A superior court judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday to prevent Rick Ware Racing from selling a charter that Legacy Motor Club claims it has a deal to purchase.
Legacy Motor Club sought the injunction after former Spire Motorsports owner T.J. Puchyr stated in June that he had entered into an agreement to purchase Rick Ware Racing.
The 2025 regular season will conclude, and the playoff field will be set at the World Center of Racing.
Legacy Motor Club stated in its request for a preliminary injunction that “defendant Rick Ware Racing’s representations to this Court cannot be trusted. Having once opposed a preliminary injunction by representing that it would not divest the NASCAR Charters at issue in this case, RWR turned around and immediately signed a purported deal to do just that.
”… Although the announced deal has not yet closed, this Court should not give RWR a second chance. It should issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the closing of the Puchyr Deal, and preventing RWR from entering any similar transaction that would result in the transfer, sale, or other encumbrance of either of RWR’s Charters, until an impartial fact-finder gets to hear the evidence and decide the case.”
Rick Ware Racing has two charters — one for the No. 51 car with Cody Ware and a second that is being leased to RFK Racing this year for the No. 60 car of Ryan Preece. Charters can only be leased once every seven years. Rick Ware Racing has a two-year deal with RFK Racing to lease both of its charters for one year each.
Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a NASCAR charter purchase deal. A trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 26, 2026.
Legacy Motor Club, which is owned by seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, alleges that Rick Ware Racing backed out of its agreement to sell a charter to it. Rick Ware Racing has claimed any agreement was for the 2027 season and not the 2026 season as Legacy Motor Club contends.
