Late last week, the judge overseeing the Joe Gibbs Racing v. Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports lawsuit approved the plaintiffs’ motion to refile their complaints, completing the process on Monday afternoon.
The core allegations remain unchanged.
Joe Gibbs Racing claims that Chris Gabehart, who worked for the team from 2012 to 2025 as an engineer, crew chief, and competition director, misappropriated trade secrets for the benefit of his new employer, Spire Motorsports.
JGR argues that Spire’s recent on‑track success—two wins this season—represents a “shortcut” enabled by those stolen secrets.
The team also alleges that Gabehart breached his employment contract and non‑compete agreement by continuing to perform duties at Spire that mirror his former role as competition director, now under the title of Chief Motorsports Officer.
In response, Gabehart and Spire maintain that no confidential information was transferred. The court, however, has found that Gabehart accessed JGR files, setup sheets, and financial data, photographed documents with his personal phone, and stored them on his personal Google Drive.
After a forensic analysis of his devices, Gabehart reportedly deleted and returned the material, but JGR continues to assert that Spire is still using the information in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The second amended complaint is largely a copy of the original, with a few notable additions. JGR now cites intel from a Spire employee who reported that Gabehart is leading competition meetings at Spire, which JGR says violates his non‑compete.
Excerpts from the revised filing state:
A Spire employee informed a JGR employee that Gabehart is in charge of, or significantly participates in, Spire’s competition strategy and decisions. Employees were instructed not to discuss Gabehart’s role outside of Spire. There is no legal justification for concealing the true nature of Gabehart’s services, and Spire is aware that this violates his non‑compete obligations.
Spire has added a separate complaint asserting that the title “Chief Motorsports Officer” is a cover for Gabehart to perform the same duties he performed at JGR, which they also claim breaches the non‑compete.
Knowing the agreement included non‑compete, non‑solicitation, and confidentiality provisions, Spire created a bespoke role for Gabehart that required him to provide the same services he gave JGR in the prior year, including work on the March 22, 2026 Goodyear 400 and the April 12, 2026 Food City 500.
JGR further alleges that Spire allowed Gabehart to enter its race shop as early as December 2025, in direct violation of the non‑compete, and that Jeff Dickerson has told others he possesses JGR trade secrets.
The team has previously sought discovery from third parties such as Justin Marks, Todd Meredit, Joe Custer, Rick Ware, and Tommy Baldwin to substantiate these claims. The judge warned JGR against a “fishing expedition” unless a concrete link to Spire can be demonstrated.
Gabehart argues he is not in violation because JGR stopped paying him in December, claiming the team’s breach triggered his departure. JGR counters that it halted payments after discovering Gabehart’s simultaneous communications with Spire while accessing confidential information.
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