Denny Hamlin shot back at Jeff Dickerson’s declaration on Joe Gibbs Racing’s ‘staged’ lawsuit. The Spire Motorsports co-owner went on the offensive with a 22-page document aimed at the ongoing litigation.
So far, JGR has obtained a limited restraining order on Chris Gabehart’s role in Spire Motorsports. The team alleged that Gabehart stole sensitive data during his exit, but the former crew chief has vehemently denied the accusations. While he admitted that he did take some photographs, Gabehart claims he didn’t share them with anyone.
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Recent court filings have also revealed that JGR hired a private investigator to follow Gabehart and Dickerson during the off-season. Dickerson heavily criticised the move in his declaration, noting that he was ‘disturbed’ by the whole ordeal.
NASCAR reporter John Newby shared excerpts from the declaration and wrote:
“Dickerson saying that JGR “staged” this litigation instead of competing on the track.”
Denny Hamlin addressed the point with a comment under the X post.
“I know how those end when the rubber meets the road,” Hamlin said.
An interesting notion shared by Dickerson is how he refuted any need for JGR’s data since Spire has an existing alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. SM co-owner Dan Trowiss has also filed a declaration addressing the matter.
He responded to JGR alleging that him and Gabehart met during October last year and discussed a potential role with Spire. JGR believes such a meeting while Gabehart was actively working with them further underscores their claims.
“The first time I ever spoke with Mr. Gabehart was during a brief phone call on January 9, 2026. During that call, Jeff Dickerson briefly introduced me to Mr. Gabehart. We did not discuss Mr. Gabehart’s employment with Spire during that call,” Trowiss said in his declaration.
Denny Hamlin shares reasoning behing JGR lawsuit
Denny Hamlin backed JGR’s efforts to protect their team data. He didn’t make any comment on his former crew chief, but shared how data theft could severely impact a team.
“Why it’s really important for these teams to be able to protect their information. Because there’s honestly no going back. If somehow your information gets out, there’s no going back until there’s another new car and who knows when that will be,” Denny Hamlin said.
Jeff Dickerson’s declaration also noted how Spire Motorsports allowed a forensic analysis done on their systems to check for any data theft. Dickerson claims that JGR refused to take up on the offer and chose to go the legal route instead.
He also shared that Spire had previously waived a non-compete clause for their car chief, Robert Smith, when JGR wanted him for their No.54 team. The move was made with the expectation that JGR would extend the same courtesy if Spire ever pursued one of their employees.
Per Dickerson, the four-car outfit hasn’t upheld their end of the bargain.
Edited by Vignesh Kanna
