Joe Gibbs Racing, long tied at the hip with former crew chief Chris Gabehart, now finds itself on the other side of the fence. The two parted ways without much noise in December 2025, and whispers soon followed that Gabehart could land at Spire Motorsports, though the role stayed under wraps.
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Gabehart served as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief from 2019 to 2024, helping the team to win 22 races across six seasons. In 2025, he climbed the ladder into a competition role, acting as a sounding board for Ty Gibbs.
Now the gloves are off. Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit against Gabehart, claiming he walked off with data and planned to use it for Spire. Jordan Bianchi wrote on X:
“NEWS: Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit against former competition director Chris Gabehart, alleging he ‘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.’”
NEWS: Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit against former competition director Chris Gabehart alleging he “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.”
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) February 19, 2026
Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass reported that JGR is chasing damages and wants Gabehart barred from breaking contract terms or using team data. In his competition role, Gabehart earned around $1 million per year plus bonuses.
Based on the contract filed with the suit, JGR is seeking relief that could top $8 million per claim. The team also wants a cease-and-desist order to stop Gabehart from using or disclosing trade secrets and to require the return of any material still in his possession.
In its complaint, JGR says an internal probe uncovered theft of confidential material, allegedly carried out to enable the data to cross the aisle to Spire. The filing claims that before leaving at the end of 2025, Gabehart synced his Google Drive with his work laptop and searched online for information about Spire during October and November.
On December 17, Gabehart told JGR he had received an offer from Spire on November 13 but said the role would not mirror his duties at JGR. Then, on February 11, 2026, JGR says it learned he planned to take a Chief Motorsports Officer role at Spire, overseeing race strategy and operations, a move that overlapped with his role at JGR.
The complaint went on to claim that Gabehart tried to lure JGR staff across the aisle. One employee tied to competition efforts left on January 3, 2026, and soon landed at Spire in a similar role. JGR alleges that Spire sweetened the deal with a higher salary.
Screenshots they acquired, cited in the filing, allegedly include driver pay for 2025 and 2026, sponsor revenue, partner deals spanning multiple seasons, pit crew analytics from 2024, and tire data tied to race results. The complaint argues Gabehart “knew or should have known” the line he was crossing, given his level of experience.
Investigators also found a Google Drive folder labeled “Spire” with a subfolder called “Past Setups,” as well as more than a dozen photos of a JGR laptop screen taken on November 7, 2025.
After the probe, JGR says it cut off talks and sent a demand letter on December 15, ordering Gabehart to stop using or sharing team secrets and to cooperate in a forensic review. Gabehart agreed to return JGR material but pushed back on a full review. He claimed the “Spire” folder held notes and records, a claim JGR disputes. He also denied keeping financial data, which the team says is contradicted by the photos.
Both sides later agreed to a forensic process where a third-party expert would delete confirmed JGR data from Gabehart’s devices. JGR says Gabehart resisted a broader search to determine whether files had been copied or shared elsewhere.
When he handed over devices on January 12, 2026, JGR says it found 20 race setup files in the “Spire” folder along with the November 7 photos. JGR shared that it accepted limits on the review under the belief that Gabehart would stay out of the competition arena for a cooling-off period.
The team claims it warned him that legal action would follow if he stepped into a rival role while holding knowledge that could tilt the playing field in Spire’s favor.
