Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has formally requested the Western District of North Carolina court to hold Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports in civil contempt, alleging that both parties violated a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction issued earlier in March. JGR is seeking a court appearance from the defendants to explain why they should not be held in contempt, as part of an ongoing legal dispute triggered by Gabehart’s departure from JGR last season amid accusations of contract breaches and misappropriation of proprietary information to benefit Spire.
The court has previously barred Gabehart from performing competition director duties for Spire similar to those he held at JGR during the 2025 season. These prohibited activities include developing and implementing car and race strategies, overseeing analytics to boost performance, participating in weekly competition and post-race meetings, and advising on car setups, aerodynamics, and operations. JGR claims Gabehart has repeatedly violated these restrictions this season, with Spire facilitating this by assigning him the title “Chief Motorsports Officer” and a broad role overseeing “all things racing,” which JGR argues is misleading.
JGR further criticizes Spire for not imposing sufficient limitations on Gabehart for several months after the litigation began. In its motion, JGR requests the court to compel Gabehart and Spire to justify why they should not be held in contempt, find their conduct contemptuous, award JGR legal costs, and grant any other appropriate relief.
To support their argument, JGR has submitted extensive evidence, including emails, depositions, and text messages, demonstrating Gabehart’s involvement in competition director-like activities after the court’s order. For example, on March 21, 2026, while the restraining order was active, Gabehart discussed technical issues related to Spire’s No. 77 and No. 71 cars with Spire’s Cup Series competition director Matt McCall. Additionally, on March 28, Spire driver Carson Hocevar texted Gabehart about specific car problems, to which Gabehart simply replied, “stop,” signaling awareness that their communication breached court orders.
In depositions, Spire technical director Dax Gerringer acknowledged Gabehart’s attendance at several competition meetings post-order and his provision of technical advice, including a notable competition meeting on April 20, 2026, where Gabehart made key technical recommendations. Depositions also revealed delayed implementation of equipment changes suggested by Gabehart, raising questions about Spire’s internal processes.
Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson testified that Gabehart was hired partially to evaluate weaknesses in the team’s equipment — responsibilities that closely match the competition director role Gabehart once held at JGR. Former and current Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Wally Brown confirmed these tasks are part of his job description and align with Gabehart’s previous duties, including long-term competitive planning and resource allocation.
JGR alleges Gabehart attended between five and twelve competition meetings but claims Spire has only provided limited meeting records, requesting the court to order Spire to release more documentation.
A significant issue in the lawsuit concerns Gabehart’s deletion of text message records. On November 15, two days after receiving a job offer from Spire, Gabehart deleted his entire text history with Dickerson. JGR’s forensic analysis indicates these messages cannot be recovered; Gabehart deleted them entirely and locally, with no backups available. The court is examining whether these deleted communications contain evidence of wrongful behavior, including discussions of proprietary information.
During his deposition, Gabehart admitted to deleting the texts in a moment of panic while under pressure and acknowledged it was a mistake to entertain a job offer from Spire before officially separating from JGR. He described the job offer as unsolicited and took offense at it, although JGR disputes this, citing notes and communications that suggest Gabehart actively sought the Spire offer and that rumors about his move circulated within JGR before the deletion.
JGR also accuses Gabehart of deleting an entire phone’s notes in mid-December and other documents related to Spire meetings soon after the lawsuit was filed, implying these actions were intended to hinder discovery.
In conclusion, JGR is urging the court to find that Gabehart intentionally deleted key evidence to obstruct the litigation and requests that the jury be instructed to infer that the deleted texts contained damaging information. They contend this includes proof that Gabehart solicited employment from Spire before November 13, 2025, and shared confidential JGR information.
Fan Take: This legal battle highlights serious concerns about confidentiality and ethics in NASCAR’s competitive environment. Its outcome could set a precedent on how proprietary information is protected in the sport, influencing team dynamics and driver and staff movements in the future.
Source: www.motorsport.com
