Questions continue to circulate about where Daniel Suarez will race in 2026 after he and Trackhouse Racing part ways. As it turns out, Legacy Motor Club is not a landing spot for the two-time Cup Series winner and former Xfinity Series champion.
It's not that the team has anything against Suarez; they just do not believe that the timing will work due to the number of uncertainties surrounding future expansion.
"Danny is a great friend and somebody I stay in touch with," Legacy MC co-owner Jimmie Johnson said on Wednesday. "I kind of knew his situation from a friend standpoint for a while. Great talent. Very popular. Can really perform on any track, has great sponsorship interest. A well-rounded modern-day NASCAR athlete.
"The real opportunity for any team owner. I would love to think about him seriously, but I don't have a seat, on top of the fact I'm not sure if and when we'll get a seat as we're trying to acquire our third charter. I would look hard at him if we were prepared and ready and moving in that direction. In this instance, I highly doubt timing is going to work out."
As Johnson referenced, Legacy Motor Club continues to pursue a third charter that will help the team expand to three full-time entries in 2026. The problem for the team is that this is not proceeding smoothly due to an ongoing legal battle with Rick Ware Racing.
Back in April, Legacy MC filed a lawsuit in Mecklenburg County Court against Rick Ware Racing, accusing the team of backing out of a charter purchase agreement. According to Legacy MC, this charter purchase agreement was supposed to take place for the 2026 season. RWR., which has since filed a countersuit, said that Legacy MC had falsely claimed it had been sold a contract for the 2026 season.
The lawsuits also featured a disagreement regarding the specific charter in the purchase agreement. RWR said the purchase agreement involved charter No. 36. Legacy MC said it involved charter No. 27. RWR currently leases one of its two charters to RFK Racing, which NASCAR allows for one season.
The situation has only grown more complicated. TJ Puchyr, a former co-owner of Spire Motorsports, told the Associated Press that he was going to purchase RWR and both charters. He indicated that neither charter would be available for purchase.
Legacy MC has since filed a lawsuit against Puchyr, saying that he had "willfully interfered" with the charter purchase agreement. The lawsuit noted that Puchyr had initially served as broker between Legacy MC and RWR as the two teams crafted the original deal.
Johnson and Legacy MC still plan on expanding; they just do not have an exact timeline due to the ongoing legal battles with RWR and Puchyr. This creates uncertainty about the third full-time seat and any potential driver who could fill it.
Johnson actually indicated that he could drive the third entry in multiple events next season if they are able to acquire the third charter. This would include the historic Cup Series race on Naval Base Coronado in June.
While Legacy MC does not appear to be a landing spot for Suarez, Johnson does not see a scenario where his friend is out of NASCAR. He fully expects Suarez to have a market and multiple opportunities to compete.
"It's never fun to be looking for a job, but it is early in the process," Johnson said. "I think there's going to be a lot of movement as there is most years. I think he'll have some strong options to consider.
"I don't think he's out of a Cup car. He's a recent race-winning Cup driver. There's always going to be room for someone like that, on top of his sponsor appeal and international appeal. I'm confident he'll find a very solid ride to compete in."