“He Went After the Family!” Denny Hamlin Blast Spire Motorsports’ Jeff Dickerson Amidst JGR Lawsuit Drama

Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin has shared his thoughts on his beef with Spire Motorsports’ Jeff Dickerson.

“He Went After the Family!” Denny Hamlin Blast Spire Motorsports’ Jeff Dickerson Amidst JGR Lawsuit Drama

Denny Hamlin, Jeff Dickerson and Chris Gabehart (Via IMAGO and NY TImes)

The Spire Motorsports-Joe Gibbs Racing beef is intensifying, with insiders making public comments targeting each other. Recently Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson attacked JGR for suing Chris Gabehart and the team for $8 million over alleged sensitive data theft. Some bold comments from the personal didn’t sit well with veteran Denny Hamlin.

The No:11 Toyota Camry driver took to social media and called out Spire for hiring someone that stole from his previous employee. Talking about the post ahead of the Texas race, he admitted that it was a knee jerk reaction from his end but reiterated that he knows the team’s allegations are true and they have the right to protect information they have.  

Well, it was, first, it was a knee jerk reaction but it doesn’t mean I don’t feel that way. It was a little bit knee-jerk but I certainly feel like I know enough of the facts to at least assert something…. I know that (Joe Gibbs Racing) has not ever gone after anyone, I can tell you that. They don’t care who else is running good or whatever. They just invest so much into the sport in terms of technology, and Toyota as well, that they have to protect that.

Denny Hamlin said at Texas Motor Speedway.

Further talking about the point, Denny Hamlin pointed out that if moves like what Gabehart did is permitted, the current NASCAR system will be in shambles. Other teams will offer millions to key employees of rival teams to switch side carrying key information’s. The veteran also admitted that making allegation against JGR family, which he has been the most loyal driver for more than two decades was infuriating for him.  

Otherwise, it’s an arms race. If we didn’t protect very important key employees with non-competes and things like that, it would be an arms race, and I would just go to someone at Hendrick, maybe Chad Knaus, and say ‘okay,’ I’ll just give him $10 million a year and ‘bring everything with you.’…That’s just not the way this can operate… I just felt like he went after the family and JGR’s family is my family. So that’s where the knee-jerk came from.

Denny Hamlin added as reported via motorsport.com.

Denny Hamlin explains who deserves credit for the secret JGR data

In the same conversation later, the veteran pointed out that he and the whole No:11 TRD crew played key role in the data that Gabehart allegedly took with him. They worked hard behind the scene to develop ways to make the Next-Gen cars better. There were many pieces in the puzzle and no single person has the right to take it for themselves.

Denny Hamlin (via Imago)
Denny Hamlin (via Imago)

Some of the things that have already been agreed that that was taken is stuff that I put hours and days and weeks and years into. Like, I just couldn’t fathom giving that to someone else for free. So, that’s where, to me, it just strikes hard because when you see setups and stuff, it’s like, I know I was a piece of that puzzle, not the whole puzzle, but there was a lot of people that contributed to that, that deserved to have that information to themselves.

Denny Hamlin said.

Later in the same media session, the veteran was asked if the actions from Gabehart was personal betrayal he nodded thrice in response after a long-pause before ending the session. This shows the partnership that once dominated the sport might for done forever and Hamlin is 100% with JGR in the lawsuit.  It would be interesting to see how everything is going to playout in the coming days.

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