Joe Gibbs Racing is reportedly suing former competition director Chris Gabehart alleging that he stole company secrets to benefit Spire Motorsports – his prospective new employer. The news was first reported by The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi on Thursday.
Just this month, JGR owner Joe Gibbs commented on Gabehart’s off-season departure in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “After the season, Chris and I met and we just decided to go our separate ways,” Gibbs said. “It’s just one of those things that, we went through a year there, and when we finished the year, it was a situation where we sat down, talked, and decided to go our separate ways.”
According to Bianchi, the lawsuit alleges that Gabehart “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR — Spire Motorsports.” Gabehart departed JGR in the off-season and was rumored to be heading for Spire Motorsports, but nothing was ever officially announced. JGR’s filing says the team learned last week that Gabehart was preparing to accept a position as Chief Motorsports Officer at Spire.
A further report from FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass states that JGR is seeking to recover ‘extensive damages’ from Gabehart. They argue that he needs to be prevented “from violating his contractual obligations and wrongfully using JGR’s confidential information and trade secrets.”
Details of the Lawsuit
JGR alleges that Gabehart “synced his personal Google Drive with his JGR laptop”, before then saving images of JGR setups to a folder he titled ‘Spire’. They claim Gabehart was conducting research into Spire Motorsports in October and November 2025, while the NASCAR Cup Series season was still underway. Over a dozen photos of Gabehart’s computer screen are alleged to have been taken on November 7, 2025 containing confidential information, trade secrets, and sensitive financial information.
It appears that the separation of JGR and Chris Gabehart may have stemmed from this dispute as it unfolded. “JGR ceased negotiations with Defendant and, on December 15, 2025, sent him a demand letter demanding that he refrain from using or disclosing JGR’s Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and cooperate in a forensic review to identify and return or securely delete such information,” the lawsuit says.
Gabehart’s attorney reportedly agreed to return JGR’s materials, but not to a forensic review. The filing says he claimed that the folder titled ‘Spire’ was used for personal notes and records and that he has not retained any of JGR’s information and data. The team disputes both these statements, and these characterizations of events come from JGR’s filing.
Background
Chris Gabehart first joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012, working as an engineer for the No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch. He later worked as a crew chief from 2016 to 2024, including six full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series with Denny Hamlin. In November 2024 Gabehart was promoted to JGR competition director, a role he held for only one season.
Among the details revealed in JGR’s filing was the compensation agreement in Gabehart’s contract with the team. As competition director he was paid $1 million for the 2025 season, with scheduled raises of $50,000 each year through the 2028 season if he was extended that long.
There were also performance-based bonuses, including $125,000 for first place in owner points, $65,000 per team that reached the Championship 4 in NASCAR’s playoff format, and decreasing bonuses for each team that made the previous playoff rounds. Additionally, Gabehart received $20,000 per win for the first eight followed by $30,000 for each win after that.
The revelation of JGR’s lawsuit against Gabehart comes over two months following the settlement of two Cup Series teams’ lawsuit against NASCAR over alleged antitrust practices. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports were battling NASCAR in court over the terms of the charter agreements, leading to a contentious trial that culminated in a settlement which both sides applauded.
Chris Gabehart Responds
On Friday, Chris Gabehart released the following statement in response to JGR’s lawsuit.
Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming – falsely – that I shared JGR confidential information with Spire Motorsports and/or other unnamed third parties. I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.
I look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate to the Court that I have not shared JGR’s confidential information with anyone. In fact, I have already demonstrated that to JGR. A third-party forensic expert retained by JGR recently examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit. We even offered JGR the opportunity to do a similar review of Spire’s systems. JGR refused that offer and filed this spiteful lawsuit instead.
Stay tuned. We will have much more to say in the legal response we will be filing in the coming days.
This story is still developing. More information will be added as it becomes available.
