A federal judge ruled Monday that former Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart can continue working for Spire Motorsports while a legal dispute between the NASCAR organizations proceeds in federal court. The ruling allows Gabehart to maintain his position as chief motorsports officer at Spire’s parent company but prohibits him from performing duties connected to his previous role at Joe Gibbs Racing.
The decision came from U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez in the Western District of North Carolina following a hearing related to Joe Gibbs Racing’s request for a restraining order. The NASCAR team sought to block Gabehart from working for Spire entirely after he left the organization and took the new role overseeing motorsports operations tied to TWG Global. Instead, the judge issued a narrower ruling that allows Gabehart to remain employed while limiting his responsibilities related to his previous position.
The court also scheduled a full hearing on the dispute for March 16, where both sides will continue arguing the broader employment case. Until that hearing takes place, Gabehart is allowed to remain active within Spire’s leadership structure but must avoid responsibilities connected to Joe Gibbs Racing operations.
The ruling means Gabehart is free to travel and attend racing events connected to his new position. Authorities overseeing the case confirmed that Gabehart can be present at this weekend’s race at Phoenix Raceway, where both NASCAR and IndyCar series events are scheduled to take place.
Gabehart already appeared publicly in his new role over the weekend during the IndyCar event in St. Petersburg, Florida. His position with Spire extends beyond NASCAR and includes oversight of racing operations tied to TWG Global’s broader motorsports portfolio. TWG Motorsports also owns Andretti Global, one of the prominent teams competing in IndyCar.
Monday’s order came after the judge previously instructed both parties to attempt reaching a resolution following last week’s hearing. The restraining order requested by Joe Gibbs Racing focused on preventing Gabehart from taking a role with Spire while the dispute is resolved. The judge instead allowed him to continue working while placing limits on how he can operate inside the organization.
The court also issued instructions related to information and materials tied to Gabehart’s previous position. Judge Rodriguez ordered Gabehart to return all data and documents belonging to Joe Gibbs Racing that remain in his possession. The NASCAR team alleged that proprietary files were taken when Gabehart left the organization.
Joe Gibbs Racing has separately accused Gabehart of copying team data and setups that the organization claims are valued at more than $8 million. According to filings in the case, the team alleges those files were taken from its internal systems and could potentially benefit a competitor. Spire Motorsports has also been named as a defendant in the case due to Gabehart’s employment with the organization.
That portion of the legal dispute has not yet been addressed by the court. Monday’s proceeding focused specifically on the temporary restraining order requested by Joe Gibbs Racing while the broader lawsuit continues through the legal process.
Spire Motorsports leadership indicated they support the judge’s decision and maintain that the organization does not seek confidential information from competitors. Team officials emphasized that the company treats trade secrets seriously and does not want data belonging to other organizations.
Spire currently operates multiple NASCAR programs and maintains a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, the most successful team in NASCAR history. Through that partnership, Spire already has access to Hendrick’s technical support and performance data as part of the existing competitive agreement between the organizations.
The team fields NASCAR Cup Series entries for Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell, and Daniel Suarez. Spire also operates a NASCAR Truck Series team, an area where Joe Gibbs Racing currently does not compete.
Joe Gibbs Racing leadership did not attend Monday’s brief court proceeding. The team’s founder, Joe Gibbs, and co-owner Heather Gibbs were present at last week’s hearing connected to the restraining order request.
Joe Gibbs founded the NASCAR organization in 1992 after a successful career as head coach of Washington’s NFL franchise. Gibbs won three Super Bowls before launching the racing operation that eventually became one of the sport’s most successful teams. He has since been inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Today the team fields NASCAR Cup Series entries for Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, and veteran driver Denny Hamlin. Over the past three decades the organization has built a reputation as one of the sport’s top operations, winning championships and major races including the Daytona 500.
Joe Gibbs Racing issued a statement following Monday’s ruling indicating the organization intends to continue pursuing the case in court. The team said it is focused on protecting its proprietary information and defending the interests of its employees and partners as the legal process moves forward.
The dispute centers on Gabehart’s departure after more than a decade inside the organization. He joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012 as an engineer before eventually becoming crew chief for Denny Hamlin. Gabehart later moved into the role of competition director ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season.
During his time as Hamlin’s crew chief, Gabehart helped guide the team to 22 Cup Series victories. Two of those wins came in the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in the sport. The pairing also reached the NASCAR championship finale three times during their six seasons together.
Hamlin consistently finished near the top of the standings while working with Gabehart. Over that stretch he placed fifth or better in the season standings six times. Hamlin also ranked near the top of the series in wins and laps led during the period when Gabehart served as his crew chief.
Court filings show that Gabehart acknowledged taking photographs on his phone of certain internal Joe Gibbs Racing files, including a spreadsheet tied to team projects. However, he has maintained that a forensic review found no evidence the information was shared with any outside organization.
Gabehart has also stated that tensions developed inside the organization during the final stages of his time at Joe Gibbs Racing. He indicated the role he accepted differed from what he expected when he transitioned into the competition director position ahead of the 2025 season.
The legal dispute now moves toward the next phase as both organizations prepare for the March 16 hearing. Until that court date arrives, Gabehart remains employed by Spire Motorsports while restricted from participating in duties tied directly to his former role at Joe Gibbs Racing.
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