The legal dispute between Joe Gibbs Racing and Spire Motorsports continued following arguments presented during a preliminary injunction hearing.

At issue is whether former competition director Chris Gabehart took and shared confidential team data.

Joe Gibbs Racing alleges that Gabehart removed internal materials, including race-related data and documents, in violation of team agreements, and that such information could be used outside the organization.

Spire Motorsports disputed those claims in court. Attorney Lawrence Cameron stated that the material referenced in filings consists of “a spreadsheet with some publicly available data,” and added that “there's just no evidence to support the allegations because it didn't happen.” He also stated that Spire did not request or receive any confidential information.

Joe Gibbs Racing attorney Thomas Melsheimer said the organization’s position is focused on protecting its trade secrets and enforcing prior agreements. He stated that the team is seeking to protect confidential information and hold Gabehart to commitments made during his tenure.

Gabehart acknowledged that he took photographs of a Joe Gibbs Racing Excel file but stated that it was for personal review before joining Spire Motorsports and that the material was not shared.

When Was Chris Gabehart Actually Relieved From JGR?

Gabehart states that he resigned from Joe Gibbs Racing on November 10. The organization, however, maintains that it terminated his contract on February 9, 2026, and that he remains subject to an 18-month non-compete clause.

The difference in timelines has been referenced in court filings and arguments as both sides present their positions regarding Gabehart’s contractual status and subsequent employment restrictions.

U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez has not issued a ruling yet, stating that additional time is required to review the details of the case.

The temporary restraining order preventing Gabehart from working with Spire Motorsports has been extended through April 9. Until then, he remains unable to take on any role with the team.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav