Joe Gibbs Racing alleges Spire Motorsports conspired to steal proprietary data

Temporary restraining order extended as lawsuit continues over Chris Gabehart's departure from JGR

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:57am

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Joe Gibbs Racing has accused Chris Gabehart, who left his role as competition director at JGR to join Spire Motorsports as chief motorsports officer, of conspiring with Spire to steal JGR's proprietary data. JGR is seeking to sideline Gabehart for 18 months due to a non-compete clause, but a judge has extended a temporary restraining order allowing Gabehart to continue working at Spire as the lawsuit proceeds.

Why it matters

This case highlights the high-stakes competition between NASCAR teams to gain any potential advantage, with allegations of corporate espionage and the theft of trade secrets. The outcome could set a precedent for how teams handle employee departures and the protection of sensitive data.

The details

JGR alleges that Gabehart accessed a 'wealth' of the team's proprietary data before leaving to join rival Spire Motorsports, with the intent of using that information to improve Spire's performance. Spire denies that it encouraged or had knowledge of Gabehart taking JGR's 'secret sauce' and argues that JGR has not provided tangible evidence of the data being used. The judge has extended a temporary restraining order that allows Gabehart to continue working at Spire while she considers the arguments.

  • In early November, Gabehart and Gibbs agreed to mutually part ways after Gabehart felt he was being handcuffed in leading JGR's competition department.
  • Before the agreement was finalized, JGR discovered that Gabehart had been in contact with Spire about potential employment and had accessed a wealth of JGR's proprietary data.
  • JGR then fired Gabehart with cause in mid-February.

The players

Joe Gibbs Racing

One of NASCAR's most successful organizations, with five premier Cup Series championships. Founded in 1992 by three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Joe Gibbs.

Chris Gabehart

Former competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing who left the team to join Spire Motorsports as chief motorsports officer.

Spire Motorsports

A NASCAR race team that formed in 2018 and has won just one Cup race, in contrast to the success of Joe Gibbs Racing.

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What they’re saying

“Spire wanted to take his knowledge and take our hard work.”

— Tom Melsheimer, Attorney for Joe Gibbs Racing

“As we told the court today, it's really easy to make an allegation, and frankly, it's been disappointing in this case the way that Joe Gibbs Racing has made these really extreme allegations without backing it up with any actual evidence.”

— Lawrence Cameron, Attorney for Spire Motorsports

What’s next

The sides are scheduled to return to court next month, with no trial date yet set.

The takeaway

This case highlights the intense competition between NASCAR teams to gain any potential advantage, even if it means allegations of corporate espionage and the theft of trade secrets. The outcome could set an important precedent for how teams handle employee departures and protect their proprietary data.