Legacy Motor Club sues broker for alleged interference in NASCAR charter deal with Rick Ware Racing
Legacy alleged in its filing in North Carolina Superior Court that T.J. Puchyr, acting as a consultant for the Cup Series team owned by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, violated the state Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act by using 'insider knowledge and position of trust to interfere with Legacy's Agreement with RWR.'
Legacy also accused Puchyr of making public personal attacks against Johnson when he announced last month his plans to purchase Ware's tiny race team.
The dispute began not long after Legacy entered into agreement for Johnson and his partners at Knighthead Capital Management to purchase one of Ware's two charters. Legacy says the deal is for next season, when it plans to expand to three full-time Cup cars.
RWR maintains the deal was for 2027 because it already is under contract with RFK Racing to lease that organization a charter next season. Ware says he didn't read the contract closely when he signed it to note that it read 2026, and that honoring the RFK contract and selling a second charter to Legacy next year would put the NASCAR team out of business.
Legacy in April sued Ware, but as that fight is playing out, it claims Puchyr struck a deal to buy RWR. Puchyr is a co-founder of Spire Motorsports and now acts as a motorsports consultant.
'Mr. Puchyr was well aware of the parties' dispute. He knew of the charter purchase agreement between Legacy and RWR that he helped broker,' the suit contends. 'Despite Mr. Puchyr's insider knowledge of the contract, his obligations under his consulting agreement with Legacy, Legacy's contractual right to a charter ... Mr. Puchyr recently announced that he intends to purchase both of RWR's charters for himself.'
The latest filing is part of
two active lawsuits
surrounding charters, which are
at the heart of NASCAR's business model.
Having one is vital to a team's survival.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are locked into a prolonged suit with NASCAR over antitrust allegations against the most popular motorsports series in the United States. 23XI, co-owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, and Front Row, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, last September refused to sign the charter agreements offered by NASCAR after more than two years of contentious negotiations on extensions.
The two were the only holdouts out of 15 organizations to refuse the extensions. They instead sued and are awaiting a federal judge's decision on if they will be stripped of their six combined charters as the case heads toward a Dec. 1 trial date.
NASCAR has said it has asked multiple times for settlement proposals but heard nothing. NASCAR also has no intention of renegotiating the charter agreements held by 30 other teams.
Johnson, despite his own legal fight, said last weekend that he supported a settlement in the antitrust case.
'I would love to see a settlement of some kind,' Johnson said. 'I really don't think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit is good for anybody.'
___
AP auto racing:
https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Connor Zilisch injury update: Young NASCAR star 'grateful to be walking'
NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch, who broke his collarbone while celebrating his Xfinity Series victory at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, Aug. 9, is 'grateful to be walking,' after his scary fall. The 19-year-old driver had taken the checkered flag in Saturday's race at the New York road course and was climbing out through the window to celebrate on the roof his car when one foot got caught in the window netting. Zilisch stumbled then took a hard fall to the pavement. 'The last thing I remember is thinking, I don't know why, but I thought I was going to break my femur,' Zilisch said Monday, Aug. 11, on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. "My leg was stuck. I thought I was going to get caught in the headrest and just, I thought I was done.' Zilisch blacked out momentarily before on-track medical personnel rushed to his aid and whisked him away in an ambulance. On the podcast, Zilisch revealed the first things he remembered saying to the medical personnel when he came to before they put him on stretcher with a neck brace. 'I was talking to the medics like, 'I'm good. I'm good. My shoulder hurts a little but that's it,'' he recalled. 'I was like, 'Why am I on a stretcher right now? I feel fine.' I didn't realize what had happened.' Zilisch was back at Watkins Glen the next day for the NASCAR Cup Series, though only as a spectator. Trackhouse Racing withdrew the car they planned to have him drive in Sunday's race, which was eventually won by Trackhouse driver Shane Van Gisbergen. Speaking to NBC Sports reporter Marty Snider during the Cup race, Zilisch expressed his relief and appreciation. 'So, glad it wasn't any worse, and the collar bone was the extent of the injuries," he said. … Hopefully, my young bones will heal fast, and I'll be able to get back in it as soon as possible.' What's next for NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch Zilisch said surgery might be his best option for a quick return to racing, and he has a window because the Xfinity Series is off Aug. 15-16, while both the Craftsman Truck and Cup series race at Richmond Raceway that weekend. Zilisch, who drives in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports – the team co-owned by siblings Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller – won his sixth race of the season at Watkins Glen and is likely to be one of the favorites for the 2025 Xfinity Series championship. But the first thing on the agenda is healing and recovery. 'I think it might be something that I might have to get surgery for. But in this case, I think surgery is something that speeds up the process, so you can get plates and screws and get it reconstructed back together," Zilisch said Monday on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. 'Shane [van Gisbergen] talked about it. He had an injury in 2021 and broke his collarbone — he had plates, screws, everything done and he was racing back the next weekend. Thankfully, the collarbone is a relatively quick bone to fix and heal.' The Xfinity Series returns to racing on Aug. 22 at Daytona International Speedway, a track known for big crashes. Zilisch is the Xfinity points leader and has already missed one race this season due to a back injury.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
The Heartbreak Behind Shane Van Gisbergen's Watkins Glen Win
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NASCAR driver Shane Van Ginsbergen detailed his father's personal problems over the past year after winning at Watkins Glen. The well-travelled Kiwi captured his fourth win of the season from second place at the start. He won in Mexico, Chicago, and Sonoma this season as well, adding to a successful year with Trackhouse Racing. During the past year, Van Ginsbergen's father, Robert, has not been at the races to celebrate with his son, battling illness and loss in his life. Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, celebrates with his father, Robert van Gisbergen, Jessica Dane and his dog, Ronald in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The... Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, celebrates with his father, Robert van Gisbergen, Jessica Dane and his dog, Ronald in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2025 in Watkins Glen, New York More Photo byRobert suffered the loss of Shane's mother, Karen Wallace, after she fell ill. Additionally, Robert's sister and mother passed away during this period. Luckily, Shane had his father present for his most recent win. "It's been pretty difficult," the NASCAR driver said after his victory on Sunday. "He lost his wife, my mother, and then his sister, and then his mum a month or so ago. "It's been a really rough run for Dad. It's hard to support him when I'm on the other side of the world. That's probably why I'm the most homesick. "Then my sister has moved away as well, so he's kind of by himself all of a sudden. "I try and talk to him every day. To have him here – like he was almost in tears, too – it's really special to share that because we're a long way from home." Robert is expected to join Shane for the remaining regular season stretch at Richmond and Daytona before the playoffs begin. With his father at his side, van Gisbergen hopes for more success with his support system around him. "It's obviously something to dream about winning on an oval, and superspeedways. I've had some pretty good moments there," van Gisbergen added. "Last year, I think Talladega... Kaulig was a smaller team, Dad was on the front row of the pit box, helping with the strategy, or talking with Travis Mack on the strategy. You know, he loves it. "I'd love to have a good result with him the next couple weeks. "He's driving the bus for me with his friend Jason to those races. I'll probably drive to Daytona with them, and it'll be a good time like we used to do." Van Gisbergen will enter the NASCAR playoffs after his success this season, where he will hope to cap off a fantastic season with a championship. For more NASCAR news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
NASCAR Legend Dale Earnhardt's Widow Battles His Son Over $30 Billion Data Center Plan on His Former N.C. Land — 'Dad Would Be Livid'
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. When Dale Earnhardt, the NASCAR champion known as "The Intimidator," died in a crash during the 2001 Daytona 500, the sport lost more than a driver—it lost a symbol of grit, rural pride, and Southern determination. Away from the track, Earnhardt's refuge was hundreds of wooded acres in Mooresville, North Carolina, where he hunted, fished, and spent time far from the roar of an engine. Today, that same land is at the center of a bitter family and community dispute. Teresa Earnhardt, Dale's widow and stepmother to his children, controls the property through Earnhardt Farms LLC. Public records show she owns around 400 acres of what was once her late husband's private escape. Over the years, Teresa became the primary steward of much of Dale's estate, a position that has sometimes caused friction within the family. Don't Miss: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Now, she's asking the Mooresville Board of Commissioners to rezone the property from residential-agricultural to industrial use. The change would clear the way for Denver-based developer Tract to build the Mooresville Technology Park, a massive data center campus with a projected investment topping $30 billion over the next two decades. That figure includes land preparation, construction, infrastructure, utilities, and technology upgrades. Supporters of the plan point to big economic gains. During a presentation to the board, Tract Senior Director, Entitlements Kristin Dean said the Mooresville Technology Park would create 277 "recession-resistant" jobs, 195 of them paying more than $125,000 a year. She also estimated it would "generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for Mooresville, Iredell County, and local public schools over 20 years." Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a ? But while developers painted a picture of economic windfalls, Kerry Earnhardt, Dale's eldest son, saw something entirely different. In a late-July Facebook post, referring to a Charlotte Observer headline about the meeting that mentioned his father's name, he wrote: "My Dad would be livid for his name to be associated in this title! Frankly, I'm ashamed our family name is involved in the request to rezone a community that is thriving as a Rural Residential/Agriculture zone to be changed to Industrial. "Infrastructures like this don't belong in neighborhoods where people's natural resources will be depleted, wildlife will be uprooted, and the landscape and lives of the people that call this area home will forever be changed. I'd rather see homes built with people loving the land we live on... the way this area was intended to be! "I look forward to Monday's meeting at the Mooresville Town Hall." The post quickly spread among locals opposed to the rezoning, many echoing his concerns about the project's potential to upend the area's character. "No Data Center" signs now line rural roads near the property. Residents warn the project could permanently alter the area's character, increase traffic, and damage property Mayor Chris Carney shares some of those concerns. He told the Observer it's difficult to support the rezoning without knowing who would operate the facility—whether that's a tech giant such as Apple, Amazon, or Google. He added that if the board were split 3-3, he would likely vote "no." "So we, as a group, have had a really hard time with that, and I just can't imagine anybody voting yes without the answer," Carney said. At a recent board meeting, voices from the community made their stance clear. According to NBC News, Former NASCAR engineer H.A. Mergen told commissioners, "This land is Dale's legacy—make no mistake about it. I believe we all know what Dale would want his legacy to be." Donna Jones, who lives half a mile from the site, asked, "Who's going to want to buy or build a house next to a data center?" For supporters, the proposal is a chance to bring high-paying jobs and lasting tax revenue to Mooresville. For opponents, it's an irreversible break from the quiet, open space Dale Earnhardt valued in life. The Mooresville Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing in September before making its decision. That single vote will determine whether the late NASCAR legend's onetime sanctuary becomes one of North Carolina's largest tech developments—or remains a stretch of countryside tied to his legacy. Read Next: Have $100k+ to invest? Charlie Munger says that's the toughest milestone — don't stall now. Image: Shutterstock This article NASCAR Legend Dale Earnhardt's Widow Battles His Son Over $30 Billion Data Center Plan on His Former N.C. Land — 'Dad Would Be Livid' originally appeared on
