Lawsuit Update: Gabehart Calls JGR Competition Team “Dysfunctional,” Ty Gibbs “Not Accountable”
What’s Happening? Former Joe Gibbs Racing Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart has filed a new response slamming JGR as…
In NASCAR, not all races are created equal. Some races take on lives of their own and season implications seem to take a backseat for a week as the focus becomes winning one of NASCAR’s “Crown Jewel” races. In it’s history, NASCAR’s “Crown Jewel” events have changed, and there is some debate on what are considered to be NASCAR’s “Crown Jewel” events.
Previously, the Winston Million initiative gave NASCAR four “Crown Jewel” events as follows: the Daytona 500 (highest purse), the Winston 500 at Talladega (the fastest race), the World 600 at Charlotte (the longest race); and the Southern 500 at Darlington (NASCAR’s original 500 mile race). It was won twice by Bill Elliot in 1985 and Jeff Gordon in 1997. However, as time went on, NASCAR expanded and the rise of different events began to call into question which races were the true “Crown Jewels.”
The Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at one time brought in about as many fans and, in some cases, better TV ratings than the Indianapolis 500. The All Star Race began to gain traction in the 1990s, and the $1 million grand prize for the winner made it a race every driver wanted to win. The Night Race at Bristol became the toughest ticket to get in NASCAR for a few years, and it brought in 160,000 people year-to-year.
Obviously things are different now, but the races that are considered to be “Crown Jewels” are not exactly the same as they once were. Which races are “Crown Jewels” currently, and which races are in the conversation as being these types of events?
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is the biggest race in NASCAR, and it seems that during Daytona 500 week, the season as a whole seems to take a backseat. It is a bit of an anomaly putting the biggest event of the year at the very beginning of the season, but that makes the Daytona 500 just that much bigger and more highly anticipated. It’s the race every driver wants to win with the highest purse, and it still routinely sells out.
Coca-Cola 600
NASCAR’s Memorial Day weekend celebration is a race where attrition still matters. The added element of the race starting in the daytime and ending at night means that whoever is dominant in the early portion race may not necessarily be dominant in the late portion. It’s NASCAR’s version of an endurance race, and the added Memorial Day celebrations during pre-race make it a truly incredible event.
Southern 500
This race has experienced a resurgence in recent years. A race that was once a “Crown Jewel” was seen by NASCAR as just another race as it was relegated to one spring slot away from its’ traditional Labor Day Weekend. In 2015, that all changed as the Southern 500 was returned to Labor Day weekend, and the race regained some of its’ previous prestige.
Now that it opens the playoffs, some of the luster of the event itself does wear off, but that does not mean the event is not important. It was once the most prestigious race in NASCAR, and it still is a great reminder of the roots of stock car racing.
However, with the original Winston Million giving NASCAR four “Crown Jewel” events, that means there is theoretically place for one more event to be considered as such. Which of these races could be under that consideration?
The Night Race at Bristol
In a day where NASCAR attendance is not what it once was, this race still manages to bring in 100,000 people. Sure it is not the 160,000 people sell-outs that the race once was, but it still remains a very popular event amongst fans. It was one of NASCAR’s original night races back in an era when racing in NASCAR at night was still a novelty.
Hopefully the next-gen’s short track issues can be resolved so that this event does not lose its’ luster. However, the atmosphere and the sight of the cars zipping around the World’s Fastest Half Mile is great for television and spectators alike.
Geico 500 at Talladega
In a day of decreased horsepower, Talladega and Daytona now hold the titles of NASCAR’s fastest race tracks once again. This is a race that was formerly considered a “Crown Jewel” event, and, with it being NASCAR’s largest superspeedway, it is still a race that arguably deserves such a title.
It would be best to use the spring race at the venue since keeping a “Crown Jewel” in the regular season forces the focus to be more about the event itself rather than on Playoff implications. Talladega is already a hotly anticipated race by fans, and officially considering it a “Crown Jewel” would add more to an already great event.
The Brickyard
If this was 15-20 years ago, this race would probably replace the Southern 500 on the “Crown Jewel” list. It was the second biggest race in NASCAR at the time, and pulled in a crowd over over 250,000 routinely. However, a poor racing product on the oval eventually drove fans away, and the race went from a “Crown Jewel” to just another race.
The Indy Star reported that attendance fell to a low of 35,000 in 2017 before rebounding to about 60,000 in 2019. Now the race is on the road course, and there is debate about whether or not the race should be on the oval or the road course moving forward. Even though it is not what it once was, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an iconic venue, and it will be a “Crown Jewel” in the minds of drivers even if fans disagree.
The All-Star Race
The racing product was definitely hit-or-miss, but the event itself this past weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway was arguably the best event NASCAR has put on in years. The All-Star Race was definitely in need of a facelift for years, and this weekend may have given it that facelift. With a $1 million grand prize in a winner-take-all show, it’s a race that means something to the drivers and still has a big-event feel.
The fact that it is not a points race definitely puts it lower on the totem pole. However, if it is kept at a traditional, classic venue like North Wilkesboro, an argument can be made.
NASCAR needs “Crown Jewel” events to help market the sport. It would be great to see something like the Winston Million return so that there can officially be “Crown Jewel” events. Golf and tennis have major championships, why not NASCAR?
Former Joe Gibbs Racing Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart is claiming in court documents that he was “pressured” to be Ty Gibbs’ Crew Chief for a small portion of the 2025 season. While this partnership didn’t last long, the stats suggest that Gabehart could have been a difference maker for the young driver’s 2025 season.
In just six seasons as a NASCAR Cup Series Crew Chief at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gabehart delivered the team 22 NASCAR Cup Series wins, including back-to-back Daytona 500 wins, all with driver Denny Hamlin.
His time as Crew Chief came to an end last season, when Gabehart was seemingly promoted to Competition Director, which most assumed would be his new long-term post at the team.
Surprisingly, this was not the case, as at year’s end, despite 13 wins, 47 top fives, and 69 top tens for the team’s cars, Gabehart left the team for Spire Motorsports under mysterious circumstances.
While things had seemed odd for Gabehart during his short tenure as Competition Director, including a stretch in which he served as a de facto Crew Chief for Ty Gibbs, it seemed that the transition to a new role at JGR had been a winning move for the team.
This drama came to a head last week, when JGR filed a lawsuit against Gabehart, alleging that the former employee used various methods to steal information, such as car setups to give to his new employer.
Though Gabehart has denied any wrongdoing, he leveled a few allegations of his own against JGR in a court filing Wednesday afternoon.
In his filing, Gabehart accused JGR of misleading him in his new role, saying that he found himself answering to JGR leadership and members of the Gibbs family “when making even routine competition decisions.”
“I was promised a COO-type role overseeing all competitive operations with autonomy to lead. 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.” — Chris Gabehart.
Nonetheless, the NASCAR community’s major takeaway from this filing was Gabehart’s claims about his time serving as Crew Chief for Joe Gibbs’ grandson Ty Gibbs in 2025.
Gabehart says that Joe Gibbs “repeatedly pressured me to take over as crew chief of the No. 54 car.”
The veteran shot caller claims he finally gave in to these pleas during the summer, taking over for Crew Chief Tyler Allen at the June 28, 2025, race at EchoPark Speedway, before leaving this post after the Regular Season Finale at Daytona, tallying nine total races atop the No. 54’s pit box.
“Despite my objections, Coach Gibbs and ownership continued pressing, and I eventually conceded to the pressure by first helping the No. 54 team more behind the scenes and then, beginning on June 28, 2025, by publicly serving as the crew chief and calling the races on Sundays for nine consecutive races before returning those duties to the original crew chief, Tyler Allen, against the strong desires of ownership, when I made it clear that I did not want to serve as a crew chief for the long term.” — Chris Gabehart.
During this stretch of races, fans could hear Gabehart over Gibbs’ radio during this time, though, at least initially for that first listed date at EchoPark, JGR claimed that he was serving as a race strategist for the No. 54 team, though this could have been the case for this one race.
Nonetheless, despite Gabehart’s claims, the entry lists for that nine-race stretch list Allen as the Crew Chief for the No. 54.
Ultimately, his relationship with the team continued to sour after his time as the No. 54 Crew Chief, with Gabehart alleging that Ty Gibbs was not held to the same standards as other JGR team members, including things such as required meeting attendance.
“I also identified specific examples of the No. 54 team’s differential treatment that undermined my position as Competition Director. 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.” — Chris Gabehart
While Gibbs did not win races or make the playoffs with Gabehart on the pit box, one could wonder how the team fared during this stretch and whether or not Gabehart gave it his all in what he claims was a high-pressure situation.
What’s Happening? Former Joe Gibbs Racing Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart has filed a new response slamming JGR as…
Though Gabehart was never officially listed as the Crew Chief of the No. 54 on NASCAR entry lists, given the timeline supplied in this filing, it’s easy to piece together what races Gabehart alleges he and Gibbs worked together.
Gabehart claims he started this role on June 28, 2025, which was race 18 of the 2025 season at EchoPark Speedway, and stayed in this spot for nine races, which would end his tenure with race 26 of the season at Daytona on August 23, 2025.
Entering that first race at EchoPark, through the first 17 races of 2025, the No. 54 team sat 23rd in points, with just two top fives, three top tens, and an average finish of 19.4.
In the alleged nine-race stretch with Gabehart atop the pit box, Gibbs scored two top-fives and four top tens, winning the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge and improving his average finish to 17.7 (14.3 during Gabehart’s nine races with Gibbs).
So, did Gibbs continue his improved form after Gabehart left his post as Crew Chief?
Well, the easy answer is no, as in the final ten races of the season, after Gabehart left, Gibbs would score just one more top five, three more top tens, and tally an average finish of 18.4.
Putting aside all the drama that has come from Gabehart’s time as JGR Competition Director and part-time Crew Chief for Ty Gibbs, it seems that Joe Gibbs was right to push for this pairing.
Nonetheless, with the alleged pressure for Gabehart to add this job to his list of duties at JGR, and his now well-known feelings about the No. 54 team, it seems this pairing was destined to split up from the start.
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The legal fight between Joe Gibbs Racing and former competition director Chris Gabehart just escalated, and now it’s not just about data. In his official response, Gabehart pushed back hard against the restraining order request… and made serious claims about dysfunction surrounding the No. 54 team and its driver, Ty Gibbs.
In his filing, Gabehart denies sharing any trade secrets and says forensic reviews back that up. But the bombshell allegations focus on internal structure, claiming the 54 car was managed directly by ownership and not held to the same standards as other teams. Those comments pull back the curtain on tensions many fans only speculated about, especially after last season’s on-track friction involving teammates like Denny Hamlin. If this heads toward trial, more details could surface. If it settles, we may never get the full picture. Either way, the public back-and-forth has already shifted perception, and how this plays out could impact not just one team, but how authority, accountability, and information are handled across the garage.
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As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season gets underway, The Daily Downforce is once again tracking how fans feel about race broadcasts throughout the year, just as we did last year. This ratings tracker exists to capture fan feedback in a clear, consistent way across the entire season for each TV partner.
After each Cup Series race weekend, we will post a fan poll asking one simple question: “How would you rate this weekend’s Cup Series broadcast?” And fans can vote and comment based on their overall viewing experience. This article will be updated weekly with the most recent race’s numbers added to the tracker.
Participation is quick and open to everyone.
| Week | Network | Race | Votes | Good | Average | Bad | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FOX | Bowman Gray Clash | 368 | 16% | 43% | 42% | Check the Poll HERE |
| 2 | FOX | Daytona 500 | 989 | 42% | 46% | 12% | Check the Poll HERE |
| 3 | FOX | Atlanta | 771 | 43% | 43% | 14% | Check the Poll HERE |
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