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Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has formally accused Chris Gabehart, a former competition director, of violating a temporary restraining order (TRO) during the recent NASCAR Cup Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway. The racing powerhouse claims Gabehart’s presence and activities at the track constituted a breach of the legal restrictions imposed as part of an ongoing lawsuit between the two parties.
The legal battle stems from JGR’s allegations that Gabehart violated the non-compete clauses of his previous employment agreement and engaged in a "brazen scheme" to illicitly obtain trade secrets while negotiating his subsequent role with Spire Motorsports. JGR initially filed a lawsuit seeking over $8 million in damages from Gabehart and later added Spire Motorsports as a defendant.
At the heart of the current dispute is a TRO issued by Judge Susan C. Rodriguez. This court order permits Gabehart to continue his employment with Spire Motorsports but strictly prohibits him from providing services to Spire that are similar to his former duties as JGR’s competition director, particularly concerning the 2025 season. The TRO was intended as a provisional measure to allow Gabehart to earn a living while the legal proceedings progressed towards a potential trial or settlement.
Despite the court’s stipulations, Gabehart has reportedly attended multiple NASCAR Cup Series races since the TRO was issued. JGR asserts that they have documented his presence and activities, which they contend demonstrate a disregard for the court’s order. This latest accusation centers on Gabehart’s actions at Bristol Motor Speedway over the past weekend.
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In support of their claim, Joe Gibbs Racing has submitted declarations from David Biro, social media manager for JGR driver Ty Gibbs, and Wally Brown, JGR’s competition director. Biro provided photographic evidence capturing Gabehart within the infield at Bristol during Cup Series practice sessions. The images reportedly show Gabehart wearing a radio headset (though notably without a microphone) and in close proximity to a pit road workstation. One photograph places him near Carson Hocevar, a driver for Spire Motorsports.
The TRO’s limitations are specific: it primarily allows Gabehart to engage in senior executive-level activities with Spire and to participate in competition roles only for non-Cup or O’Reilly Series divisions in which Spire is involved. JGR argues that Gabehart’s alleged conduct at Bristol transgressed these boundaries.
Wally Brown, in his sworn declaration, explicitly accused Gabehart of performing duties at a competition director level for Spire during Saturday and Sunday’s events. Brown’s filings, presented in italics, detail his interpretation of the photographic evidence:
"Executives who do not have input into competition typically are not actively engaged in Practice or Qualifying sessions. Sponsors typically do not attend Practice and Qualifying, particularly at this race," Brown stated, suggesting that Gabehart’s presence in such areas was indicative of direct involvement in racing operations.
Brown elaborated on specific photographic evidence. Regarding a picture taken during Cup Series practice, he noted: "In this photograph taken during Practice for the Cup Series, Gabehart appears to be wearing two radios with earpieces—in my experience the kind issued by NASCAR race teams to their competition personnel. Gabehart’s use of these radios during this time strongly suggests that he is listening to the radios to obtain competition-related information." This assertion points to an alleged acquisition of real-time competitive data.
Another photograph, reportedly taken during a pit road workstation, led Brown to conclude: "In my experience, access to the workstation is typically limited to competition personnel with direct input into a Cup team’s on-track performance. In the photograph, Gabehart, standing with his back to the camera and wearing a black shirt and jeans, is apparently monitoring data screens. This position in close proximity is consistent with someone providing input into competition decisions. His presence at this location during Practice, as well as his specific location within the workstation, suggests to me Gabehart was likely actively participating in Spire’s competition operations for the NASCAR Cup race." The implication is that Gabehart was directly involved in analyzing performance data and offering strategic advice, activities reserved for competition staff.
A third photograph, taken at the conclusion of qualifying, shows Gabehart in proximity to Carson Hocevar, the driver of Spire’s No. 77 Cup Series car. Brown observed: "This photograph was taken at the end of Qualifying and shows Gabehart in close proximity to someone who appears to be Carson Hocevar, the driver of Spire’s Number 77 Cup Series car. In the photograph, Gabehart appears to be standing and looking at a screen. Hocevar—the Spire driver—appears to be seated in the workstation wearing glasses. In my experience, direct communication between competition leadership and drivers at the end of Qualifying typically involves discussing the driver’s performance during Qualifying, and the car’s handling. This type of apparent interaction—occurring immediately after Qualifying—suggests to me Gabehart was likely actively participating in Spire’s competition operations, providing the kind of input and feedback that a Competition Director provides to the team after Qualifying." This highlights an alleged direct engagement with the driver and post-qualifying debriefing, activities that JGR views as core competition director functions.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s overarching legal filing, which includes these declarations, emphasizes the court’s need to address these alleged violations due to the potential for ongoing misappropriation of trade secrets. The team argues that Gabehart’s active participation in Spire’s race-day competition operations creates a scenario where JGR’s proprietary information could be compromised.
The filing states: "This evidence is also pertinent to the threat of ongoing misappropriation addressed in JGR’s Reply, ECF No. 46 at 9–13, as Gabehart’s active participation in Spire’s race-day competition operations creates circumstances in which JGR’s trade secrets may be disclosed or misused." Furthermore, JGR contends that Gabehart’s alleged lack of credibility, demonstrated by these actions, necessitates court oversight to ensure compliance with the existing order. "Finally, the evidence is pertinent to JGR’s argument that Gabehart’s demonstrated lack of credibility necessitates monitoring his conduct to ensure compliance with the Court’s order," the filing concludes.
In prior court proceedings and filings, Spire Motorsports has maintained that they have a designated competition director, Matt McCall, who is responsible for those duties within the organization. This counter-argument suggests Spire’s position that Gabehart’s presence, even if observed in areas related to competition, does not constitute him performing the prohibited duties.
The legal ramifications of these accusations could be significant, potentially leading to stricter court orders, monetary penalties, or further legal actions. The ongoing litigation between Joe Gibbs Racing and Chris Gabehart, now involving Spire Motorsports, continues to be a closely watched development within the NASCAR community, highlighting the complex legal landscape surrounding employee non-compete agreements and the protection of proprietary information in high-stakes professional sports. The court’s next steps in response to JGR’s latest allegations will be crucial in determining the future course of this dispute.
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