Chris Gabehart has responded to Joe Gibbs Racing with a strong rebuttal, referring to their “baseless allegations” in the recent $8 million lawsuit the team filed against him. Bringing forensic proof, he claimed he never stole any sensitive team data from JGR. The latter accused him of stealing the data and sharing it with Spire Motorsports, where he was reported to move after his stint with JGR ended.

Chris Gabehart is not guilty

Joe Gibbs Racing claimed that Gabehart synced his personal Google Drive with his team laptop, had a folder called “Spire” and a sub-folder titled “Past setups.”

This does raise some attention, however, in his reply, Chris Gabehart claims that none of this is true.

“I look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate to the Court that I have not shared JGR’s confidential information with anyone. In fact, I have already demonstrated that to JGR. A third-party forensic expert retained by JGR recently examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit,” he wrote on a message that he posted on social media as an indirect reply.

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While this is a strong statement, there has been no reply from the officials at Joe Gibbs Racing. This entire situation becomes rather concerning, considering how much time he spent with the team.

Gabehart had worked with the team for well over a decade before he left at the end of the 2025 season. He also spent time as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief and was understood to have had major responsibilities with JGR. Moreover, it would be natural for him to have access to some of the most sensitive team data, including the car setups, etc, which seems to be the primary issue in the lawsuit.

When he left the team, he was reported to move to Spire Motorsports, but there was no official confirmation regarding this. Interestingly, however, JGR claimed that there were search histories on his laptop from October and November, where he inquired about Spire.

JGR claims the team’s proprietary data is found in Gabehart’s folder

For a team like Spire Motorsports, obtaining even the tiniest bit of data about the performance and setup from a team like Joe Gibbs Racing could be like a major cheat sheet in the races. While nothing has been proven right now, JGR accused Chris Gabehart of having plenty of data saved in the “Spire” folder in the laptop they found.

As per the complaint letter, the folder included several items, like a 141-page PDF titled “Post Race Data Analysis” for the 2025 Las Vegas Race. This included JGR’s data analytics from the race. It also had over 20 eLap Files, which the team claims are generated by their proprietary software using historical data and simulations.

There was also a document indicating recommended gear shift points, engine outputs, and a document related to tire strategy.

These are just some of the many elements that JGR accuses Chris Gabehart of possessing in the folder titled “Spire.” These allegations, while dire, are yet to be proven in the court of law.

As of now, the situation seems volatile, but Gabehart’s reply to the team also sounds foolproof. It is currently tough to say how this lawsuit could pan out, but it will surely have an impact on either of the teams.