Joe Gibbs Racing seeks $150 million in NASCAR trade-secret lawsuit

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has increased its demand for damages to nearly $150 million in a federal lawsuit against Spire Motorsports and former competition director Chris Gabehart. The legal dispute, filed in February, centers on allegations that Gabehart misappropriated JGR trade secrets, specifically race car setup philosophies, after leaving the organization to join Spire.

Spire Motorsports has contested the escalation, arguing that JGR is attempting to turn a fact-driven case into a battle of experts. Spire claims JGR intends to use experts to analyze hundreds of race car setups from the 2025 and 2026 seasons to find alleged similarities, despite Spire's assertion that no evidence exists of data being transmitted. Spire also accused JGR of withholding critical documents, including contracts with Toyota Racing Development.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan C. Rodriguez has set a trial date for February 1, 2027. While JGR sought an earlier trial date to resolve the matter before the 2027 season, the defendants argued for a later date to avoid interfering with the current NASCAR season.