Joe Gibbs Racing Alleges Ex-Director Deleted Crucial Texts Amidst Trade Secret Lawsuit

In a significant escalation of its legal battle, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has accused former competition director Chris Gabehart of intentionally deleting text messages relevant to the ongoing lawsuit before it was formally filed. The accusation, detailed in a legal filing submitted to the Western District of North Carolina on Wednesday night, suggests Gabehart failed to fully comply with an expedited discovery order due to these deletions, thereby hindering JGR’s ability to uncover critical evidence.

JGR’s filing asserts that Gabehart not only absconded with proprietary trade secrets but also "immediately operationalized" them for the benefit of Spire Motorsports. This alleged operationalization includes the creation of a detailed "Focus Plan" that references the misappropriated materials and the replication of JGR’s analytical tools for Spire’s use. Furthermore, JGR contends that Gabehart actively participated in Spire’s NASCAR race-day operations while still bound by a restrictive covenant.

The core of JGR’s contention regarding the deleted texts centers on communications between Gabehart and Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson. According to JGR’s filing, Gabehart admitted to deleting "an unknown number of responsive text messages with Spire’s co-owner, Jeff Dickerson" in the days immediately following his alleged misappropriation of trade secrets. JGR argues that these deletions deprive them of vital evidence and warrant an "adverse inference," suggesting the deleted messages would have further implicated both Gabehart and Spire in the alleged scheme.

The timeline presented by JGR is crucial to their argument. They claim Gabehart deleted these communications the week after allegedly misappropriating trade secrets on November 7, 2025. Significantly, JGR notes that Gabehart accessed his "Spire" Google Drive folder on November 15, 2025, the same day he admitted to deleting the texts. This sequence of events, JGR argues, "justifies JGR’s request for an injunction to protect against threatened misappropriation."

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Gabehart, however, has maintained that JGR violated their contract by ceasing his payments. JGR counters that payments were stopped upon the belief that Gabehart posed a risk of sharing protected trade secrets with Spire Motorsports.

Joe Gibbs Racing is seeking over $8 million in damages from Gabehart and Spire. The team is also pursuing a preliminary injunction that would immediately halt their collaboration. A hearing on this motion is scheduled before Judge Susan C. Rodriguez on Thursday. Additionally, JGR has formally requested an expedited schedule for discovery and a trial, aiming for a resolution before the conclusion of the 2026 Cup Series season.

Deleted Texts and Alleged Spoliation

The issue of deleted text messages has been a recurring theme in the litigation. JGR has consistently challenged Gabehart’s assertions that proprietary data was not transferred to Spire. The deleted messages, according to JGR, add substantial weight to this challenge.

Gabehart’s admission of deleting texts with Mr. Dickerson prior to November 15, 2025, rendering them "not available at this time," has been highlighted by JGR. The timing of these deletions, mere days after the alleged misappropriation and on the same day Gabehart accessed his Spire Google Drive, is considered highly suspicious by JGR.

Adding further complexity, Gabehart conceded that "at least one of those texts would be responsive" to the subject matter as ordered by Judge Rodriguez. His justification for deleting the texts, stating "there was no threat of litigation at the time," is contested by JGR.

JGR presented text messages from November 18, 2025, procured during discovery, in which both Gabehart and Dickerson discussed the potential of a lawsuit. This, JGR argues, indicates that litigation was "reasonably foreseeable" to both defendants at the time of the deletions. Therefore, JGR asserts, Gabehart either anticipated discovery and deleted evidence to conceal his actions—a concept known as spoliation—or believed he could avoid detection. In either scenario, JGR claims, Gabehart cannot use the resulting evidentiary void as a defense.

JGR also points to Gabehart’s alleged action on November 7, 2025, of photographing trade secrets from a JGR computer onto his personal phone as further evidence of intent. The team also referenced a prior incident in 2024 involving engineer Jeff Curtis, who was accused of taking trade secrets to Richard Childress Racing, suggesting a pattern of behavior that JGR would be vigilant against. Details of this prior incident are currently sealed from public view in a declaration by JGR competition director Wally Brown.

JGR contends that the discovery process has been hampered by Gabehart’s actions, and requests for additional documents or communications have been met with claims of attorney-client privilege. The court’s decision to limit expedited discovery to Gabehart alone, excluding Spire executives like Dickerson, Dan Towriss, or Bill Anthony, further complicates JGR’s ability to gather comprehensive evidence.

"Gabehart’s destruction of evidence has significantly impaired JGR’s ability to determine whether and the extent to which JGR’s confidential information was transmitted to Spire in advance of the hearing on JGR’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction," the filing states. JGR’s forensic examiner reportedly could not rule out the possibility that JGR information was shared through deleted texts, web-based email portals, Google Photos, or other file-sharing platforms.

JGR’s pursuit of an expedited trial is driven by the desire to accelerate the discovery process and minimize potential ongoing damage. They believe the deleted texts were destroyed for a specific legal purpose: to conceal damaging information. JGR posits that Gabehart’s "deliberate destruction of evidence both factually and legally warrants an adverse inference that the deleted communications were damaging to both him and Spire."

Alleged Misconduct and Trade Secret Misappropriation

Joe Gibbs Racing alleges that Gabehart began formulating a strategy plan for Spire within 15 days of ceasing his duties at JGR and receiving an offer from the rival team. This "Focus Plan," currently under seal, reportedly functions as a roadmap for leveraging JGR’s confidential information, explicitly referencing categories of misappropriated documents such as setup procedures, Crew Chief (CC) audits, driver debriefs, and performance analytics.

Wally Brown’s declaration describes this plan as containing "highly sensitive trade secrets" developed by JGR over years of experience and data collection. By January 2026, JGR accuses Gabehart of implementing this data, creating a Spire spreadsheet that closely replicates JGR’s proprietary race-performance analytics tool. This spreadsheet, according to JGR, reflects Spire’s adoption of JGR terminology and approaches, allegedly by the season-opening Daytona 500.

JGR uses a stark analogy to describe the situation: "JGR finds itself in the position of a coach, one of whose players has left, playbook in hand, to join the opposing team before the big game." While Gabehart denies communicating with Spire co-owner Don Towriss prior to October, JGR, through engineer and crew chief Todd Berrier, maintains that such communications were indeed occurring.

Further accusations include Gabehart running "compensation projections" for Spire in a file labeled "My Cut," as detailed in sealed discovered text message GABEHART00029. Despite Spire stating Gabehart’s official start date was February 17, 2026, JGR points to discovered emails between Gabehart and Spire president Bill Anthony discussing organizational flow charts by early February 2026.

Spire has submitted declarations and documentation asserting that Gabehart signed a non-disclosure agreement preventing him from sharing JGR data. Dickerson has stated that Spire does not require JGR data due to their alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. However, JGR accused Spire on Wednesday of presenting a false narrative, citing text messages exchanged between Gabehart and Dickerson on February 11, 2026, strategizing over the potential lawsuit. Dickerson’s alleged remark that the request for emergency relief signaled "it’s on," and Gabehart’s comment about framing language in the employment agreement "given all of this," suggest to JGR that the February 16, 2026, Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement was a reactive measure rather than a genuine safeguard.

Indemnity and Surveillance

In a separate declaration, Spire president Bill Anthony stated that the team is not covering Gabehart’s legal fees, nor was it part of their agreement. Text messages from February 22, 2026, between Dickerson and Gabehart indicate Spire’s supportive stance, with Dickerson expressing excitement for Gabehart’s response to the lawsuit and stating Spire was "in the boat." Gabehart reportedly responded that the support meant "the world" to him. The full context of these conversations remains redacted and under seal.

JGR previously suggested Gabehart was receiving financial legal aid from Spire, citing his Google searches for "indemnity" in November.

Close Observation at Darlington Raceway

Chris Gabehart’s presence in the Spire Motorsports Truck Series and Cup Series garage areas at Darlington Raceway over a recent weekend did not go unnoticed. Motorsport.com observed Gabehart in the stands prior to the Cup Series race. Joe Gibbs Racing Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Eric Schaffer also noted Gabehart’s attendance and, in his declaration, pointed out that Gabehart was wearing a "customized two-way radio," a device used for team communications, including private channels. Schaffer contrasted this with a typical public "scanner" radio.

Schaffer also reported receiving information that Gabehart was seen speaking with Spire Motorsports employees behind race haulers after the conclusion of the race. JGR argues that Gabehart’s choice to observe from the grandstands, rather than a team suite or alongside Spire personnel, suggests an attempt to avoid notice. His repeated attendance at and participation in race-day activities, including discussions about race strategy in real-time, underscores the "imminent threat of misappropriation of JGR’s trade secrets." JGR emphasizes that Gabehart’s ability to convey information verbally via radio or in person makes it "virtually unrecordable and undetectable," necessitating a reporting requirement due to his "demonstrated credibility issues and previous efforts to use JGR information for Spire’s benefit."

However, it is noted that Gabehart was also seen having public conversations in the middle of the garage, greeting those who acknowledged him.

Path Forward

The legal proceedings will continue on Thursday with arguments concerning the preliminary injunction motion. Joe Gibbs Racing seeks to either bar Gabehart from working for Spire or mandate that he report his duties to the court to ensure no overlap with his former responsibilities. JGR is also pushing for an expedited trial, requesting Rule 26 discovery conferences and disclosures by April 2 and a trial as soon as possible. The stated rationale is that "An expedited trial date will eliminate unnecessary delays in discovery and promote an efficient resolution of the instant dispute."

Relevant filings include Joe Gibbs Racing’s complete Thursday filing, Eric Schaffer’s declaration, and a declaration regarding Gabehart’s deleted texts.

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