Rick Ware Racing and Legacy Motor Club Have Settled Their NASCAR Lawsuit, So What’s Next?

What’s Happening?

Rick Ware Racing and Legacy Motor Club announced a settlement of their ongoing lawsuit related to a charter, so, what does this mean, how did it come about, and what questions remain?

Legacy Motor Club and Rick Ware Racing jointly announce "the teams have reached a resolution regarding the sale and transaction of a team charter." Terms of the settlement were not disclosed and remain confidential.

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) September 19, 2025

What Has Already Happened?

One hundred seventy-one days ago, Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club sued Rick Ware Racing for what, at the time, was said to be a charter sale gone awry. The April 1 filing from LMC claimed that RWR was attempting to back out of the charter sale effective for the 2026 season.

The filing also claims that RWR was “Strapped for cash, and unable to compete at a Cup Series level by its admission, RWR needed to sell one of its two Charters.” The rumored price of the sale was a record-breaking $45 million.

The issues were fleshed out a bit more in court on April 30, with LMC claiming they thought the transaction was for Charter 27, currently used by RFK Racing via a lease agreement for this season. RWR thought the deal was for Charter 36, currently used by the team’s No. 51 entry, and set to be leased to RFK for 2026.

This means that if the agreement was for Charter 27 for 2026, RWR would be without a charter at all next year, as they are already in agreement with RFK on a lease deal for 2026 on the charter they currently use.

Though this lawsuit has not been as bitter as the one between NASCAR and 23XI Racing, it has seen its own countersuit, from RWR, some light jabs, and the sale of one of these two teams to a new owner, despite the ongoing lawsuit.

So What’s Happening Now?

In a joint statement from the two teams on Friday afternoon, they claim they have “reached a resolution regarding the sale and transaction of a team charter.”

This means that LMC is getting its long-awaited charter, though this only raises more questions, as the release also states, “the terms of the settlement remain confidential.”

What’s Left to Learn?

Update 6:02 PM ET: According to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, RWR claims it will race as a chartered team in 2026, implying the sale is for Charter 36 for the 2027 season.

As far as Rick Ware Racing’s 2026 plans, according to spokesman: “RWR will continue to race its No. 51 as a chartered entry in 2026.”

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 19, 2025

First and foremost, there is one key question at play here: Is this deal for 2026 or 2027?

If it is for 2026, then RWR will likely be without a charter, as selling the other charter, Charter 36, would likely violate their deal to lease to RFK Racing, leaving only Charter 27, the one they intended to use for next season, as the only likely one to sell.

Of course, as noted by Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, it is getting late in the season to set up for a full-time third car at LMC. While they could realistically get something together in time, there is a strong likelihood that the rushed effort could turn out to have negative results for a time, swiftly rising through the ranks of NASCAR.

Legacy has settled its lawsuit against Rick Ware. Legacy will obtain a charter from RWR. News release wasn’t specific on which team would field that chartered car in 2026 but Legacy folks had indicated last month that it was getting late to try to be three-car team in 2026.

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 19, 2025

Another major question arising from this settlement is about businessman and former Spire Motorsports co-founder T.J. Puchyr, who announced on June 26, during the heat of the lawsuit, that he had agreed to purchase RWR in its entirety, touting lofty plans to retain both charters, acquire a third, and seemingly reset the team for the 2027 season.

On July 16, LMC sued Puchyr for tortious interference of contract, as Puchyr allegedly had prior knowledge of the deal and stepped in during the legal dispute to buy RWR. On August 22 in court, this sale bled into the Charter suit, with a judge putting the sale on hold until the two ended the legal dispute, either by settlement, which they have now done, or via a January trial.

The question now remains: what will happen with Puchyr?

While it still seems likely he is going to buy the newly single charter owning team, this settlement could not only affect his lofty plans for RWR but, perhaps, even the original sale price of the team and it’s then two charters. Nonetheless, nothing is known about what happens with that storyline at press time.

Where Does LMC Go From Here?

For the now two, and soon to be three full-time car operations, hopefully the deal is for 2027; if not, they have a mad dash to find talent, crews, and equipment for the coming year.

Rumors have pointed to names like Richard Childress Racing’s Xfinity Series talent Jesse Love as a potential driver, though there is no confirmation as to Love’s long-term plans.

In RCR’s No. 2 this year, Love has seen a slight improvement in performance, alongside five Cup Series outings with RCR and Beard Motorsports. Though he may seem ready for Cup action, his stats compared to others in the Xfinity Series suggest one more season wouldn’t be the worst thing.

Nonetheless, for what has been a rather quiet Silly Season, if this deal is for 2026, though it seems extremely unlikely, things could be heating up in the garage area.

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