Joe Gibbs Racing has released new information about the Joe Gibbs Racing lawsuit details involving former competition director Chris Gabehart, revealing intensive surveillance and serious allegations of misconduct. The dispute centers on accusations that Gabehart misappropriated confidential material and trade secrets after more than a decade with the team, leading up to his move to Spire Motorsports.
How the Lawsuit Developed Between JGR and Gabehart
The organization filed its lawsuit after alleging Gabehart engaged in a calculated plan to take sensitive data, described internally as their “crown jewels,” from Joe Gibbs Racing. Multiple documents were submitted late on Friday to the PACER system, including a crucial statement from Ryan Simpson, a private investigator employed by Barefoot Private Investigations. Simpson’s assignment was to monitor Gabehart’s activities through the winter, focusing on possible contact with competitors.
Private Investigator’s Observations and Timeline
Simpson’s declaration, submitted as “Exhibit C,” provided a meticulous timeline for December 2, 2025. That morning, Simpson followed Gabehart as he arrived at the Spire Motorsports facility at 11:54 a.m. Shortly after, Simpson noted seeing Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson join Gabehart in his vehicle at 12:02 p.m.
“Gabehart then drove to a nearby restaurant, which they entered at 12:22 p.m.,”
Simpson, Private Investigator.
Simpson claimed that both men remained at the restaurant together until 1:47 p.m., before returning to the Spire Motorsports offices at 2 p.m. The investigator’s records ended as Dickerson returned to the restaurant on his own. This detailed timeline would later be referenced in another official statement filed on March 6, reinforcing the ongoing suspicion about Gabehart’s intentions and contacts with Spire.
Internal JGR Communications and Gabehart’s Response
On December 3, 2025, following the lunch, Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern submitted a formal statement describing his interaction with Gabehart. Alpern reported that Gabehart reached out via text, attempting to open a dialogue regarding the situation:
“Good evening, Dave. Would it do us any good to have a discussion about what needs to happen from here? Surely no one really wants to do the other any harm? I know I don’t.”
Chris Gabehart, Former Competition Director.
After this exchange, Alpern agreed to speak with Gabehart by phone the next day, December 4, rather than meeting in person. During this call, Alpern addressed Gabehart’s professional plans, specifically questioning any employment with Spire Motorsports.
“During that call, I advised him that if he did not want to harm JGR then he should be honest about his plans for employment,”
Dave Alpern, Joe Gibbs Racing President.
Gabehart acknowledged meeting Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson and further confirmed that his spouse had used Dickerson’s private plane to attend the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Phoenix during November 2025. However, Gabehart stated that his relationship with Dickerson was “just friends” and insisted that no employment had been discussed at the lunch. He closed the call by appealing to the trust built over his fourteen years with JGR.
“Gabehart then explained that he and Dickerson were friends and nothing beyond that, and that they had not discussed employment. At the conclusion of our call, Gabehart told me that his fourteen years of working for JGR should count for something and that I should trust him.”
Dave Alpern, Joe Gibbs Racing President.
Allegations of Concealment and Data Breach
In a further memorandum, JGR alleged that Gabehart had secretly met with Spire Motorsports co-owner Dan Towriss on October 21, 2025, explicitly to discuss possible employment. JGR also accused Gabehart of searching for information about Spire Motorsports on their website and conducting these searches while at Martinsville Speedway during a critical NASCAR Cup Series cutoff race.
Following the season’s end and Gabehart’s request for a meeting with Coach Joe Gibbs, the team claimed he concealed ongoing discussions with Spire. They further alleged that the day after this meeting, Gabehart accessed the company’s network, spending 15 minutes with what they described as the
“most sensitive Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”
JGR also claimed Gabehart took at least 20 photos of his computer screen with his personal cell phone during this session.
Legal Actions, Restrictions, and What Lies Ahead
Gabehart eventually accepted a new executive role, becoming Chief Motorsports Officer at Spire Motorsports and making his first public appearance with the team at the NTT IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg.
In response to the evidence provided and the alarming Joe Gibbs Racing lawsuit details, the presiding judge issued a temporary restraining order. This order imposes several restrictions on Gabehart, barring him from performing for Spire Motorsports any tasks similar to those he handled at Joe Gibbs Racing. Additionally, Gabehart has been instructed to return any confidential information to JGR and must refrain from using or revealing any proprietary data or trade secrets.
This restraining order remains valid until March 16, at which point the involved parties will return to court for another hearing. The outcome of these proceedings may set important precedents for how personnel moves and data sharing are managed within top-tier racing, as organizations like Joe Gibbs Racing take assertive steps to protect their competitive edge and confidential materials.
