Gabehart hits back at Gibbs claims

Chris Gabehart has claimed that the lawsuit Joe Gibbs Racing has filed against him is not about the claims they’ve made but “punishing a former employee for daring to leave.”

The statement came Wednesday in a 16-page declaration Gabehart filed in the Western District of North Carolina. Gabehart is being sued by Gibbs, his former employer, for alleging stealing confidential information and trade secrets with the intent of sharing them with a third party. The lawsuit was filed Feb. 19, and has since been amended to include Spire Motorsports, which has hired Gabehart as its chief motorsports officer.

Gabehart (pictured above with Denny Hamlin in 2024) denies the allegations, and counters that Gibbs has breached the terms of his contract by withholding pay and voiding all the rights to enforce a non-compete clause. He served as the team’s competition director in 2025, with the two sides agreeing to separate at the end of the season.

In his declaration, Gabehart does acknowledge that he grew dissatisfied with certain responsibilities last season and how the race teams were being run. In early November, Gabehart gave written notice to the company that the tasks assigned to him were inconsistent with his expectations when accepting the position.

“I was promised a COO-type role overseeing all competitive operations with autonomy to lead,” Gabehart said. “Instead, 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.

“I further expressed serious concerns about the management of JGR’s No. 54 car, which is one of JGR’s four Cup Series entries. It is my view that the No. 54 car should be managed and held accountable in the same manner as the organization’s other cars. Instead, the No. 54 car was managed directly by Coach Gibbs, and everyone in the organization knew it.”

Gabehart goes onto explain how he was pressured by Joe Gibbs early in 2025 to take over the crew chief role of the No. 54 driven by Ty Gibbs. Although he continually declined, believing it was not the right move with his competition director role and undermine the long-term development of the team, the pressure continued and Gabehart gave in in late June.

“I also identified specific examples of the No. 54 team’s differential treatment that undermined my position as Competition Director,” said Gabehart. “For example, key personnel decisions were made without my counsel or input despite my role as Competition Director; and critically the No. 54 driver was not held to the same meeting attendance standards as others on the team.”

As has previously been revealed, Gabehart and Gibbs met in early November to discuss the concerns. It was then that the two sides agreed to a separation and began working out the terms.

Gabehart does admit that he took pictures on his phone of a Gibbs excel file with multiple tables and other notes, but indicated that he had created them or had a significant role in creating them. There was, he said, no intention to share them. Gibbs placed Gabehart on gardening leave on Nov. 10, and he was told to claim that he was on vacation as the separation agreement terms continued to be worked through.

An unsolicited job offer came from Spire Motorsports on Nov. 13. It was then that Gabehart explains that he created the “Spire” folder to evaluate the job offer and consider his options since he knew he was leaving Gibbs. But he denies using any confidential information while working in the folder.

The forensic investigation on the electronic devices was paid for by Gabehart. The results confirmed there was “no evidence” that Gabehart had transmitted, distributed, used, or otherwise shared any Gibbs information.

Gabehart revealed that Gibbs stopped paying him in November but that “no written termination notice” was ever issued to him that identified Nov. 10 as his termination date. As such, Gabehart’s health coverage was not transitioned properly and he and his family have had claims denied due to lapses and the “failure to effectuate a proper termination” by Gibbs.

The letter came Feb. 9. Gabehart finally became employed by Spire Motorsports (having held off on moving forward with them to deal with the Gibbs proceedings) last week. Gibbs, in addition to filing its suit and adding Spire Motorsports, has since asked for a restraining order to keep Gabehart from being allowed to work at Spire Motorsports.

“Granting injunctive relief and preventing me from working in NASCAR, where I have dedicated my entire career, would deprive me of my livelihood and ability to work in my chosen profession,” said Gabehart. “Granting the injunctive relief requested by JGR would effectively bar me from pursuing my livelihood in the only industry in which I have developed expertise over the course of my professional career… An injunction prohibiting me from working in the this specificized field will not merely inconvenience me; it will effectively exile me from this profession.

“The harm in granting injunctive relief as requested by JGR extends beyond my immediate loss of income, which is substantial. My professional reputation and career trajectory will suffer significant damage if I am prohibited from working in this field. Opportunities in professional motorsports are fleeting, and the position I have accepted at Spire likely will not be available in the future. The consequential harm from missing this career opportunity, including diminished future earning potential and professional standing, must be accounted for in any injunctive relief is granted.”

Gabehart also stated that he is willing to do further forensic examinations if the court finds it warranted.

A hearing on the restraining order is set for Friday.