Jimmie Johnson, Legacy sue former Spire co-owner for ‘tortious interference’

Legacy Motor Club has sued former Spire Motorsports co-owner TJ Puchyr for “tortious interference of contract,” Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports reported Wednesday. Last month, Puchyr entered an agreement to buy Rick Ware Racing.

Puchyr brokered the Legacy-RWR deal, in which RWR agreed to sell a charter to the two-car race team co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. Legacy, however, filed a lawsuit against RWR on April 1, claiming that RWR was attempting to back out of the contract agreed to on March 3. Legacy says the deal is for the 2026 season. RWR claims the sale goes into effect for 2027.

“Despite having a binding deal in place, RWR wants to back out,” Legacy said in its complaint. “It has told Legacy that it will not, under any circumstances, close the parties’ transaction. Legacy has tried to talk sense into RWR, to no avail. Legacy’s patience has run out. It now brings this suit to enforce its rights and hold RWR to its deal.”

Legacy, RWR remain in legal battle over charter sale dispute

Both Legacy and RWR have two charters apiece. Cody Ware pilots the No. 51 Ford for RWR. The team is currently leasing its second charter to RFK Racing for the No. 60 entry. RWR filed a countersuit against Legacy, saying they planned to make a deal with the team for the 2027 season.

They added that if they are forced to sell this charter, they “would have no charter under which to race and would go out of business. For this reason, RWR would never have agreed [and unequivocally did not agree] to sell Charter No. 27 [leased to RFK] in advance of the 2026 season.” RWR claims Legacy named Charter 27 in its original suit, though the deal was allegedly for Charter 36, thus invalidating the lawsuit.

“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,” Puchyr told the Associated Press.

“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.”