As talks stretch into the weekend between Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing, the clock is ticking. Federal judge Susan C. Rodriguez warned that if no deal is reached by Sunday night, March 1, 2026, a ruling on the temporary restraining order will be handed down Monday afternoon. Amid the standoff, JGR driver Denny Hamlin is playing this one close to the vest.
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Hamlin has already laid out his stance on his Actions Detrimental podcast, weighing in on the dispute between his former crew chief and his team. He argued that the situation tilts against Gabehart and stressed why teams guard their data like gold. Asked again at Circuit of the Americas, Hamlin shut the door on further comment.
“I’ve shared you know the thoughts I had on on Monday on it on on why it’s really important for these teams to be able to protect their information because there’s honestly no going back. Yeah, it’s if somehow your information gets out, there’s no going back until there’s another new car, and who knows when that will be,” Hamlin said.
On the podcast, Hamlin articulated the issue in the context of NASCAR’s spec-car era, where data is the last frontier. He pointed to the web of departments involved in building performance, from engineering to aero, arguing that no one person owns that work or has the right to carry it elsewhere.
“If somehow your information gets leaked, there’s no going back.” @dennyhamlin doesn’t mince words while speaking about the JGR, Chris Gabehart lawsuit. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/nCE33M84Ak
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) February 28, 2026
Hamlin emphasized how the teams pour millions into finding speed and believe they have every right to protect it. Hamlin called the legal clash tough to watch and suggested Joe Gibbs Racing is not backing down.
As co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin said his group is also tightening its own safeguards. He admitted that during the offseason, he was juggling other matters and was not looped into every detail. With litigation underway, Hamlin stated he will not wade deeper into the fight.
Meanwhile, the backdrop is a hearing that ran for more than three hours on JGR’s request for a restraining order against Gabehart. With no ruling handed down, both sides agreed to keep working through the weekend. For now, Gabehart remains free to attend NASCAR events as a Spire Motorsports employee, with the next steps to be taken once the court weighs in.
