Joe Gibbs Racing has provided more details about the steps the organization took before deciding to file a lawsuit against former competition director Chris Gabehart.
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This lawsuit alleged that Gabehart had embarked upon a scheme to steal confidential information and trade secrets (the crown jewels) from Joe Gibbs Racing, the team with which he spent more than a decade.
The team filed several documents to the Pacer service late Friday night. One, in particular, featured a declaration from a private investigator from Barefoot Private Investigations. Joe Gibbs Racing had contracted this investigator, Ryan Simpson, to follow Gabehart over the winter.
MORE: Private Investigator's Declaration
The timeline in Simpson's declaration (Exhibit C) focused specifically on one day, Dec. 2, 2025. Simpson said that he witnessed Gabehart drive to the Spire Motorsports facility at 11:54 a.m. He then witnessed Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson enter the vehicle at 12:02 p.m.
"Gabehart then drove to a nearby restaurant, which they entered at 12:22 p.m.," Simpson wrote. "From 12:22 p.m. to 1:47 p.m., Gabehart and Dickerson remained together at the restaurant.
The private investigator wrote that Dickerson and Gabehart departed the restaurant at 1:47 p.m. and returned to the Spire Motorsports facility at 2 p.m.
The declaration from the private investigator ended after Dickerson returned to the restaurant. However, this specific day became a part of another declaration filed on March 6.
Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern's declaration focused on Dec. 3, 2025, the day after the lunch. He wrote that he received a text message from Gabehart, which said, "Good evening, Dave. Would it do us any good to have a discussion about what needs to happen from here? Surely no one really wants to do the other any harm? I know I don't."
MORE: Dave Alpern's Declaration
Alpern responded and agreed to have a discussion with Gabehart on Dec. 4, 2025. This took place over the phone instead of in person.
"During that call, I advised him that if he did not want to harm JGR then he should be honest about his plans for employment," Alpern wrote.
"I specifically asked about employment with Spire Motorsports ('Spire'). Gabehart acknowledged that he had recently had lunch with Spire owner Jeff Dickerson ('Dickerson') and that his spouse had flown on Dickerson's airplane to attend the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix in November 2025.
"Gabehart then explained that he and Dickerson were friends and nothing beyond that, and that they had not discussed employment. At the conclusion of our call, Gabehart told me that his fourteen years of working for JGR should count for something and that I should trust him."
JGR wrote in an extensive memorandum that Gabehart had met with Spire Motorsports co-owner Dan Towriss on Oct. 21, 2025, to discuss a potential job. The team then alleged in the memorandum that Gabehart had engaged with the Spire website and performed searches about the team while at Martinsville Speedway for the Round of 8 cutoff race.
JGR wrote in its memorandum that Gabehart had requested a meeting with Coach Joe Gibbs the week after the Cup Series championship race. The team alleged that he concealed his discussions with Spire Motorsports.
JGR alleged that Gabehart had accessed the team network the day after his meeting with Coach Gibbs and that he spent 15 minutes accessing the team's "most sensitive Confidential Information and Trade Secrets." The team also wrote that Gabehart took "at least 20" photographs of his computer screen with his personal cell phone.
MORE: Joe Gibbs Racing Memorandum
Spire Motorsports ultimately hired Gabehart and named him Chief Motorsports Officer. He first showed up with the team for the NTT IndyCar Series season opener at the Streets of St. Petersburg.
The judge overseeing this case issued a temporary restraining order that included multiple components. It restricted Gabehart from performing services to Spire Motorsports that he performed at Joe Gibbs Racing.
The judge also ordered him to return any confidential information to JGR and to cease and desist from using or disclosing any confidential information or trade secrets.
This temporary restraining order goes through March 16, when the parties involved in this lawsuit will meet again in court for another hearing.
