The Joe Gibbs and Spire Motorsports court saga won’t end any time soon, as Joe Gibbs Racing refuses to settle its legal fight with Spire Motorsports and pushes for a contempt finding against its former competition director, Chris Gabehart, and his new employer. What began as a dispute over Gabehart’s departure has grown into a much larger battle over confidential information, team operations, and the limits placed on an employee moving between competing NASCAR organizations.
JGR filed the lawsuit after Gabehart left the organization at the end of 2025 and accepted a position as Spire’s chief motorsports officer. The team accused him of taking sensitive information and violating contractual obligations, raising concerns about how another Cup Series operation could use knowledge developed inside one. However, the case has moved beyond those initial allegations, with JGR now arguing that Gabehart and Spire failed to follow restrictions the court established earlier this year.
The dispute reached another significant point during a hearing in Charlotte on Tuesday, October 13. JGR asked U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez to find Gabehart and Spire in contempt of court, arguing that the defendants violated a temporary restraining order and a subsequent preliminary injunction governing his work. The restrictions limited Gabehart from performing duties for Spire that overlapped with his responsibilities as JGR’s competition director during the 2025 season. JGR also wants the injunction extended through the scheduled trial on February 1, 2027.
According to JGR’s legal team, the alleged violations included Gabehart’s involvement in competition meetings, input on car setups, and participation in post-race discussions. The team also raised concerns about documents used at Spire that it claims Gabehart created while at JGR. Its attorneys argued that these activities crossed the boundaries the court established, despite restrictions intended to separate his responsibilities at the two organizations. Spire and Gabehart dispute that interpretation, leaving the court to determine whether the conduct violated its orders.
Spire’s legal team has maintained that the organization took steps to comply with the restrictions. Its attorneys pointed to limits on Gabehart’s access to team systems and competition meetings, along with a document requiring him to protect JGR’s confidential information. Gabehart was also placed on administrative leave in September. Spire argues these measures show it is trying to meet the court’s requirements rather than disregard them.
However, the contempt dispute is only one part of an increasingly complicated case. In early October, a magistrate judge directed JGR to clearly identify the trade secrets it claims were misappropriated and ordered the parties to exchange additional technical and employment records. Judge Rodriguez took the contempt motions under advisement following Tuesday’s hearing, leaving the immediate outcome unresolved.
With the trial scheduled for February 2027, the dispute continues to pit two Cup Series organizations against each other in a legal battle that could have implications beyond their current disagreement. For JGR, protecting its competitive information remains central to its claims. For Spire, the challenge is defending its actions while maintaining that Gabehart’s role can operate within the court’s restrictions. Neither side has secured a final resolution, and the next ruling could determine how much further the conflict escalates before the case reaches trial.
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