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Did former Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart steal info and attempt to funnel it to competitor Spire Motorsports? That’s what the NASCAR powerhouse alleged in a new lawsuit filed in North Carolina on Thursday.
Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reports that Gabehart, 44, is accused of having “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR — Spire Motorsports.”
Gabehart began his career with Joe Gibbs Racing as an engineer in 2012 and worked his way all the way to serve as the team’s competition director in 2025.
However, the two sides ominously parted ways following the season without any public explanation. He then took a role as Spire’s chief motorsports officer, a position that Joe Gibbs Racing claims is similar to his previous role as its competition director.
The alleged evidence against Gabehart is damning.
Joe Gibbs Racing Claims To Have Significant Evidence Against Chris Gabehart
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Western District of North Carolina, where Joe Gibbs Racing is located, Gabehart “became dissatisfied with his position as competition director at JGR” and sought further control of the team’s overall operations.
Joe Gibbs, the team’s owner and Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach, rejected Gabehart’s asks, at which point Gabehart sought permission to leave the team.
The two sides eventually came to an agreed-upon split. Gabehart stopped working for the team on Nov. 10, 2025, and the two sides began working on an “amicable separation,” with Nov. 10, 2025, at which point the team confiscated Gabehart’s computer and conducted a forensic analysis — which is standard protocol.
The team alleges that, while conducting its analysis, it discovered that Gabehart accessed proprietary information, some of which was beyond the scope of his position, and used his personal cell phone “to take photos of his laptop screen in order to conceal that he was accessing and taking JGR’s confidential information and trade secrets.”
The lawsuit claims that Gabehart accessed this information on Nov. 7. That’s one day after Gibbs rejected Gabehart’s ask for more control.
Perhaps most damning, Gabehart’s personal Google Drive allegedly had a folder titled “Spire” and a subfolder titled “Past Setups.”
Additionally, the suit claims that Gabehart took photos of “complete team payroll details, including job titles, contract length, annual compensation, incentive compensation, and compensation plans for prior years; driver pay for the 2025 and 2026 NASCAR seasons; Revenues from sponsors, partners, and other business arrangements for the 2024, 2025, and 2026 NASCAR seasons.”
What Does JGR Want From This Lawsuit
On Dec. 17, Gabehart informed his former team of Spire’s offer. However, he claimed the role would be different from that of a competition director. On Feb. 11, 2026, Gibbs learned that he had taken the position.
Spire is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Additionally, Joe Gibbs Racing is not requesting an injunction preventing Gabehart from working for Spire.
However, it is seeking an amount north of $8,000,000 for damages and attorneys’ fees.
Neither Spire nor Gabehart has offered a statement on sthe uit.