Joe Gibbs Racing filed an ‘expedited movement for discovery’ with the Western District of North Carolina on Sunday evening looking for proof that Spire Motorsports ‘induced or inspired’ Chris Gabehart to ‘purchase or disclose’ commerce secrets and techniques as a part of a job change.
Gabehart most lately served because the Joe Gibbs Racing competitors director in 2025 to shut a 13-year tenure during which the 45-year-old was additionally a championship-caliber engineer and crew chief. He formally joined Spire this month as Chief Motorsports Officer.
Commercial
That job change additionally got here after only a single yr of the three-year settlement Gabehart entered into with Joe Gibbs Racing. In consequence, JGR believes Gabehart is certain by non-competes and NDAs for the subsequent 18 months and is looking for a restraining order in opposition to the defendants from persevering with to work collectively till then.
Gabehart says that is ‘punitive’ over an using ‘daring to depart.’ A listening to occurred on Friday however typically ended with a plea from Choose Susan C. Rodriguez to search out center floor over a restraining order movement.
Learn Additionally:
Commercial
Joe Gibbs Racing believes the figurative seeds of his departure have been planted as early as October. A collection of authorized filings on Sunday have been used for instance an alleged timeline during which Gabehart and Spire might have conspired to violate nondisclosure and non-compete agreements.
In a declaration by longtime NASCAR crew chief turned JGR competitors govt Todd Berrier, Gabehart disclosed in October a gathering with TWG Motorsports co-owner Dan Towriss — one of many major backers of the nascent Spire empire.
Commercial
“On or about October 21, 2025, Gabehart informed me that he had a gathering with co-owner of Spire, Dan Towriss, a few potential job. Later that evening, Gabehart texted me to substantiate that he had that assembly.”
Because of this, mixed with a digital forensic path that exposed Gabehart began to put proprietary Joe Gibbs Racing information on his private units and cloud storage between that dialog and his departure, the group has requested the court docket to drive Spire and Gabehart to topic themselves to a focused truth discovery course of for the next paperwork:
All Communications between Defendant Spire and Defendant Gabehart Regarding Gabehart’s potential employment at Spire. All Paperwork and Communications Regarding any potential or precise settlement by Defendant Spire or its homeowners to indemnify Defendant Gabehart for any breach of his JGR employment settlement or for every other declare that could possibly be asserted by JGR in opposition to Defendant Gabehart, together with for utilizing, retaining, transferring, or copying any of JGR’s Confidential Info and Commerce Secrets and techniques. All Communications from Defendant Gabehart and every other JGR staff Regarding employment at Defendant Spire. All Communications between Defendant Spire, Defendant Gabehart, Dan Towriss, and/or Jeff Dickerson Regarding JGR’s race setups, technique, operations, sponsorships, or staff. All Communications between Defendant Spire, Defendant Gabehart, Dan Towriss, and/or Jeff Dickerson Regarding the recruitment, hiring, potential employment and employment of Defendant Gabehart. All Paperwork and Communications Regarding Defendant Gabehart’s position as Chief Motorsports Officer at Defendant Spire. All Paperwork created or generated by Defendant Gabehart from October 1, 2025 till February 17, 2026 Regarding his potential position as Chief Motorsports Officer at Defendant Spire.
Commercial
Joe Gibbs Racing additionally had its forensic knowledgeable and lawyer Clark C. Walton from Reliance Forensics file a second declaration that testified Gabehart performed a collection of Google searches on ‘indemnity’ two days after assembly with Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson on December 2.
Walton beforehand filed a declaration that confirmed Gabehart continued to retailer and entry proprietary Joe Gibbs Racing information to his private cloud storage and units from the dialog with Berrier to his assembly with Dickerson.
Learn Additionally:
Commercial
Gabehart had met with Coach Joe Gibbs on November 6, at which the 2 agreed it could be greatest in the event that they parted methods, and started negotiating a monetary departure bundle. Gabehart contends this bundle, plus a contest bonus he earned as competitors director, was not paid.
Joe Gibbs Racing contended in court docket on Friday by means of lawyer Sarah Hutchins that it was not going to pay Gabehart to steal from them and take their proprietary information to Spire. Now, it’s asking the court docket for expedited truth discovery to show it.
Commercial
“Shortly after this assembly, Gabehart performed web analysis on the which means of the phrase ‘indemnify’ on December 4, 2026. The timing of this search strongly means that Spire meant to and is indemnifying Gabehart for his prices and legal responsibility on this motion. This proof, compounded by proof of fabric engagement between Spire and Gabehart starting in a minimum of October, raises vital questions relating to Spire’s involvement in Gabehart’s resolution to take JGR’s most delicate Confidential Info and Commerce Secrets and techniques and entry it by means of November together with on December 2nd−the identical day he met with Jeff Dickerson.”
Gabehart has continued to be adamant in filings and statements that he didn’t disclose any of Joe Gibbs Racing’s commerce secrets and techniques with Spire Motorsports. His lawyer, Cary Davis, on Friday addressed the matter in entrance of Choose Rodriguez.
“Gabehart admits to taking the images (of the information on his private mobile phone) and he’s embarrassed,” Davis stated. “He is aware of it was silly.”
Commercial
But additionally, Davis stated Gabehart ‘stepped as much as the plate’ and paid for the forensic evaluation out of pocket ‘as a result of he had nothing to cover.’ Gabehart has additionally filed a letter that supplied to pay for a forensic evaluation of each his units and people belonging to Spire as proof that no proprietary information was disclosed.
Spire additionally filed on Sunday a declaration from Head of Individuals Operations, Heather Masterson, that swore Gabehart signed an settlement to not disclose Joe Gibbs Racing commerce secrets and techniques upon an employment interval that started on February 17.
That doc was signed on February 16.
Commercial
“By signing the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Settlement, Mr. Gabehart agreed to ‘preserve always the confidentiality of JGR Confidential Info’ and ‘not [to] disclose JGR Confidential Info to Firm or use JGR Confidential Info for the Firm’s profit or in reference to any providers carried out for or on behalf of the Firm.”
Joe Gibbs Racing can also be looking for a restraining order on the premise that Gabehart is performing a job at Spire as Chief Motorsports Officer that’s too related in scope as what he carried out as competitors director.
Each of those issues will probably be addressed in court docket on Monday afternoon in entrance of Choose Rodriguez.
To learn extra Motorsport.com articles .
