Judicial Order Halts the Sale of Rick Ware Racing’s NASCAR Team
A North Carolina judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the sale of Rick Ware Racing’s NASCAR team to T.J. Puchyr. This decision comes amid an ongoing legal dispute with Legacy Motor Club, owned by Jimmie Johnson. The court order, lasting ten days, requires Legacy to post a $5 million bond before the close of business on Friday. Rick Ware Racing’s attorneys had requested a $150 million bond, the agreed-upon price between RWR and Puchyr, who is one of the founders of Spire Motorsports and currently a consultant for several teams and sponsors. The legal dispute between Legacy and RWR centers on an agreement mediated by Puchyr for Johnson’s team to buy one of Ware’s two charters. The conflict lies in which charter was agreed to be sold and whether the agreement is for 2026 or 2027. A charter in NASCAR is similar to a franchise and guarantees teams entry into each race, as well as ensuring them income. Ware currently uses one of his charters for his son, Cody, and rents a second charter to RFK Racing. Before reaching an agreement with Legacy, Ware already had an agreement with RFK to exchange the charters and lease the other to RFK in 2026. Then, in 2027, Ware planned to sell a charter directly to Legacy, which has a significant investment from Knighthead Capital Management. Legacy sought a preliminary injunction and a temporary restraining order, arguing that Ware “has demonstrated his willingness to lie to Legacy and the Court about the status of the agreement,” following Puchyr’s announcement in June to buy RWR’s NASCAR team.Judge Clifton Smith issued a verbal order blocking any sale for ten days. Smith will consider Legacy’s request for an injunction. Mark Henriques, attorney for Rick Ware Racing, argued that both Ware and Puchyr intend to comply with the agreements, but cannot meet the current terms of the charter purchase for 2026 due to the existing agreement to lease a charter to RFK next season. RWR and Puchyr have said the plan is to lease to RFK in 2026 and sell to Legacy in 2027; Legacy says that if Ware sells to Puchyr, the charters should contractually be sold to Legacy. The trial is scheduled for January, but Legacy has filed a second lawsuit against Puchyr for interfering with its agreement with Ware. Legacy has also terminated its consulting agreement with Puchyr.“What we know is that these promises were made and apparently this covert transaction was entered into and it is apparently a binding agreement, although it has not yet closed. There is no harm to the defendant and there is tremendous harm to the plaintiff Legacy if this closure of these assets actually occurs”.
Keith Forst, Legacy’s lawyer
