Rumor Mill: Haas Factory Team and Legacy Motor Club Merger?
What’s Happening? A rumor sweeping the NASCAR fandom claims that Legacy Motor Club is looking into “buying or merging“ with the…
One major NASCAR Silly Season rumor may be at its end as another rises. In the latest episode of Door Bumper Clear, NASCAR Spotter Freddie Kraft claims a Legacy Motor Club and Haas Factory Team merger is out the door, though an OEM change could be on the table for the latter.
In early August, a rumor swept through the NASCAR community that Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club, as part of their very public hunt for a third NASCAR Cup Series charter, was looking ot merge or outright buy Gene Haas’ Haas Factory Team. Though this rumor had little traction beyond a few rumor pages, it caught the eye of NASCAR’s fan base, as both teams had evolved from similar paths of fallen NASCAR organizations.
The story of Stewart-Haas Racing becoming the Haas Factory Team over the past two years has been about as improbable as what LMC has become over the past two years in its own right.
In early 2023, both teams were headed in opposite directions with the announced retirement of Kevin Harvick at the end of the 2023 season and the announcement that Jimmie Johnson would join the ownership group at the former Petty GMS racing operation with an impending move to Toyota in 2024.
While overhead changes at SHR were expected for 2024, no one could’ve predicted that the team would be closed by year’s end. Furthermore, it seems equally unlikely that anyone could’ve predicted that the team would retain a charter and re-form into the Haas Factory Team.
Over the past year, while the remains of SHR have continued to decline, LMC is looking up, having made an almost 180-degree turnaround from a rather miserable first season with Toyota. The initial rumor that LMC was looking to merge or buy HFT stemmed from the fact that LMC, currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Rick Ware Racing to acquire another charter, was desperate to find a third charter for 2025.
If this rumor were true, it would look like a major win for LMC, which had missed out on one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s charters last season, but could walk away with not only the charter but the team’s top-of-the-line shop in Kannapolis.
But, this rumor appears to be short-lived, as on the latest episode of Door Bumper Clear, NASCAR Spotter Freddie Kraft stated that the deal is “out the window” but that HFT is not finished in Silly Season, claiming that the team is potentially looking at a switch to Chevrolet for the coming season.
What’s Happening? A rumor sweeping the NASCAR fandom claims that Legacy Motor Club is looking into “buying or merging“ with the…
Perhaps the most important takeaway from this rumor is that the host factory team is potentially switching to Chevrolet.
This would be nothing new for a Gene Haas-owned team, as for the early part of its lifespan, Haas CNC Racing, the team that eventually became Stewart-Haas Racing, ran Chevrolets well into Tony Stewart’s era of co-ownership that began in 2009 until the end of the 2017 season.
While this would have little implication for the team on the Cup Series side, a switch to Chevrolet would have massive implications for the Xfinity Series end of the operation. This is because HFT is hands down the best Ford team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, though that is a small field, as they are the only one of four multicar Ford entries in the series.
While Ford has set its sights on signing away mostly developed talent in recent seasons, this would leave a massive hole in their developmental system, as prospects like Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed would likely be swept out of the Ford camp. While they could turn their attentions towards AM Racing, the loss of HFT, the team that technically won Ford’s most recent series title, would still be an impactful loss.
Of course, this does not rule out the possibility that the team could run Fords in one series and Chevrolets in another, though this seems highly unlikely.
Furthermore, this also implies that LMC may not be as desperate for a Charter as once thought, though, as part of their lawsuit with RWR, it was revealed that the team agreed to pay a record-breaking price for a charter earlier this season. This could mean LMC is slowing their search, or is confident of getting a charter via another route.
Nonetheless, this is still just a rumor, and at this time, neither LMC, HFT, nor any OEM has announced any move of this type.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
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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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Denny Hamlin fires off on Carson Hocevar, Sheldon Creed finally gets his long-awaited breakthrough, and 13-year-old Keelan Harvick makes a massive career move. From sharp words on a podcast to a feel-good victory and a headline-grabbing development deal, this episode covers three very different stories that could all have long-term ripple effects.
There’s controversy, redemption, and a glimpse at the next generation all wrapped into one packed show. Some reputations are being tested, others are being rebuilt, and one young driver may have just taken the first major step toward the Cup Series.
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