Joe Gibbs sends a clear message after JGR’s bout against Chris Gabhart, Spire Motorsports’ first day in court

Last Thursday, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit against its former competition director, Chris Gabhart, for allegedly stealing confidential JGR documents and sharing them with its Cup Series rival, Spire Motorsports. The opening session is scheduled for a week later, on Friday, February 27th.

Earlier, Joe Gibbs Racing had commissioned Gabehart to take photos of confidential race data and plan to transfer it to Spire. But later, JGR named Spire Motorsports as a defendant alongside Gabehart, alleging that the Chevy team misused trade secrets, employed unfair trade practices, and interfered with Gabehart’s ongoing contract with JGR.

Team owner Joe Gibbs said in a statement (via Courthouse News):

“I will continue to fight for what is right.”

However, Chris Gabhart denied all the charges against him. In his statement, the veteran crew chief explained that although there was a file named “Spire” in his Google Drive, it was his personal workspace to consider his job offer from Spire Motorsports as chief motorsports official.

“I accessed this folder after it was created. However, I did not use any JGR confidential information (including any confidential information that was contained in the subfolders contained in this file) while working on the folder,” Chris Gabhart wrote. “At all times, I understood my confidentiality obligations to JGR and had no intention of violating those obligations.”

Regardless, JGR has filed for a restraining order against Gabhart, which, if granted, could prevent him from performing a role similar to what he served at JGR for 18 months beginning February 9, 2026. After an hour-long conversation between the attorney and U.S. District Judge Susan Rodriguez in her chambers, the court was told that both parties were trying to reach an agreement.

A court date will be set for Monday, March 2 if an agreement is not reached. On the racing side, next is the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix powered by RelaDyne at COTA on Sunday, March 1. Fans can watch the race on FOX (3:30 p.m. ET) or listen to radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Chris Gabhart Calls Joe Gibbs Racing; It says it has a “dysfunctional organizational structure.”

Chris Gabhart responded to Joe Gibbs Racing saying the team has “Dysfunctional organizational structure.” After wrangling for six years as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Gabhart was offered the competition director’s job, which he accepted. He was promised the role of COO to oversee operations independently.

According to Gabhart, that’s not what he got. He found the management of Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 team even more troubling. He stated in his statement:

“I found myself constantly tangled with Coach Gibbs, senior JGR executives, and family members when making routine competition decisions – a dysfunctional organizational structure that I could not sustain.

“It was my view that the No. 54 car should be managed and accounted for in the same way as the organization’s other cars. Instead, the No. 54 car was managed directly by Coach Gibbs and everyone in the organization knew that.”

Ty Gibbs happens to be the grandson of JGR owner Joe Gibbs and the son of JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs. As it stands, a judge has delayed adjudication in JGR’s fight against Chris Gabhart to prevent him from joining Spire Motorsports as its chief motorsports official.