Joe Gibbs Racing is taking a former top employee to federal court. The NASCAR team claims Chris Gabehart stole its most sensitive secrets.
Gabehart served as JGR’s Director of Competition. He was also the former crew chief for Denny Hamlin. JGR says he had access to some of the team’s most valuable internal data.
Forensic Findings and Spire Ties Deepen JGR’s Legal Battle Against Chris Gabehart
During the 2025 NASCAR season, Gabehart reportedly grew unhappy in his role. He wanted more responsibility and full control over racing decisions. JGR leadership said no.
The two sides then began discussing a separation agreement. But as Gabehart’s lawyers kept editing the terms, JGR grew suspicious. Something didn’t feel right to them. Things got more complicated after Gabehart left JGR. The team learned he had been meeting privately with Jeff Dickerson, the co-owner of Spire Motorsports. That raised serious red flags.
Gabehart has since become the Chief Motorsports Officer at Spire. The timing of those meetings — and what he may have brought with him — is now at the center of this lawsuit.
JGR conducted a forensic investigation of Gabehart’s company laptop. The team called the results “shocking.”
Investigators found that Gabehart had synced his personal Google Drive with his JGR laptop. That drive contained a folder simply titled “Spire.” Inside that was another folder called “Past Setups.”
When confronted, Gabehart said the folder was used for his own personal notes and records. JGR didn’t buy it. A forensic examiner, brought in by mutual agreement, dug deeper. They found JGR’s confidential files stored on that drive. Among them were 20 of JGR’s racecar setup files.
Investigators also found more than a dozen photos taken of the JGR laptop screen on Nov. 7, 2025. The photos captured some of the team’s most sensitive documents. According to the lawsuit, the images included full team payroll records with job titles, salaries, and contract lengths. They also showed driver pay for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
There was more. The photos captured sponsor revenues for three straight seasons, pit crew performance analytics, and detailed tire data used to evaluate race results. There was also a complete post-race breakdown of team and driver performance for the entire 2025 season.
That is an enormous amount of information for one person to have on a personal drive. The investigation also found that Gabehart had repeatedly searched for information about Spire online. He conducted those searches in October and November of 2025 — while still employed at JGR.
That detail adds another layer to an already complicated picture.
JGR sent Gabehart a demand letter on Dec. 15, 2025. The team asked him to stop using or sharing any confidential information and to cooperate with the forensic review. In early February, the forensic examiner deleted JGR’s files from Gabehart’s Google Drive. Two days later, JGR fired him for cause.
JGR is now asking a federal court for significant relief. The team says monetary damages exceed $8 million. They are also seeking a jury trial, injunctive relief, compensatory damages, attorney fees, and more. As of now, Gabehart and his legal team have not filed any response to the lawsuit’s claims.
