The order forbids Chris Gabehart from sharing any JGR information and requires him to return all team info he has, but does not prohibit him from working with Spire.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β A federal judge granted a partial temporary restraining order against former Joe Gibbs Racing Competition Director Chris Gabehart, barring him from using or disclosing confidential information belonging to the NASCAR team while he works for a competitor.
The order was filed on Thursday against Gabehart but denied against his new employer, Spire Motorsports, finding insufficient evidence that the team had received any of JGR’s confidential data. The order expires March 16, when a preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled.
The ruling comes in a lawsuit JGR filed Feb. 19 accusing Gabehart of misappropriating trade secrets after he departed the team and joined Spire as chief motorsports officer. JGR is seeking $8 million in damages.
Court documents reveal that a forensic review of Gabehart’s JGR-issued laptop uncovered significant evidence of data collection. The day after a Nov. 6, 2025, meeting in which Gabehart and JGR owner Joe Gibbs agreed to part ways, Gabehart used his personal cell phone to photograph at least 20 items from his work computer. The images included full-season post-race performance analyses, complete team payroll records, driver compensation for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, sponsor revenue figures and pit crew analytics.
The forensic review also found that Gabehart had connected his personal Google Drive to his JGR computer and created a folder titled “Spire” containing a subfolder labeled “Past Setups” Gabehart accessed that folder multiple times after turning in his JGR laptop on Nov. 10, 2025.
Gabehart later admitted to taking the photographs. The court noted that 235 files were ultimately deleted from his phone and Google Drive as part of the forensic review process.
The judge found JGR demonstrated a likelihood of success on both its breach of contract and trade secrets misappropriation claims against Gabehart. JGR has also been ordered to post a $100,000 bond in the case by March 9.
Gabehart has denied sharing any confidential information with Spire. In his opposition to the restraining order, he acknowledged photographing the files but said he had no intention of distributing them to competitors. He also noted that Spire has agreed not to solicit any confidential JGR information from him as a condition of his new role.
Gabehart detailed a 13-year rise through JGR’s ranks from engineer to crew chief to competition director before his relationship with the team soured in 2025. He alleged his dissatisfaction stemmed in part from his treatment of the No. 54 car driven by Ty Gibbs, which he said was not held to the same organizational standards as JGR’s other entries and was overseen directly by Coach Joe Gibbs. Gabehart said he was repeatedly asked to crew chief the car before reluctantly agreeing to do so for nine races midway through the season.
JGR has characterized the split differently, saying Gabehart sought a larger role within the organization and accepted a contract exit when those demands were not met.
The court’s order stops short of forcing Gabehart to resign from Spire. Instead, it restricts him from performing the same duties he carried out at JGR in the year prior to his termination, while allowing him to take on responsibilities that did not overlap with his prior role.
Central to the case is a non-compete clause Gabehart signed in December 2024 upon his promotion to competition director. Under that agreement, JGR contends Gabehart is bound by an 18-month restriction on performing comparable services for any NASCAR Cup or Xfinity Series team. The court found the covenant reasonable and likely enforceable under North Carolina law.
Spire was added as a defendant in an amended complaint filed Feb. 24, facing claims of tortious interference with contract. The team has not yet filed a legal response. The court denied the TRO against Spire, finding no evidence the organization currently possesses JGR’s confidential information.
Joe Gibbs Racing is one of NASCAR’s premier organizations, with 227 Cup Series victories, the third most all-time, and 494 wins across NASCAR’s top three series, the most of any team. Spire Motorsports, which debuted in 2019, has one Cup Series victory and 10 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series.
A hearing on JGR’s motion for a preliminary injunction is set for March 16.