Joe Gibbs Racing and Spire Motorsports legal dispute

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is engaged in a legal dispute with Spire Motorsports and former competition director Chris Gabehart involving allegations of trade secret theft and violations of a restraining order. JGR filed a motion seeking a contempt finding, alleging that Gabehart used proprietary information, such as tire pressure and spring setting ranges, while performing duties at Spire.

As the litigation progressed, a U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered both teams to produce race-car setup sheets for the 2025 and 2026 NASCAR Cup Series seasons, though the judge ruled that materials be submitted to a neutral expert to protect confidential data. Additionally, Toyota Racing Development must provide communications regarding Gabehart’s transition.

While Spire Motorsports placed Gabehart on administrative leave—a move JGR characterized as “damage control”—the organization continues to allege that Gabehart maintained unauthorized access to proprietary files via a personal OneDrive account.

In recent developments, JGR has escalated its financial claims, seeking nearly $150 million in damages in a federal lawsuit. While damage experts estimate the value of the trade secrets at approximately $47.4 million, the total claim includes punitive damages. Spire Motorsports has contested the merits of the case, arguing that JGR has failed to provide evidence that confidential setups were actually transmitted to the team. Spire contends that JGR is attempting to use expert reports to claim that Spire’s unique setups reflect JGR’s proprietary philosophies.

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