Chris Gabehart may continue to work for Spire Motorsports as its chief motorsports officer and attend NASCAR races, but he cannot perform any duties that would overlap with those he carried out for Joe Gibbs Racing as that team’s competition director, a federal judge has ruled.
US District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez also ordered Gabehart to:
Immediately stop retaining, transferring, using, or copying any of JGR’s confidential information and trade secrets.
Immediately stop using or disclosing JGR’s confidential information and trade secrets.
Return any of JGR’s confidential information and trade secrets in his possession.
While granting JGR’s request for a preliminary injunction against Gabehart, Rodriguez denied the North Carolina race team’s request for one against Spire Motorsports.
In the 37-page ruling, Rodriguez noted that granting the preliminary injunction was in the public interest because it was important to “protect confidential information of businesses that was disclosed without authorization and to enforce valid noncompete covenants.”
“JGR has a legitimate business interest in being able to share confidential information with its employees without fearing that it will land in the hands of a competitor,” Rodriguez wrote.
However, since JGR and Spire are competitors, Rodriquez wrote that Spire wouldn’t be liable for hiring away an employee from a competitor as long as the motivation was competition, not malice. She said JGR hadn’t presented sufficient evidence to show that Spire Motorsports acted with malice.
JGR claims its trade secrets obtained by Gabehart through improper means include:
Comprehensive post-race audit and analyses of team and driver performance for the 2025 NASCAR season.
Team payroll details including job title, contract length, annual compensation, incentive compensation, and compensation plans for prior years.
An employee compensation calculator used to project and plan pay for key JGR positions.
Revenues from sponsors, partners, and other business arrangements for the 2024, 2025, and 2026 NASCAR seasons.
JGR’s pit crew analytics for the 2024 NASCAR season.
Detailed analytics of race car tires used to assess impact on race results.
A 141-page .pdf file titled “Post Race Analysis” for a 2025 Las Vegas race containing all of JGR’s data analytics, including data JGR measures at races and how it measures that data.
More than 20 setup and simulation files that are used to determine the best possible race car setup.
A document detailing proprietary engine outputs and recommended gear shift points.
A document detailing how JGR estimates fuel mileage for its drivers and competitors during races and adjustments to strengthen accuracy.