Chris Gabehart Brands JGR As a “dysfunctional team” Amidst Lawsuit Meltdown

Denny Hamlin and Co. cannot seem to get out of the cycle of lawsuits. Just months after the 23XI-FRM charter lawsuit drama, Hamlin’s longtime team, Joe Gibbs Racing, has been involved in another lawsuit. This time, JGR sued Chris Gabehart following his exit from the team from his role of Crew Chief to Hamlin over the years.

Chris Gabehart left Joe Gibbs Racing recently, but it came at a massive cost to the team. According to the legal documents, JGR has sued Gabehart for leaking the team’s trade secrets and is seeking over $8 million in compensation. Various documents regarding the former Crew Chief’s contract with JGR and even Spire Motorsports were made public following the lawsuit.

Now, Chris Gabehart has spoken on the case and fired some shots at Joe Gibbs Racing as a team. The 44-year-old claims that JGR isn’t trying to protect the trade secrets with the lawsuit. However, they are trying to punish him for daring to leave the team during such a crucial time in NASCAR. Denny Hamlin was the title favorite all around the 2025 season, but lost it all in the end following some controversial situations.

This lawsuit is not about protecting trade secrets, it is about punishing a former employee for daring to leave.

Chris Gabehart told Kelly Crandall.

Further, Chris Gabehart revealed how he was always intertwined with Joe Gibbs and the senior executives of the team. He was unable to make routine competitive decisions without liasing the seniors of the team, which caused him problems in performing well. Gabehart concluded his tirade by labeling Joe Gibbs Racing as a ‘dysfunctional’ organization where he could not continue working anymore.

I found myself constantly intertwined with Coach Gibbs, senior JGR executives, and family members when making even routine competition decisions — a dysfunctional organizational structure that I could not continue in.

Chris Gabehart added.

Chris Gabehart reveals he was ‘pressured’ to take on the Crew Chief role

Chris Gabehart had a short-lived career as a crew chief, which he had to get out of earlier than expected. The 44-year-old revealed how the No.54 team was not held to the same standards as the other crews on track. Moreover, Gabehart did not even want to honor the role of Crew Chief in the first place, but he was pressured into taking the role by Joe Gibbs.

Now, Chris Gabehart pointed out that he constantly declined the offer to work as a Crew Chief at JGR. As a Competition Director, he believed that a Crew Chief wasn’t something he would excel at. However, he had to eventually give in to the demand and honor the role. Gabehart did not sit right with the entire situation and had to ultimately leave to preserve his honor.

Coach Gibbs repeatedly pressured me to take over as crew chief of the No. 54 car. I consistently declined, explaining that as Competition Director, I did not believe this was the right move, that it would undermine the long-term development of the team, and that I did not want to be crew chief of the No. 54 or any other car. Despite my objections, Coach Gibbs and ownership continued pressing, and I eventually conceded to the pressure

Chris Gabehart noted.

Certainly, it is utterly disappointing to witness Joe Gibbs Racing and Chris Gabehart suffer through such circumstances. Gabehart remained one of the more impressionable people in the crew and helped them achieve a lot of success over the year. For now, the team hopes to win the lawsuit and preserve their trade secrets from the rival teams, as it could lead to bigger consequences if they are leaked publicly.

Read More: Kevin Harvick Confesses He “Would Have Wrecked” Carson Hocevar Over Chaotic Start to 2026

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