Legacy Motor Club sues TJ Puchyr for attempted Rick Ware Racing takeover

• Legacy and RWR currently suing each other over contract dispute regarding charter transfer
• Nascar exploring return to Chicagoland for 2026 as street race faces uncertain future

Legacy Motor Club have filed yet another lawsuit, this time against Spire Motorsports founder TJ Puchyr for his attempted takeover of Rick Ware Racing (RWR).

In June, the Associated Press (AP) revealed that Puchyr had agreed a deal to purchase RWR from next season, with plans to expand the team to a three-car entry by 2027.

However, prior to this agreement, Legacy sued RWR over a contract dispute. Legacy, owned by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, 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.

The Athletic reported 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. In response, RWR countersued Legacy over the disagreement.

The 2025 Nascar Cup Series season has been dominated by legal proceedings with at least five lawsuits now in progress, including the extensive battle between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports with Nascar itself.

This latest lawsuit alleges that Puchyr was actually working with Legacy as an independent broker during their attempts to purchase a charter from RWR, so he had intimate knowledge of the agreement.

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‘As part of that agreement, Mr Puchyr was given access to confidential and sensitive business information so that he could promote Legacy and its principals in order to help Legacy secure (a) sponsorship deal,’ Legacy’s suit read.

‘Legacy trusted Mr Puchyr. By engaging Mr Puchyr, Legacy expected him to act with integrity and to refrain from actions that would undermine Legacy’s operations, reputation, or competitive standing. It further expected Mr Puchyr to avoid any conflicts of interest, disclose any circumstances that might compromise his impartiality, and comply with ethical standards that reinforce Legacy’s trust in his services.’

The suit adds that Puchyr ‘worked behind the scenes to upend Legacy’s deal with RWR’ and that he has ‘openly and proudly boasted about his malfeasance, criticising Legacy and its principals, while touting his underhanded attempt to strip Legacy of its bargained-for right to Charter from RWR’.

As reported by the Courthouse News Service, Judge Daniel A Kuehnert warned RWR that they could face “really serious ramifications” if they tried to sell, despite the team’s protestations to the contrary.

Lifeline for Chicago?

Elsewhere in Nascar, reports have emerged that the Cup Series may remain in Chicago next season – even if the Chicago Street Race does not continue.

According to Sports Business Journal (SBJ), Nascar is evaluating a return to Chicagoland Speedway. The race was removed from the Nascar schedule in 2021 after debuting in 2001 due to concerns around the 1.5-mile oval producing predictable racing, but the latest generation of Cup Series cars have shown themselves to be perfectly suited to short tracks, leading to revived interest.

While local executives “would love to see Nascar come back” for the street race, Chicagoland is a viable alternative if an extension cannot be agreed. The city of Chicago has signalled it would like to move the event to a different date, away from the Independence Day Weekend celebrations, which could prove an obstacle to any extension.

Racer has reported that Nascar could also be working on a deal to stage a new race in San Diego from next season, which expands the options for next year’s schedule. This is especially pertinent as Cup Series executives are yet to decide whether Nascar should return to Mexico City following its debut event this year.