NASCAR News: Legacy Motor Club sues Rick Ware over Charter (2nd Update)

On Friday, Rick Ware Racing and Legacy Motor Club announced they have settled their dispute over the sale of a NASCAR charter. Rick Ware Racing will transfer a charter to Legacy Motor Club, while continuing to operate its No. 51 car as a chartered entry in 2026, according to a team spokesperson.

The disagreement centered on which charter Legacy Motor Club had purchased and the timing of its transfer. The matter was set for trial in January 2026 but has now been resolved.

“Reaching a positive outcome was important for everyone involved,” said Legacy Motor Club owner Jimmie Johnson. “I respect the effort from Robby Benton and Rick Ware to reach this settlement, allowing us to focus on our operations and future goals. I’m glad we can move forward together.”

Rick Ware added, “I recently met with Jimmie and Cal Wells, and we agreed to transfer a charter from RWR to Legacy Motor Club. This agreement benefits both teams and clears the path ahead. I’m excited to focus on finishing the 2025 season strong.”

The terms of the settlement remain confidential.

A North Carolina Superior Court judge denied a preliminary injunction Wednesday that Legacy Motor Club sought to keep Rick Ware Racing from possibly selling the charter that Legacy MC states it purchased.

…

Among details revealed in court:

Judge Smith noted that Legacy MC purchased a charter from Rick Ware Racing for “roughly $45 million.” That makes it the highest price for a charter.

The agreement calls for Rick Ware Racing to sell Charter No. 36 (currently used by the No. 51 car of Cody Ware). However, Legacy MC’s attorney noted that the wording in the contract described the charter to be purchased as Charter 27, which also is owned by Rick Ware Racing but is being leased to RFK Racing this year for the No. 60 car of Ryan Preece.

An attorney for Rick Ware Racing said two weeks after the agreement was signed the two sides met at Las Vegas where Legacy MC offered to pay RWR $5 million more than the original purchase price to purchase Charter 27 so it could have three chartered cars next season.

It was also noted in court that RFK Racing has an agreement with Rick Ware Racing to lease Charter 36 (the one being used by Cody Ware this year) next season. Teams are allowed to lease a charter once every seven years.

A key issue Wednesday in court was the contract and the confusion created by it. NBC Sports

Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Rick Ware Racing as the two NASCAR Cup Series teams clash over a charter purchase gone awry.

…

Legacy said the teams met on Jan. 6 to strike a deal and signed it on March 3 after agreeing on payment terms. Exact figures were not disclosed publicly, but charters have been sold at valuations of up to $40 million. And now, Legacy claims, RWR has cold feet.

…

According to multiple sources familiar with the lawsuit but not authorized to speak publicly, the dispute centers around the timing of when the charter would be transferred from RWR to Legacy, which is owned by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. RWR is said to have been under the impression the agreement would go into effect for 2027, but Legacy changed the year to 2026 without communicating to team owner Ware or other RWR representatives it had done so. The Athletic