T.J. Puchyr, one of the founding members of Spire Motorsports, has entered an agreement to purchase the NASCAR Cup Series operation owned by Rick Ware Racing, according to a report from Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press.
Puchyr and Jeff Dickerson (current co-owner of Spire Motorsports) agreed to purchase a Charter from Furniture Row Racing in 2018. Together, the pair had built the once single-car backmarker organization into a three-car mid-field contender.
Last year, Puchyr sold his shares in the Spire Motorsports operation to Dan Towriss, who is the CEO of TWG Motorsports and the leader of the brand-new Cadillac F1 team.
According to The Associated Press (AP), Puchyr will keep Rick Ware on board as a partner of the newly-founded organization, and thus, will be keeping Cody Ware as the driver of the No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
“I’ve won at everything I’ve done at every level, and I think we can compete with these guys,” Puchyr told The Associated Press. “I think we can build it brick-by-brick, and it’s going to take people, money, and time. It’s not lost on me that [Rick Ware Racing] is the 36th-place car in the garage, we all see it. But I believe we can make this a competitive organization, even a winner.”
Puchyr also states that he is hoping to eventually build the organization into a competitive three-car operation in the NASCAR Cup Series, with the single charter the team currently holds (with the No. 51), the one they’ve leased to RFK Racing, and another one that they are hoping to purchase.
“I am bullish on wanting to build a three-car team,” Puchyr disclosed to 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.”
REPORT: T.J. Puchyr Agrees To Buy Rick Ware Racing With Plans to Build A 3-Car NASCAR Team
TobyChristie.com has reached out to Rick Ware Racing in hopes of obtaining a statement regarding the sale of the organization. At the time of publishing, no response has been received.
