UPDATE: Chris Gabehart has formally opposed Joe Gibbs Racing’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, filing a sworn declaration disputing the allegations of trade secret misappropriation. In his filing, Gabehart acknowledges that he photographed certain JGR documents in November but states he had no intent to use or disclose confidential information and did not transmit or share any JGR data. He asserts that a forensic review – conducted under a protocol drafted by JGR’s counsel and performed by a firm selected by JGR – found no evidence that he transferred, distributed, or used confidential information.
Gabehart further argues that JGR materially breached his employment agreement by withholding compensation and mishandling his termination status, which he claims voids any enforceable noncompete restrictions. His filing also states that Spire Motorsports was informed of his confidentiality obligations, entered into a non-disclosure agreement with him, and was willing to submit to a neutral forensic review to confirm it had not received any JGR information.
Download the settlement offer letter
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ORIGINAL POST: Joe Gibbs Racing has filed an amended complaint in its lawsuit against Chris Gabehart and has now added Spire Motorsports as a defendant, while also asking the court for a temporary restraining order. In the updated filing, JGR alleges that Gabehart copied and retained extensive confidential competition and financial data – including race setup files, simulation reports, payroll details, sponsor revenue information and internal analytics – shortly before leaving the organization and later accepting a role as Spire’s Chief Motorsports Officer.
JGR claims the materials were stored in a folder labeled “Spire” on Gabehart’s personal Google Drive and included more than 20 setup and simulation files along with post-race analysis documents. The team contends the information would provide a competitive shortcut under NASCAR’s Next Gen platform, where small setup differences can have significant on-track impact. The amended complaint seeks damages in excess of $8 million and requests a court order preventing Gabehart from working in a comparable competition role for Spire during the noncompete period, as well as barring both defendants from using or retaining JGR’s confidential information.
In support of its request for a temporary restraining order, JGR submitted sworn declarations from Competition Director Walter Brown and CFO Tim Carmichael stating that a review of Gabehart’s company-issued laptop, followed by analysis from a third-party computer forensics firm, identified JGR documents allegedly saved to his personal cell phone and Google Drive account.
Download the amended complaint PDF
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