Legacy Motor Club sues broker for
alleged interference in NASCAR charter deal with Rick Ware Racing
[July 17, 2025]
By JENNA FRYER
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Legacy Motor Club on Wednesday sued the
broker who helped negotiate its purchase of a charter from Rick Ware
Racing, accusing him of tortious interference for now trying to buy
Ware's NASCAR team.
Legacy alleged in its filing in North Carolina Superior Court that
T.J. Puchyr, acting as a consultant for the Cup Series team owned by
seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, violated the state Unfair
and Deceptive Trade Practices Act by using “insider knowledge and
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 purchase Ware's
tiny race team.
The dispute began not long after Legacy entered into agreement for
Johnson and his partners at Knighthead Capital Management to
purchase one of Ware's two charters. Legacy says the deal is for
next season, when it plans to expand to three full-time Cup cars.
RWR maintains the deal was for 2027 because it already is under
contract with RFK Racing to lease that organization a charter next
season. Ware says he didn't read the contract closely when he signed
it to note that it read 2026, and that honoring the RFK contract and
selling a second charter to Legacy next year would put the NASCAR
team out of business.
Legacy in April sued Ware, but as that fight is playing out, it
claims Puchyr struck a deal to buy RWR. Puchyr is a co-founder of
Spire Motorsports and now acts as a motorsports consultant.
“Mr. Puchyr was well aware of the parties’ dispute. He knew of the
charter purchase agreement between Legacy and RWR that he helped
broker,” the suit contends. “Despite Mr. Puchyr’s insider 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 of RWR’s
charters for himself.”
[to top of second column] |
The latest filing is part of two active lawsuits
surrounding charters, which are at the heart of NASCAR’s business
model. Having one is vital to a team’s survival.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are locked
into a prolonged suit with NASCAR over antitrust allegations against
the most popular motorsports series in the United States. 23XI,
co-owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, and Front Row, owned
by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, last September refused to sign the
charter agreements offered by NASCAR after more than two years of
contentious negotiations on extensions.
The two were the only holdouts out of 15 organizations to refuse the
extensions. They instead sued and are awaiting a federal judge's
decision on if they will be stripped of their six combined charters
as the case heads toward a Dec. 1 trial date.
NASCAR has said it has asked multiple times for settlement proposals
but heard nothing. NASCAR also has no intention of renegotiating the
charter agreements held by 30 other teams.
Johnson, despite his own legal fight, said last weekend that he
supported a settlement in the antitrust case.
“I would love to see a settlement of some kind," Johnson said. "I
really don’t think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit
is good for anybody.”
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
