Last week, Joe Gibbs Racing and Chris Gabehart’s lawsuit made headlines after claims surfaced that Gabehart tried to carry confidential data from JGR to his new stop, Spire Motorsports. JGR made the first move, and Gabehart answered with a message of his own, telling fans to stay tuned for further developments. Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the storm may look fierce now, but the road ahead could take the same route fans have seen before.
Advertisement
With both sides trading shots and the truth still deep under wraps, he drew a line to the past clash between NASCAR and 23XI Racing, hinting this one may also end without a courtroom showdown.
“I don’t think we all envision it going to court and then being settled after all the things that went on in the couple of days there. That was very dramatic. My hope again very similar to the way I felt about the last one is that this settles… All of this goes down, JGR files a suit, very publicly puts out that statement. Gabehart responds publicly, literally the next day, Spire puts out an announcement: ‘Gabehart’s our guy.'”
He then laid out the knot at the center of the case. “So who is liable? If there is some sort of truth that some information was shared illegally, who’s liable? Is it Spire? Is it Gabehart? Is it both? I think in the end, this settles and nothing changes. I think this settles.” Junior brushed aside the chances of an upset for either of the involved parties, especially after the racing season had started.
Junior ultimately predicted, “I think there’s a settlement. It goes away, and we don’t know really how it got settled.” In other words, a deal behind closed doors and a lid back on the pot.
Like other NASCAR legal scraps tied to talent jumping teams, Junior suggested the case could land in a settlement where all parties strike terms and call it a day rather than roll the dice in a trial. That route keeps dirty laundry off the line, and the sport goes on.
For now, JGR is chasing more than $8 million in damages over claims of trade secret theft and breach of contract. Ideally, the next step would be that the fight could wind through federal court.
Gabehart has denied the claims in public, and his legal team has until around mid-March 2026 to file a formal response. JGR’s lawsuit relies on forensic examinations of Gabehart’s devices. JGR says it uncovered “shocking” proof, while Gabehart says an outside expert found “no evidence” that any data changed hands.
Spire Motorsports has also been named as a defendant alongside Gabehart
In a recent turn of events, JGR has also mentioned Spire Motorsports as a defendant in the lawsuit, formally involving the race team. They have also filed a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the defendants, which states Gabehart must “cease and desist working or performing any services for Spire similar to those he provided to JGR for the 18 months following February 9, 2026,” as per reports.
Still, as Dale Jr. noted, a settlement may remain the path of least resistance. A trial could force JGR and other teams to lay out records many would rather keep under lock and key. And that kind of exposure could open a Pandora’s box, which is why a quiet handshake may end up saving everyone from the fire.
