Joe Gibbs Racing don point finger at Spire Motorsports for placing Chris Gabehart on administrative leave over di past month. JGR say na another reason why court suppose hold di team in contempt for violating restraining order and preliminary injunction.
Dis one dey inside ongoing lawsuit and countersuit between di three parties. Di matter start after Gabehart leave JGR at di end of 2025. Dem accuse am say e breach contract and carry proprietary information go benefit Spire.
Gibbs claim say since March, Gabehart don breach court order many times. Di order stop di longtime employee from providing services wey resemble im former competition director role. Di order also stop am from keeping, accessing or using proprietary information or trade secrets wey dem misappropriate. E also suppose return any data wey e get.
Since Joe Gibbs Racing file motion wey seek contempt order from court, Spire place Gabehart on administrative leave. Di plaintiffs grab dat one sharp sharp as proof of previous wrongdoing.
Joe Gibbs Racing response filing on Wednesday tok say Defendants claims of good faith compliance with Court Orders no reach. Spire repeated decisions to curtail Gabehart access to im systems and im involvement in Cup Series no be proactive compliance, na damage control. Spire confiscate Gabehart laptop only after e become named defendant; e cut off im company email only after dem continue to include am on Cup Series competitive communications; e pull am from Cup meetings only after e don attend and offer commentary many times; and e place am on administrative leave only after JGR file dis Motion. Spire hollow claim say e act because of JGR litigious nature only confirm say Spire recognize say Gabehart behavior fit look like violation of Court Orders. Spire strip Gabehart of im company email, im laptop, and im access to im systems because e evidently no fit trust am with them, yet e keep dey pay im highest paid executive millions of dollars.
So Gabehart now dey on vacation, even though e spend most of dis summer attending Truck Series, IndyCar, Sprint Car and Super Late Model races. Since dem no allow am do Cup Series competition director adjacent activities, Spire put am inside other sectors of im business.
For open court on October 1, Joe Gibbs Racing claim new information wey dem never file. JGR talk say e get evidence say Gabehart continue to get access to trade secrets from im former employer inside account wey dem no disclose until September 4. Di point no be say protocol eventually require JGR to identify files for deletion; di point be say Gabehart retain undisclosed JGR materials through June 2026 and beyond while e dey work for direct competitor. E only disclose that circumstance after discovery close. JGR no fit demand remediation of account wey dem never tell say e exist.
Even after Spire take Gabehart Spire-issued laptop in February 2026, im counsel permit am to retain access to personal OneDrive account, same account wey dem sync to Spire laptop, until late June 2026. Gabehart therefore maintain access to JGR trade secret files for months after TRO, through account wey e withhold from January 2026 forensic process and wey im counsel no disclose to JGR until September 4.
Contempt necessary because protocol no fit undo harm. Deletion today no go erase months wey Gabehart get access to JGR materials while Spire employ am. E no go compensate JGR for expense of uncovering noncompliance. Civil contempt also get forward-looking role, to coerce compliance going forward.
Other reasons for JGR to pursue contempt charges don already show. Carson Hocecar text Gabehart seek car handling feedback on March 28. Deposition statements from other Spire competition leaders talk say Gabehart answer air pressure questions or other redacted setup matters. Spire also get Gabehart attend five to twelve Cup Series competition meetings and no remove am until late May or early June. Spire maintain say dem no required to do am but dem opt for am in name of overabundance of compliance.
Spire never address administrative leave or allegation of device wey still get access to Joe Gibbs Racing trade secrets. But Spire maintain say Gabehart discuss matters like air pressures no be examples of trade secrets. Dem also talk say im attendance in Cup garage or meetings no different from behavior of other high level executives like Jeff Gordon and Dave Alpern. Gibbs reject that premise.
Defendants primary strategy na to minimize and recharacterize Gabehart Cup Series competition services. But recharacterizing undisputed conduct as chatter or executive observation no relevant under Orders. JGR no required to prove say Gabehart comments brilliant, novel, or outcome-determinative. Instead, JGR must only show say Gabehart provide prohibited services. A single violation enough, and record get many. Even Gabehart compensation undercut Defendants position say im contributions to Cup Series meaningless. E be highest paid Spire employee by millions. Dem hire am to oversee all NASCAR Cup Series competitive operations, and Dickerson describe Gabehart as person in charge of all things racing.
