From Start to Finish, The Entire Lawsuit Saga Between Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club vs Rick Ware Racing
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
A rumor sweeping the NASCAR fandom claims that Legacy Motor Club is looking into “buying or merging“ with the Haas Factory Team. This shocking move would only add to LMC’s already interesting season off the track.
The rumor, coming from the nascarrumornostalgia Instagram account, a well-known rumor mill account in the NASCAR community, suggests that this move could be the next step in LMC’s pursuit of three-car expansion.
By the wording of this post, and if these conversations are actually happening between the two teams, they look to be in the very early stages. That being said, Legacy Motor Club has had a rather wild 2025 season off track.
While their performance on track has improved over past seasons, off track, LMC is currently locked in a legal battle involving three separate lawsuits against fellow NASCAR Cup Series team Rick Ware Racing. Following a charter sale gone awry, LMC filed the first lawsuit on Apr. 1, and RWR counter-sued LMC on Jun. 18.
Following that countersuit, T.J. Puchyr, the former co-founder of Spire Motorsports, agreed to purchase RWR in its entirety, including both of its charters. Then, LMC sued Puchyr for tortious interference on Jul. 16.
Currently, the sale to Puchyr is on hold, and it is unclear whether LMC will have a third charter for the 2026 season.
As with any rumor, it is vital to approach this one with caution. Rumors are just that: rumors. This does not mean that there is any evidence backing them up just yet; however, these rumors can sometimes come true.
So, let’s examine the implications of this rumor and consider how realistic it could be.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
The Haas Factory Team formed from the ashes of what was once Stewart-Haas Racing, the team owned by NASCAR Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas.
Following a tumultuous end to the 2023 season and Kevin Harvick’s retirement, the team regrouped for 2024 but quickly decided to cease operations at the end of the season. Following this decision, a fire sale of three of the team’s four charters ensued.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, currently involved in a legal battle of their own with NASCAR, initially purchased one charter each, but the status of those charters and their ownership is currently in the air. Trackhouse Racing also purchased a charter for its then-new No. 88 entry, now driven by Shane Van Gisbergen.
However, the final charter would not be sold, as Gene Haas would regroup and create the Haas Factory Team. Maintaining ownership of the charter for the No. 41 car. The team is far from what it once was, but they still own the original SHR race shop, built for four cars and two Xfinity Series entries, and the ultra-valuable charter.
LMC is in the opposite direction of the team formerly known as SHR.
LMC’s road to better competition has been a long one. It formed from the ashes of Richard Petty Motorsports/Petty GMS Racing. Rebranded to LMC after Jimmie Johnson purchased a share of the team in 2023, Johnson became the majority owner on Jan. 27. That same day, the team announced it received an investment from Knighthead Capital Management.
This season, after missing out on the SHR charter sale, they have been open and honest about their pursuit of buying a third charter. This has been at the center of Silly Season discussions for several months now, with Johnson speaking candidly about their pursuit during a recent media availability.
If the two were to merge, or if LMC were to buy HFT, it would, of course, give LMC the charter they’ve long sought after. Furthermore, it would give the team a new top-of-the-line shop to operate out of, something that could only further help them increase their competitiveness on track.
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While litigation is still ongoing between LMC and RWR, one thing is absolutely clear: LMC will do anything to get a third charter.
Not only do they have the drive, support from Toyota, and a big-name owner, but they also have a major investment from Knighthead, something that could push such a dramatic deal across the finish line.
Of course, it is unknown how much HFT could sell for if it were on the market. Even though it no longer has multiple charters, its lone charter and other assets, such as its Xfinity Series equipment and top-tier race shop, could fetch a hefty penny.
According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic on the Apr. 8 episode of the Dale Jr Download, LMC has already opened its wallet quite a bit in an attempt to get this third charter, agreeing to pay RWR a record-breaking $45 million to have a charter for 2026.
To put that into further perspective, according to recent reports, T.J. Puchyr’s purchase of RWR was a $150 million agreement. Though this includes RWR’s two charters and other assets, this is a monstrous price for a team considered the lowest end of the chartered Cup Series programs.
But even if money is no option, Gene Haas, who has been in the sport for over two decades, made the bold choice last season to remain despite Stewart’s departure, loss of Tier One support from Ford, and loss of sponsors. This drive to stay in NASCAR, despite the then-impending drop in performance, could suggest that Haas is here to stay, and this deal is, in fact, just a soon-to-be-forgotten rumor.
NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season has been rather quiet, if LMC does somehow get their third charter, be that in the courtroom or the boardroom, it could spark a wildfire of silly season moves.
What’s Happening? On the latest episode of the Dale Jr Download, a NASCAR insider revealed that Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club…
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Joe Gibbs Racing has added to its lawsuit filed against former Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart, filing to add Spire as a co-defendant, and to prevent Gabehart from continuing his work at Spire.
JGR initiated this lawsuit on February 19, alleging Gabehart, a long-time Crew Chief, most recently for Denny Hamlin, and the team’s now former Competition Director, “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR.”
That direct competitor, Spire Motorsports, which currently employs Gabehart as their Chief Motorsports Officer, is now a co-defendant in this lawsuit, via an amended complaint filed Tuesday.
Per the latest filing from JGR, which employed Gabehart as Competition Director last season, is asking the court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction with seven key requests.
Key to these requests is that Gabehardt cease providing Spire with “services for Spire similar to those he provided to JGR” for 18 months following his February 9 formal termination from JGR.
JGR also requested that Spire stop accepting Gabehart’s work as per the noncompete obligation of his termination.
The filing also has several requests regarding the team information Gabehart allegedly retained from JGR.
These include Gabehart returning this information alongside the devices that store this information and “cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”
From JGR’s filing:
c. Gabehart immediately cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets
d. Gabehart return any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets in his possession to JGR;
e. Gabehart transfer to the custody of JGR’s counsel any device used to store the Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and, through an agreed upon Court ordered process, allow the forensic preservation and review of these devices for identification of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, the return of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to JGR, and the removal of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets from the devices;
f. Gabehart cease and desist from using or disclosing JGR’s Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to third parties;
As of press time, Gabehart has commented on the lawsuit in a post to X on February 20, where he claimed a third-party investigator “examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit.”
What’s Happening? Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit against former competition director Chris Gabehart, alleging he took confidential team information…
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The NASCAR rumor mill is heating up as a new rumor suggests that a former series champion and an active NASCAR Cup Series driver could be in line to drive for Legacy Motor Club in 2027.
What’s Happening? NASCAR drivers, much like any athletes, have a period of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Based on information…
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is well underway, while teams and drivers are still settling into their new lineups and seats, others are already prepping for next season.
Most expect the 2027 NASCAR Silly Season to be one of the wildest in years, with many major names on contract seasons, and top seats looking for new drivers.
One story that will likely carry through the 2026 season, and into the offseason, is Legacy Motor Club, which is expanding to three full-time cars in 2027 via the acquisition of a charter from Rick Ware Racing, which is currently leased to RFK Racing for their No. 60 entry.
While many storylines could stem from this transaction, one that is already playing out is LMC’s driver search, as the team looks to add a new face to their roster alongside drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.
Though we are nearly a year away from what would be the first race for this third car, per recent rumors, a few names are already emerging as top candidates.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
Monday afternoon, a post from a well-known NASCAR rumor account made the rounds on social media, naming two drivers as possible options for LMC.
In their post, the user claimed that 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst and Richard Childress Racing prospect Jesse Love were “early contenders” for the ride.
Of course, this is just a rumor, and even if they are possible candidates, things can change. However, both of these options come with their own storylines and questions.
The first thing that likely comes to mind when hearing this rumor is that both of these drivers would have to depart their current spots, something that most have suspected will happen by next season.
For Herbst, he is facing the impending promotion of top NASCAR prospect Corey Heim to full-time competition.
This year, Heim, the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, is racing part-time with 23XI Racing, with almost every rumor and blurb suggesting next year will be his first full-time season in NASCAR’s highest level.
While 2026 Daytona 500 Champion Tyler Reddick is reportedly on a contract season, most see Herbst as the clear weak link at 23XI, though, in the somewhat unlikely event Reddick were to jump ship, there could be a world where a spot opens for Heim without affecting Herbst.
Regarding Love, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion is in his third full-time year with RCR in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and, for some time now, has been rumored to be looking for a promotion, beyond his part-time Cup Series schedule.
This is not the first time Love and LMC have been tied together in the rumor mill, as in June 2025, when LMC was in the midst of a lawsuit to get their third charter by this season (something that never came to be), a report from Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports suggested there could be interest in Love as that third driver at LMC.
As of right now, Love has yet to score a full-time Cup Series ride. But there is a chance a slot opens in-house as RCR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch is on a contract year, a situation that could leave Love with a difficult decision between staying in a familiar spot or returning ot the Toyota camp.
But the biggest decision could come down to RCR, which, in the event Busch excels this year, could face deciding between a NASCAR legend and keeping their best prospect in some time.
Nonetheless, all of this is hypothetical, as the gears are just now turning on what could be a NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season for the ages.
What’s Happening? Some recent developments in NASCAR Silly Season rumors and reports have some NASCAR fans wondering if Spire Motorsports could…
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