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Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has filed photographic evidence with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, accusing former competition director Chris Gabehart of violating a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued in the ongoing lawsuit between the racing powerhouse and its ex-employee. The accusations stem from Gabehart’s presence and activities at Bristol Motor Speedway over the recent race weekend.
The lawsuit, initiated by JGR, alleges a "brazen scheme" by Gabehart to pilfer and potentially disseminate proprietary information during his non-compete period following his departure from JGR, prior to assuming the role of Chief Motorsports Officer at Spire Motorsports. Judge Susan Rodriguez subsequently issued a TRO, which permits Gabehart to work at Spire but restricts him from performing duties that directly overlap with his former position as competition director at JGR. This interim measure aims to allow Gabehart to earn a living while the parties pursue either a settlement or prepare for a trial scheduled for November.
Sources indicate that JGR has been actively monitoring Gabehart’s movements at Cup Series events, leading to the submission of surveillance photographs as part of their legal filings. In response to JGR’s latest submission, Gabehart and his legal team have formally requested the court to dismiss the accusation, characterizing it as an "improper attempt to introduce surveillance photos as evidence outside the briefing schedule."
Gabehart’s legal counsel argues that JGR’s actions constitute "stalking Mr. Gabehart at racetracks, then rushing to this Court to spin routine behavior into suggested misconduct." They maintain that the court "should give this filing no weight."
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The core of Gabehart’s defense, echoed by his legal representatives and those at Spire Motorsports, centers on the organizational structure at Spire. They assert that Matt McCall currently holds the position of competition director at Spire, thereby negating any potential for Gabehart to perform duties in that capacity. Gabehart’s role as Chief Motorsports Officer, they contend, is "fundamentally different in scope, seniority, and focus," a distinction they claim has already been established within the legal proceedings. His attendance at race days, they argue, is "entirely consistent with his role as CMO and commonplace for executive-level employees like him."
Further bolstering their argument, Gabehart’s legal team pointed to JGR’s recent decision to hire Michael Guttilla, former COO of JGR, as president of LEGACY Motor Club. The filing notes that Guttilla held a position directly above Gabehart at JGR, implying he had at least equal, if not greater, access to confidential competitive information. The legal team highlights that JGR did not object to or protest Guttilla’s mid-season move to a direct competitor, which they argue undermines JGR’s assertion that Gabehart poses a unique threat to their competitive interests.
JGR’s counterpoint to this observation lies in the operational alliances within the automotive manufacturer ecosystem. Both JGR and LEGACY Motor Club are noted as tier-one Toyota Racing North America teams, sharing access to similar data. Spire Motorsports, conversely, competes as a Chevrolet team. The hiring of Guttilla by LEGACY Motor Club was announced with a statement from JGR owner Joe Gibbs, who expressed his support for the move and his pleasure that Guttilla would "continue to contribute to the Toyota family." This collaborative announcement, JGR’s legal team implies, suggests a different dynamic than Gabehart’s move to a rival manufacturer.
In his personal declaration, Gabehart directly addressed the specific allegations and photographic evidence presented by JGR. He reiterated his stance, previously taken after similar accusations following the Darlington Raceway weekend, that his radio equipment at Bristol did not include a speaker and that he was not engaged in competition director activities. Gabehart drew a parallel between his presence and that of figures like Joe Gibbs himself or Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon, who are known to attend meetings and wear headsets at track events.
"My use of radio equipment and proximity to Spire personnel at Bristol was entirely routine," Gabehart stated in his declaration. "Hundreds of individuals at NASCAR Cup Series events—including owners, executives, sponsor representatives, and administrative personnel—commonly wear radios when Cup cars are on track and stand in similar proximity to their teams. This is true for executives at JGR, including Coach Gibbs and Dave Alpern, among others, who based off my experience regularly use radio equipment at races."
He further elaborated on the function of the radio equipment, explaining, "The radios allow team personnel to listen to the team radio traffic to monitor team performance. The driver, crew chief, and spotter are the ones communicating over the radio on competition matters. I did not. As the photographs indicate, I only wore earbuds with no microphone and therefore had no way to communicate via the radio, I could just listen to the radio traffic. Accordingly, I did not discuss any competition-related issues on the radio."
Gabehart emphasized that his role as Chief Motorsports Officer necessitates his presence near Spire’s race cars, describing it as a "natural and expected part of my executive oversight responsibilities." He explicitly stated, "I was not performing any services in a Competition Director-type role at Bristol."
Addressing specific photographs submitted by JGR, Gabehart characterized them as illustrating the "silliness of JGR’s spies." One photograph, he explained, depicted him looking up at the speedway’s Jumbotron to watch television coverage of qualifying. Another image, he clarified, showed him observing two monitors mounted on a cart. One monitor displayed the live television broadcast of practice, while the other showed real-time rankings, driver positions, and lap times for the practice session. He reiterated, "Again, despite Mr. Brown’s speculation under oath, I was not performing any services in a Competition Director-type role at Bristol."
The legal battle between Joe Gibbs Racing and Chris Gabehart continues to unfold, with the court now tasked with evaluating the presented evidence and arguments regarding the alleged violation of the restraining order. The outcome of this particular filing could have implications for the broader lawsuit concerning proprietary information and non-compete agreements within the highly competitive landscape of NASCAR.
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