Joe Gibbs Racing and Spire Motorsports engage in NASCAR trade secret dispute

A legal dispute involving NASCAR teams Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), Spire Motorsports, and former JGR competition director Chris Gabehart has entered a new phase regarding trade secret allegations and discovery orders.

U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler ordered both racing teams to produce final race-car setup sheets for the 2025 and 2026 NASCAR Cup Series seasons. To protect confidential data, the judge ruled that materials may be submitted to a neutral expert rather than exchanged directly between the parties. Additionally, Toyota Racing Development must produce communications regarding Gabehart’s departure and move to Spire.

In a related development, Spire Motorsports placed Gabehart on administrative leave. Joe Gibbs Racing has characterized this move as “damage control,” alleging that Spire and Gabehart previously violated a restraining order. JGR claims Gabehart maintained access to proprietary files via a personal OneDrive account months after leaving the organization. While JGR alleges the theft of trade secrets, they have not yet proven that Spire Motorsports directly benefited from the information. The case is scheduled for trial in February 2027.