“I’ve won at everything I’ve done at every level, and I think we can compete with these guys.” Those were the confident words of former Spire Motorsports executive TJ Puchyr, now a key figure in one of the ugliest legal disputes in recent NASCAR memory. At the center of the storm? A $45 million charter that seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and his team, Legacy Motor Club, believe is rightfully theirs.

What started as a seemingly straightforward charter deal between Legacy and Rick Ware Racing spiraled into a high-stakes court battle involving lawsuits, countersuits, and claims of betrayal. Now, with TJ Puchyr stepping in to buy both of Rick Ware’s charters, the already murky waters have only gotten darker.

Jimmie Johnson’s dream of building a three-car team is on the verge of breaking

In the early stages of 2024, Legacy Motor Club struck what they believed was a binding deal with Rick Ware Racing to purchase one of their charters, specifically charter #27, for use in the 2026 NASCAR Cup season. It was a strategic move by Johnson, who has been working to expand his operation from two cars to a full-fledged three-car team. But when Legacy sought to finalize the transfer, RWR suddenly claimed that the deal wasn’t valid or was misunderstood, sparking an immediate lawsuit from Legacy.

Rick Ware clapped back with the countersuit, arguing that the deal was for charter #36, not #27, and not until 2027. The court documents quickly piled up as both sides stood their ground. Legacy demanded that the court block RWR from selling or leasing either of their charters during litigation. And Ware’s legal team told the court there were no such plans to sell, especially not charter #27, which they claimed would only be sold if the team went out of business. But that promise wouldn’t last long.

YouTuber and NASCAR analyst Eric Estepp broke down the situation, saying, “The two sides have begun battling each other in court. But this is where things get complicated. Legacy filed an injunction requesting that Rick Ware not be allowed to sell those charters until the case is resolved. According to recent court documents, Rick Ware Racing’s representatives allegedly told the court they would never sell Charter number 27 unless they went out of business. Apparently, that is in the record.”

But as the confusion builds, another perfect storm wrecks this battle. And as the court processes unfolded, it was revealed that TJ Puchyr, former Spire Motorsports executive and the same person who initially brokered the Legacy-RWR deal, was now buying both RWR charters outright. It seems that Johnson was completely blindsided by this.

In a public statement, TJ told the Associated Press, “This is going to be a three-car team. We’re going to contend on the racetrack, all that.” Legacy Motor Club’s team wily responded by filing suit against Puchyr for “tortious interference,” claiming he used insider knowledge from his time as a consultant for Legacy to outmaneuver them. TJ Puchyr also didn’t hold back on taking a jab at seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson; he goes on to say, ” If anybody deserves a pass, it is Jimmie. If he wants to sit down and talk about it like men, I’d entertain the conversation. I don’t think Jimmie has all the facts, doesn’t understand the deal we had, and they tried to humiliate Rick publicly. We don’t do business that way.”

Recently, Legacy successfully secured permission to depose Rick Ware Racing following the revelation that TJ Puchyr, co-founder of Spire Motorsports, is planning to purchase the team. Legacy argues that if Ware is indeed selling the team, one of the charters should rightfully be transferred to them. They also claimed that Ware failed to disclose during an April hearing that he was negotiating a sale with Puchyr, who had previously acted as a consultant and helped broker the original lease deal between Legacy and RWR. The judge warned that if RWR had misinterpreted its intentions, it could be held in contempt of court.

Eric goes on to explain, “On Monday of this week, both Legacy and Rick Ware’s representatives appeared in front of a judge. Judge Daniel A. Kuehnert issued an ominous warning to Rick Ware Racing, saying, if Mr. Puchyr is saying in public that Charter 27 and 36 have been sold or are in the process of being sold, that’s a big deal, especially when there’s been representations made to the court that there’s no way this stuff is going to be sold. That’s very troubling, I think, to any judge.”

Siding with Rick Ware Racing, TJ Puchyr’s involvement is guaranteed to give Johnson a headache and crush his dreams of adding a third car for his LMC.

Ty Puchyr is confident that he can build a championship-winning team

Rick Ware has been one of the most active players in the charter market, second only to Spire, and at one point owned four of them. Now, he is focused on rebuilding his team to win races with his son behind the wheel, a mission Puchyr is eager to support. TJ Puchyr said, “I think we can build [Rick Ware Racing] brick by brick, and it’s going to take people, money, and time. It’s not lost on me that (RWR) is the 36th-place car in the garage; we all see it. But I believe we can make this a competitive organization, even win. And I believe we can get these charters valued at their true worth.”

Ware’s team has seen successes outside the Cup Series as well, including titles in NHRA, American Flat Track, FIM World Supercross, and the Asian Le Mans Series. Puchyr didn’t disclose the purchase price of Ware’s organization, which currently owns only one charter, used to field Cody Ware’s No. 51 and occasionally runs a second “open” car for Corey LaJoie, the plan is to expand to at least two chartered cars by 2027, once the lease charter returns from RFK, with eyes on acquiring a third.

But finding charters is no small feat. Demand is high, prices are climbing, and even big names like Dale Earnhardt Jr. have struggled to secure one to elevate their Xfinity programs to the Cup level. But it’s just a matter of time to see how this situation unfolds. Do you think RWR will be forced to give their charter to Jimmie Johnson’s team? Or will TJ Puchyr and co. prevail? Let us know in the comments!