Chris Gabehart will remain under a temporary restraining order for at least another week after a key court hearing in the ongoing lawsuit filed by Joe Gibbs Racing. The hearing took place on Monday (March 16) in the Western District of North Carolina before Judge Susan C. Rodriguez. Both sides argued over discovery requests and the future of the existing court restrictions tied to Gabehart’s employment with Spire Motorsports.
Earlier this month, the court had already taken temporary action. On March 2, Judge Rodriguez issued a limited restraining order allowing Gabehart to remain employed by Spire Motorsports but restricting him from performing duties that closely resemble the competition director role he previously held at JGR.
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The order effectively barred him from working on overlapping NASCAR competition matters while the legal dispute continued. As part of that ruling, Joe Gibbs Racing was required to post a $100,000 bond. The restrictions were originally set to expire on March 16 pending further hearings.
Two days later, the court formally issued a written order detailing the scope of those restrictions. It required Chris Gabehart to return any materials belonging to JGR, prohibited him from using or disclosing confidential information, and reinforced the restriction preventing him from performing similar competitive duties while the case proceeded.
Following Monday’s hearing, NASCAR reporter Matt Weaver summarized the judge’s decision on X:
“The temporary restraining order that prevents Gabehart from performing duties at Spire similar to the JGR competition director role has been extended to 11:59 March 26.”
The extension means that the existing restrictions will remain in place while the court reviews new evidence gathered during the next phase of the case.
The case stems from Chris Gabehart’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing after a long tenure that included roles as crew chief and later competition director. JGR alleges Gabehart retained confidential team information before leaving the organization. They argue that the situation involves violations of trade secrets and breach of contractual obligations, including confidentiality and non-compete provisions.
The dispute began gaining traction earlier this year after Spire Motorsports announced Gabehart as its new Chief Motorsports Officer. In that role, he would oversee the organization’s overall racing operations. Joe Gibbs Racing has argued that the responsibilities of that position could overlap with the work he previously performed at JGR, which is central to the team’s request for court intervention.
March 16 hearing grants expedited discovery to both Joe Gibbs Racing and Chris Gabehart
Monday’s hearing also addressed discovery requests from both parties. Several key figures connected to the case attended the proceedings in person. Representatives from Joe Gibbs Racing included team owner Joe Gibbs, team president Dave Alpern, and executive Heather Gibbs. Denny Hamlin, a longtime JGR driver, was also in the courtroom gallery. Spire Motorsports was represented by Chris Gabehart, co-owner Jeff Dickerson, and their legal team.
During the hearing, Judge Susan C. Rodriguez granted Joe Gibbs Racing a limited form of expedited discovery. The decision allows the team to seek specific documents and communications related to Gabehart’s recruitment, potential employment discussions with Spire, and related to his role with the organization.
However, the judge significantly narrowed the scope compared with what JGR originally requested. Instead of allowing broad discovery across Spire Motorsports as an organization, the order primarily focuses on documents and communications directly in Gabehart’s possession.
At the same time, the court granted reciprocal discovery rights to Gabehart and Spire Motorsports. This allows their legal team to request internal communications from Joe Gibbs Racing connected with Chris Gabehart’s employment agreement, particularly provisions related to non-compete obligations and how the team interpreted those terms when he left the organization.
Judge Rodriguez declined Joe Gibbs Racing’s request to authorize subpoenas for NASCAR industry members, stating the evidence presented relied largely on unverified industry rumors rather than documented proof. The team could raise the request again later if stronger evidence emerges during discovery.
The hearing ultimately set the next phase of the litigation. Both sides will now exchange limited evidence as the case moves forward. The court is scheduled to revisit the matter on March 26.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
