T.J. Puchyr’s company punches back at Legacy Motor Club with counterclaims

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CN) — T.J. Puchyr’s firm filed counterclaims against Legacy Motor Club Monday, a few months after the racing team reiterated its claims against the racing consultant.

Puchyr, one of the founders of Spire Motorsports, helped to broker a deal between Legacy and Rick Ware Racing in 2025. Rick Ware Racing eventually sold a charter — a franchise-like agreement granting NASCAR Cup Series teams guaranteed race entry and a cut of broadcasting profits — to Legacy, but miscommunication between the parties led to a nasty contract dispute in a state court in Charlotte, which escalated when Legacy claimed Rick Ware Racing was trying to swiftly sell the company and charter agreements to Puchyr mid-litigation.

The teams eventually settled, but Legacy sued Puchyr and Rucus Racing, LLC, claiming he induced Rick Ware Racing to break its contract. The team filed an amended complaint against Puchyr and Rucus Racing in February, where it hinted the charter sale had been killed.

Puchyr’s company, which had previously not filed anything in the case other than requests for more time, filed counterclaims Monday, along with a request to dismiss Legacy’s case and move the case to business court.

Legacy’s settlement with Rick Ware Racing specifically prevented Puchyr from buying the team’s charters, Rucus claimed, while agreeing to settle for less money than the $150 million price tag on the initial deal.

Legacy also hasn’t paid the company its agreed 7.5% commission for negotiating a sponsorship with Dollar Tree, Rucus claimed, and the team wrongfully terminated the consulting agreement without giving the company a 10-day cure period to resolve any violations of the contract or identifying any breaches of the contract by Rucus.

Legacy claims Puchyr and the company violated the contract by interfering with the Rick Ware Racing charters, but team leadership was texted about the plan to purchase the charters several days before Legacy claims it was notified by the media, Rucus said.

Puchyr also continued to do work for Legacy even after he announced his intent to purchase the charters, Rucus said.

“Legacy leveraged its litigation against RWR to purchase the charter for an amount less than that contained in Legacy’s original contract with RWR, while simultaneously preventing Rucus from purchasing the charters,” the company said in the counterclaims.

Legacy violated the consulting contract, not Rucus, it argued, which has caused a loss in future commissions. The team sued to coerce Puchyr and Rucus to walk away from their unpaid commission and to damage their reputation and business relationships, Rucus claimed, and made “accusations of misconduct that Legacy knows to be false or misleading.”

“Legacy used its superior resources and the threat of litigation to oppress defendants and to coerce defendants into abandoning their legitimate claims for unpaid fees,” the consulting company said, adding that it was harmed by the litigation, but that Legacy has not suffered actual damages because it acquired the charter from Rick Ware Racing at a lower price.

Rucus is seeking compensatory and treble damages, and requested declaratory judgment, in which a judge would issue an order without the counterclaims going to trial.

Rucus raised several claims against Legacy, including breach of contract, wrongful termination, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and claims that Legacy’s conduct violated state law on unfair and deceptive trade practices.

Representatives for Legacy did not respond to a request for comment made outside of normal business hours.

In its amended lawsuit filed earlier this year, Legacy called Puchyr’s attempt to purchase Rick Ware Racing and its racing charters “immoral, unethical, oppressive (and) unscrupulous,” and said the potential sale complicated Legacy’s plan to run a third car in 2026 and prevented it from entering into agreements with sponsors.

Puchyr used his knowledge of the charter agreement to present an offer to Rick Ware Racing that catered to their interests, Legacy claimed, while blindsiding it. The case has yet to have its first day in court.

NASCAR teams have been heavily involved in litigation over the last year. Following an antitrust lawsuit first reported by Courthouse News, NASCAR reached a settlement in December with teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which made Cup Series racing charters permanent.

In February, racing giant Joe Gibbs Racing filed suit in federal court against its former competition director, claiming he stole confidential business secrets and planned to give them to rival team Spire Motorsports. The parties are awaiting a court order on preliminary relief as the case proceeds towards trial.

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