TJ Puchyr, a co-founder of Spire Motorsports, has agreed to buy Rick Ware Racing, according to a report from the Associated Press.
According to AP's Jenna Fryer, Puchyr said on Thursday that he and Rick Ware Racing have an agreement for him to take over the Cup Series team next season. Puchyr sold his shares of Spire Motorsports to TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss last year.
Fryer noted that Puchyr wants to expand the team to three chartered entries by 2027, while keeping Cody Ware in the No. 51.
"I am bullish on wanting to build a three-car team," Puchyr told AP. "I believe in the France family and the direction of the sport and I want the rest of the shareholders and industry to know that I believe the charters are worth $75 million or more."
The plan, per AP, is for Puchyr to keep Ware on as a partner of the team. He will also retain all of the existing Rick Ware Racing employees.
Puchyr and Spire co-founder Jeff Dickerson purchased Furniture Row Racing's No. 78 charter in 2018 as Barney Visser set out to exit NASCAR. They launched their own team, which began competing in 2019 with a rotating cast of drivers.
Puchyr and Dickerson were not strangers to NASCAR, given their ties to the Cup Series. Dickerson was Kyle Busch's agent while Puchyr previously ran Braun Racing and Turner Motorsports.
This team has continued to grow, to the point that it now owns three charters. Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell, and Justin Haley control these entries.
If Puchyr's plan plays out as intended, Rick Ware Racing will have three chartered entries by the start of the 2027 season. However, a hurdle remains that he must overcome.
RWR currently uses one of its charters. The other is on lease to RFK Racing. Teams are allowed to lease charters for one season before they return to the rightful owner.
The problem, however, is that Legacy Motor Club and Rick Ware Racing are currently embroiled in litigation.
Back in April, Legacy Motor Club filed a lawsuit against RWR alleging that the team had backed out of a charter purchase agreement.
Ware then filed a countersuit earlier this month and alleged that the agreement was for the 2027 season and that Legacy MC changed the terms to 2026. The litigation also involves a disagreement over the actual charter number.
Puchyr told AP that he would be willing to sit down with Legacy MC co-owner Jimmie Johnson to talk about the situation like men.
"I don't think Jimmie has all the facts, doesn't understand the deal we had, and they tried to humiliate Rick publicly," Puchyr told AP. "We don't do business that way."