CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chris Gabehart walked across the aisle to speak with NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs before they exited a hearing that concluded on the fifth-floor courtroom. The conversation was brief, concluding with Gabehart telling him that he couldn’t believe they were here. Gibbs agreed.
A similar sentiment is shared by many within the NASCAR industry. Yet they are the central players in a federal lawsuit in which Gibbs’ team is suing Gabehart, a former longtime Joe Gibbs Racing employee who was considered a key cog in one of NASCAR’s elite organizations not too long ago, and a rival NASCAR team, Spire Motorsports.
However, Gabehart’s acrimonious departure from the team last fall put them on the path to where they were Friday: inside the courthouse for the Western District of North Carolina before Susan C. Rodriguez, who was asked to rule on a temporary restraining order JGR is seeking against Gabehart to prevent him from working at Spire for 18 months. Friday’s hearing is part of a lawsuit JGR filed last week alleging that Gabehart “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.”
Rodriguez did not hand down a ruling on Friday on the two issues.
Gabehart and JGR’s lawyers agreed on the first issue that an additional third-party forensic analysis of Gabehart’s personal devices and storage systems was necessary to determine whether he was hiding any proprietary information belonging to JGR that was taken without authorization upon leaving the team in November. JGR alleges Gabehart had planned to take it with him to Spire.
What the forensic analysis determines will factor into the direction JGR’s case against Gabehart goes, with JGR seeking more than $8 million in damages.
This portion of Friday’s hearing was resolved in a rather straightforward manner. Gabehart’s noncompete clause in his JGR contract is what necessitated more deliberation, and whether JGR could place him on gardening leave for 18 months before then joining Spire as its chief motorsports officer.
JGR attorney Sarah Hutchins argued that the role of competition director at JGR is the same as being Spire’s chief motorsports officer. There is too much overlap, she said, as ruling against JGR would negatively impact everyone who works at the team, effectively putting JGR at a competitive disadvantage with Spire gaining access to its inner workings.
“He had the keys to the kingdom,” Hutchins said.
Cary Davis, Gabehart’s attorney, argued that Gabehart’s position at JGR is similar to a football team’s offensive coordinator, but stated Gabehart’s position at Spire is similar to a general manager or head coach. Davis also stated that much of what his client knows is inside his head, not something that can be unlearned by sitting out for 18 months.
“You can’t perform a lobotomy,” said Davis.
Gabehart has acknowledged taking photos of JGR documents and files, but Davis said they were all related to initiatives Gabehart had either worked on or projects he had spearheaded.
“(Gabehart) owns it, he’s embarrassed, and he knows it was stupid,” Davis said.
Davis further explained that the framework of Gabehart’s job was to have already known everything he copied, comparing it to his own version of a “bible.”
“A dog likes his toys,” Davis said. “A baby likes his blanket. It was a year of his work.”
Hutchins argued otherwise, stating that Gabehart took proprietary information and trade secrets beyond his role as competition director, citing sponsorship contracts that were beyond his duties.
“(In areas) where he was weak, he took,” Hutchins said.
Davis argued that Gabehart being sidelined for 18 months would cause irreparable harm, potentially cause him to miss a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity and impact his livelihood, an issue Rodriguez said she was sensitive to.
Gabehart began working at JGR in 2012 as an engineer, progressed to crew chief in 2019, and was named competition director in November 2024. Yet, in court filings, he claims he was not given the authority he was promised when promoted to competition director and was often kept out of the loop on key decisions — particularly related to the No. 54 Cup Series car driven by Ty Gibbs, grandson of JGR founder Joe Gibbs and son of JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs.
Management of the 2025 No. 54 team car was a crucial factor in Chris Gabehart’s ultimate separation from Joe Gibbs Racing. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
“I am not certain that the resentment that Heather and Ty now clearly show towards me will ever be repaired,” Gabehart wrote in an email released as part of a filing on Friday. “And with them being the future leaders of this company, I’m afraid that leaves me in a no-win situation.”
Joe and Heather, along with other JGR executives, attended Friday’s hearing, as did Gabehart, his wife and two Spire executives. They all sat in the public gallery listening to each of the three sides present their respective arguments.
When each side had finished, Rodriguez ordered a short recess. Fifteen minutes later, a courtroom worker requested that every attorney meet with Rodriguez in her chambers.
Rodriguez asked for an update regarding the temporary restraining order after a 55-minute break and multiple side conferences, imploring the sides to take additional time if they thought it would lead them to finding common ground.
“It’s the court’s strong preference because I think we’re close,” Rodriguez said.
Although more side conferences were held, ultimately no resolution was reached. Rodriguez, recognizing the stalemate and preferring not to issue a ruling, instructed the sides to continue discussions over the weekend. And if no agreement is reached, everyone is to return Monday afternoon, where she’ll then issue her decision.
“Everyone owes it to their clients to see if there is a middle ground,” Rodriguez said.