Chris Gabehart Brands JGR’s $8 Million Lawsuit “Frivolous and Retaliatory”

Spire Motorsports’ Chris Gabehart has finally responded to the $8 million lawsuit filed by his former employer Joe Gibbs Racing.

Chris Gabehart Brands JGR’s $8 Million Lawsuit “Frivolous and Retaliatory”

Chris Gabehart and Denny Hamlin (Via profootballnetwork.com)

The NASCAR community just gotten over the controversy over the charter lawsuit and was hoping for an offtrack drama less season, before Joe Gibbs Racing entered the conversation. The TRD team has filed a lawsuit seeking $8 million in damages from ex-Competition Director Chris Gabehart, who left the team at the end of 2025 season.

According to the JGR filing, Chris Gabehart was let of the team after the team denied him another promotion and he left the team to join Spire Motorsports with the understanding that he will not serve in the same role for the Chevy team. But Denny Hamlin’s ex-crew chief allegedly stole sensitive information from the team, during exit negotiations.

Joe Gibbs believes, after their own digital forensic investigation, Chris Gabehart has taken data such as teams 2025 performance/driver analysis, contract details of crew, drivers as well as sponsors. These sensitive data and trade secrets could help the new team Spire Motorsports, to the detriment of the TRD team.

Chris Gabehart was quick to call out his former team where he worked as an engineer and crew chief for decades. He branded the allegations from the Toyota team as frivolous and retaliatory over his exit from the team. The response shows things are going to get ugly in the court over the coming days.

Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming – falsely – that I shared JGR confidential information with Spire Motorsports and/or other unnamed third parties. I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.

Chris Gabehart said via a public statement (motorsport.com).

Chris Gabehart is determined to prove he isn’t guilty in the court

In the same statement, Gabehart asserted that he is looking forward for the opportunity prove he is innocent in the court and he hasn’t done any corporate espionage. He asserted that JGR’s claims were proved wrong by their own forensic expert who analysed the personal devices.

Denny Hamlin and Chris Gabehart (Via IMAGO)
Denny Hamlin and Chris Gabehart (Via IMAGO)

I look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate to the Court that I have not shared JGR’s confidential information with anyone. In fact, I have already demonstrated that to JGR. A third-party forensic expert retained by JGR recently examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit.

Chris Gabehart said.

The 22 times race winning crew chief pointed out that he gave JGR the opportunity to even do a similar investigation into Spire Motorsports system. According to Gabehart, JGR refused the offer and filed the lawsuit that he saw as spiteful.

We even offered JGR the opportunity to do a similar review of Spire’s systems. JGR refused that offer and filed this spiteful lawsuit instead. Stay tuned. We will have much more to say in the legal response we will be filing in the coming days.

Chris Gabehart added.

The response to the lawsuit from Gabehart’s lawyers will have some counter claims and allegations, as well as potentially a defamation lawsuit. It would be interesting to see how everything is going to playout in the coming years.

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