Lawsuit: Gabehart Still Allowed to Attend Races as Spire Employee

What’s Happening?

Per the latest court ruling, former Joe Gibbs Racing Competition Director Chris Gabehart can continue to work for and attend NASCAR race weekends as an employee of Spire Motorsports.

The judge in the JGR vs. Chris Gabehart/Spire lawsuit ruled last night on the preliminary injunction JGR was seeking. No new major limitations put in place, with Gabehart still restricted from performing any duties at Spire that are similar to what he did do at JGR. Judge did say…

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) April 24, 2026

Late Thursday night, the court handed down another new ruling in the ongoing lawsuit between Joe Gibbs Racing and former Competition Director Chris Gabehart and his new employer, Spire Motorsports.

This ruling was regarding Gabehart’s new role at Spire as the team’s Chief Motorsports Officer.

A prior restraining order on March 2 said that Gabehart can retain his position with the team, but is limited to not performing similar duties he did as Competition Director at JGR during the 2025 season.

Nonetheless, JGR has continued to suggest that, despite this ruling, Gabehart is performing similar tasks for Spire during race weekends, with a series of photos of Gabehart at Bristol Motor Speedway at the center of attention last week.

Spire, for the most part, shoved these photos aside, insisting that Gabehart can attend races as a Spire official without assisting their competition side.

The team said that this is common practice, citing several other Spire officials, Hendrick Motorsports President Jeff Andrews, and Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon as examples.

Per Thursday night’s ruling, Gabehart can retain his position with the team and can continue to attend races, granted that he does not perform duties similar to what he did at JGR.

Furthermore, Gabehart’s 18-month non-compete clause in his JGR contract is enforceable, which means he cannot be a Competition Director until 18 months after his exit from JGR.

“Defendant Gabehart shall be restrained from violating Section 6 of his Employment Agreement, which prohibits providing services of the general type of services that Defendant Gabehart provided to JGR in the year prior to his termination. For the sake of clarity, the Court is not requiring Gabehart to resign from his position at Spire or prohibiting him from working for Spire. Other services not performed at JGR in the year prior to his termination are permissible. This Order does not prohibit Gabehart from attending the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series or prevent him from performing other services at those races not implicated by Section 6 of his Employment Agreement.”

The Battle So Far

This lawsuit stemmed from Gabehart’s exit from JGR in late 2025, when, in February, the team alleged that he took confidential information prior to his exit, further alleging that they had a digital footprint indicating he did so.

While Gabehart insists he did not take this information, and Spire says he did not give them this information, Thursday’s ruling ordered Gabehart to cease from using or sharing any of JGR’s info and to return “any of JGR’s Confidential Information and trade secrets in his possession to JGR.”

For his part, Gabehart and Spire have alleged that the environment he experienced at JGR in 2025 was chaotic and, at times, biased against him. He even claimed that the non-compete clause was not enforceable because, as he said, JGR breached its contract by withholding pay.

A date has yet to be set for a trial between the parties, with JGR requesting a date shortly after the season in mid-November 2026, and Spire suggesting a date in May 2027.

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