Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports have filed a countersuit against Joe Gibbs Racing claiming the race team’s second amended complaint is vindictive and hasn’t shown that Gabehart shared any of JGR’s trade secrets with Spire.
“JGR’s Second Amended Complaint spins a tale of corporate espionage and betrayal,” Gabehart states in his countersuit filed in US District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina. “The truth is far simpler—and far less dramatic… It’s lawsuit is nothing more than a smear campaign designed to punish an employee for daring to leave.”
In JGR’s second amendment of the lawsuit initially filed against its former competition director in February, the race team contends Gabehart stole the organization’s sensitive information and trade secrets to take to Spire Motorsports. It contends that Spire Motorsports encouraged him to take the information in an effort to improve that organization’s performance in the NASCAR Cup Series, and that Spire’s sole motive in creating the chief motorsports officer title for Gabehart was “deception.”
“The deceptive title was created solely to attempt to give a plausible explanation for Gabehart to be present at NASCAR Cup Series events at times and in places where he can violate his restrictive covenant by advising on competition in a way that is very difficult for an outsider to detect or prove,” JGR contends.
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Chris Gabehart.
The Huntersville, North Carolina-based team claims Spire employees have been told not to discuss outside of the organization that Gabehart is leading and/or participating in Spire’s competition and strategy decision making process.
JGR also contends that on Jan. 3, 2026, one of its employees left for Spire in the same or similar role. It claims Spire agreed to pay the person a salary “significantly exceeding” what was earned at JGR, and Spire knew the person’s previous salary due to data taken by Gabehart.
“The deceptive title was created solely to attempt to give a plausible explanation for Gabehart to be present at NASCAR Cup Series events.”
Gabehart notes in his countersuit that NASCAR has historically had a fluid labor market where changing teams is a “deeply-ingrained and accepted practice—one JGR itself has tolerated, and even benefited from, for years.”
“JGR has historically raised no objection when its employees depart for Toyota-aligned competitors like 23XI Racing or Legacy Motor Club—even though those teams compete directly against JGR every week,” Gabehart stated in his countersuit.
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Joe Gibbs Racing Chief Operating Officer, Michael Guttilla (right), celebrates with Christopher Bell in 2024.
Gabehart noted that in April of this year Michael Guttilla, who was JGR’s chief operating officer, moved to Legacy Motor Club to become that organization’s president.
“JGR did not publicly accuse Mr. Guttilla of theft, espionage, or betrayal,” the countersuit states. “JGR did not demand that Mr. Guttilla submit to an invasive forensic examination of his personal devices. The contrast between JGR’s treatment of Mr. Guttilla and its treatment of Mr. Gabehart could not be more stark.”
Gabehart noted that the competition director job that JGR offered him when he was Denny Hamlin’s crew chief didn’t materialize. Instead, he found himself “constantly intertwined” with Joe Gibbs, senior JGR executives, and family members when making routine competition decisions. He described it as a “dysfunctional organizational structure.”
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Ty Gibbs (right) and his mother.
Gabehart believed the No. 54 team, which has Ty Gibbs as its driver, should be managed and held accountable in the same manner as the organization’s other three cars. Instead, the No. 54 team was managed directly by Joe Gibbs. Early in the 2025 season, Gabehart stated the elder Gibbs repeatedly pressured him to become his grandson’s crew chief.
The court document states the pressure went beyond verbal demands. It stated that on March 27, 2025, Ty Gibbs’ mother, Heather, wrote a $500,000 personal check to Gabehart in an effort to get him to become her son’s crew chief.
“This payment forced Mr. Gabehart into an untenable position: refuse and risk permanent damage to his relationship with ownership or accept and continue trying to balance the Gibbs family’s personal desires with the company’s best competitive interests,” it’s stated in the countersuit. “… the payment was subsequently reported on a Form 1099-NEC issued by Ty Gibbs Racing, LLC, reflecting the same $500,000 as nonemployee compensation for calendar year 2025.”
Also in the countersuit, Gabehart contends:
JGR is guilty of breach of contract. Gabehart maintains his former employer refused to pay him the compensation he was owed, including wages and bonuses. He also alleges that JGR refused to complete the contractually contemplated separation process.That since JGR didn’t pay him the money he was owed, the organization violated the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act.The 18-month noncompete clause with JGR isn’t enforceable because JGR stopped paying him around November 10, 2025.JGR violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act through its forensic examiner who exceeded the access defined by US District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez. Gabehart claims the examiner intentionally disclosed to JGR’s counsel dozens of Gabehart’s privileged attorney-client communications that were not included in the judge’s order. JGR violated the North Carolina Computer Trespass Act. JGR violated the North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, allegedly using Gabehart’s personal devices and accounts without authority.
Like JGR, Gabehart and Spire are requesting a jury trial and financial compensation. The trial has been scheduled for January 2027.
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.