Joe Gibbs Racing Disputes Claims of 'Trade Agreement' with Spire Motorsports

Legal battle continues as JGR pushes back against allegations of a deal involving a car chief and spotter swap

Mar. 14, 2026 at 4:53pm

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Joe Gibbs Racing has pushed back against claims made by Spire Motorsports that the two teams had a 'trade agreement' involving a car chief and spotter swap. JGR's Chief People Officer Toni Rogers stated that the only 'trade' they were aware of was a potential spotter swap that never actually happened, and denied any open-ended agreement that would have allowed Spire to recruit a JGR employee. The legal battle between the two teams is ongoing, with a court hearing scheduled for March 16 to discuss JGR's motions for injunctions to prevent their former competition director from working at Spire.

Why it matters

This dispute highlights the competitive nature of NASCAR team operations and the challenges that can arise when key personnel move between rival organizations. The outcome of the legal battle could set precedents around non-compete clauses and the ability of teams to freely recruit each other's employees.

The details

According to the declarations filed by JGR, the team denies the existence of any 'trade agreement' with Spire Motorsports as claimed by Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson. JGR's Toni Rogers stated the only 'trade' discussion was around swapping spotters, but that deal never materialized. Rogers also attached an email from former JGR competition director Chris Gabehart that referenced a potential $100,000 payment to JGR if Spire's car chief Robert Smith joined JGR, but said JGR never received an invoice for that payment.

  • The legal battle between JGR and Spire Motorsports is ongoing, with a court hearing scheduled for March 16, 2026.
  • In March 2025, Gabehart sent an email referencing a potential $100,000 payment from Spire to JGR related to the car chief move.

The players

Joe Gibbs Racing

A NASCAR Cup Series team owned by former NFL coach Joe Gibbs.

Spire Motorsports

A NASCAR Cup Series team co-owned by Jeff Dickerson.

Toni Rogers

Chief People Officer at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Chris Gabehart

Former competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing who now works for Spire Motorsports.

Jeff Dickerson

Co-owner of Spire Motorsports.

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What they’re saying

“To my knowledge, at no time did JGR have an open-ended agreement that gave Spire a wild card for a trade 'for a player to be named later.'”

— Toni Rogers, Chief People Officer, Joe Gibbs Racing

“This is in exchange for 100k and is independent of the spotter deal happening. I have been told that if the spotter deal happens, which is still being worked on their side before it is worked on ours, any pay delta we incur between (redacted) and (redacted) would come out of the 100K.”

— Chris Gabehart, Former Competition Director, Joe Gibbs Racing

What’s next

The two teams will meet in court on March 16, 2026 to discuss Joe Gibbs Racing's motions for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order that would prevent Chris Gabehart from working at Spire Motorsports for 18 months.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the competitive nature of NASCAR team operations and the challenges that can arise when key personnel move between rival organizations. The outcome of the legal battle could set important precedents around non-compete clauses and the ability of teams to freely recruit each other's employees.