Legacy Motor Club sues Rick Ware Racing in clash over Nascar charter

• Most recent Cup Series charter sold for between US$20m-US$25m
• Dispute reportedly centres around which year the charter transfer would take place
• RWR believed 2027 was agreed, but Legacy changed date to 2026 without informing RWR

Legacy Motor Club has sued fellow Cup Series team Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in a clash over the potential sale of a charter.

Legacy, which is majority-owned by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, has claimed a deal was agreed for the transfer of a charter between the teams for the start of the 2026 season, but that RWR has now reneged on this proposal.

‘Despite having a binding deal in place, RWR wants to back out,’ the suit said. ‘It has told Legacy that it will not, under any circumstances, close the parties’ transaction. Legacy has tried to talk sense into RWR, to no avail. Legacy’s patience has run out. It now brings this suit to enforce its rights and hold RWR to its deal.’

Legacy currently has two charters, driven by John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones, the same number as RWR. One of RWR’s has been leased to RFK Racing for this season, but the former ultimately has long-term control of this charter.

Nascar charter valuations are not publicly disclosed but Front Row Motorsports, who are currently involved in their own high-profile lawsuit with Nascar itself, recently purchased a charter for between US$20 million and US$25 million from Stewart-Haas Racing, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ).

RWR has dismissed Legacy’s claims, stating that the lawsuit ‘distorts the actual facts’ and is ‘a misguided attempt to tarnish our reputation’ in a statement released on Wednesday.

It continued: ‘RWR has negotiated in good faith and operated with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. We are confident that the truth will prevail and look forward to swiftly resolving this matter through the proper legal channels.’

The Athletic reports that the dispute centres around when the charter would be transferred. RWR believed the charter agreement was in place for 2027, but Legacy changed the year to 2026 without communicating to team owner Rick Ware or any other representative that it had done so.

Ware only learned of the change in date after he had signed the contract, after which RWR informed Legacy the deal was off.

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BlackBook says…

2025 is the year of courtroom drama for Nascar.

If reports are to be believed, Legacy appears to hold all the cards. After all, Jimmie Johnson’s team has a signed agreement in its possession for a charter transfer to take place. RWR would need to prove that contract fraud has taken place in order for the lawsuit to be dismissed, otherwise they are in breach of contract.

RWR, who counts Cody Ware as their only full-time driver, claims their reputation has been tarnished. But signing a contract without fully being aware of its contents implies a level of negligence here.

What’s more, the future of the charter system is not secure with the backdrop of 23XI and Front Row’s ongoing litigation against Nascar. The Associated Press (AP) has reported that if 23XI and Front Row achieve victory in this case then Nascar will eliminate the charter system entirely, meaning even more uncertainty.