy from RWR for 2026. RWR says the deal was for 2027 and the charter is already leased to RFK Racing next year.
Legacy sued RWR in April and now they've added Puchyr to the lawsuit, claiming he used his inside knowledge to block their deal after he bought RWR himself.
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Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Puchyr was the one who set up the agreement between Legacy Motor Club and Rick Ware Racing. Then he changed his mind and tried to buy RWR for himself. Legacy says he intentionally ruined their plans using his inside position, calling his behavior unfair and hurtful to their team's progress. Now they're going to court to ask the judge to stop him for good and for damages.
Puchyr disagrees. "If anybody deserves a pass, it is Jimmie. And if he wants to sit down and talk about it like men, I'd entertain the conversation. I don't think Jimmie has all the facts, doesn't understand the deal we had, and they tried to humiliate Rick publicly. We don't do business that way."
Jimmie Johnson, who returned to NASCAR as a team co-owner in 2023 and occasionally drives, isn't enjoying the legal drama. "It's a big game of chess, and I'm watching all the strategy that goes into it all. I would love to see a settlement of some kind. I really don't think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit is good for anybody," he told reporters.
This is one of several charter lawsuits going on in NASCAR right now. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have filed suits against NASCAR themselves as teams try to protect their spot on the grid and their share of the pie.
What happens in this case will have big implications for future charter deals as team ownership and long-term planning gets more competitive across the series.
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