Legacy Motor Club Sues Broker in NASCAR Charter Dispute
The Legacy Motor Club has filed a lawsuit against the broker who facilitated the negotiation for the acquisition of a charter from Rick Ware Racing (RWR). The legal action accuses the broker of illicit interference, as they are now attempting to purchase Ware’s NASCAR team. In the presentation made on Wednesday in the North Carolina Superior Court, Legacy alleges that T.J. Puchyr, who acted as a consultant for the Cup team owned by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, violated the state’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit argues that Puchyr used “inside knowledge and a position of trust to interfere with Legacy’s agreement with RWR”. Legacy also accused Puchyr of making public personal attacks against Johnson when he announced last month his plans to buy the Ware racing team. The dispute began shortly after Legacy reached an agreement for Johnson and his partners at Knighthead Capital Management to purchase one of Ware’s two charters. Legacy claims the deal is for next season, when it plans to expand to three full-time Cup cars. RWR maintains that the agreement was for 2027, as he is already under contract with RFK Racing to lease him a charter next season. Ware claims that he did not read the contract carefully when he signed it, noting that it indicated 2026, and that honoring the contract with RFK and selling a second charter to Legacy next year would put the NASCAR team out of business. In April, Legacy sued Ware, but while that battle unfolds, it claims that Puchyr reached an agreement to buy RWR. Puchyr is a co-founder of Spire Motorsports and now acts as a motorsports consultant.This latest presentation is part of two active lawsuits related to charters, which are the core of NASCAR’s business model. Having one is vital to a team’s survival. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are involved in a prolonged lawsuit with NASCAR over antitrust allegations against the most popular motorsport series in the United States. 23XI, co-owned by retired NBA legend Michael Jordan, and Front Row, owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, refused last September to sign the charter agreements offered by NASCAR after more than two years of contentious negotiations over the extensions. They were the only two out of 15 organizations to refuse the extensions. Instead, they sued and are awaiting a federal judge’s decision on whether they will be stripped of their six combined charters as the case nears a trial date of December 1st. NASCAR has said that it has requested agreement proposals multiple times, but has not received a response. NASCAR also has no intention of renegotiating the charter agreements that 30 other teams have. Johnson, despite his own legal battle, said last weekend that he supported a settlement in the antitrust case.“Mr. Puchyr was well aware of the dispute between the parties. He knew about the charter purchase agreement between Legacy and RWR that he helped negotiate,” the lawsuit states. “Despite Mr. Puchyr’s internal knowledge of the contract, his obligations under his consulting agreement with Legacy, Legacy’s contractual right to a charter… Mr. Puchyr recently announced that he intends to purchase both RWR charters for himself.”
Lawsuit
“I’d love to see an agreement of some kind,” Johnson said. “I really don’t think going into a full-blown lawsuit is good for anyone.”
Jimmie Johnson
