Earlier this week, Gibbs alleged Gabehart took confidential information and trade secrets to a rival team and wants $8 million USD ($11.3 million AUD) in damages.
In his legal filings on Thursday, Gabehart vehemently denied the allegations and said the lawsuit was about “punishing a former employee for daring to leave.”
Gabehart spent 13 years at JGR, beginning as an engineer at the team in 2012.
He was Denny Hamlin’s crew chief before being appointed competition director at the leading Toyota team.
He left late last year to join Chevrolet team Spire Motorsports as its chief motorsports officer.
In filings on Thursday, Gabehart delivered a scathing assessment of Joe Gibbs Racing, citing an impasse over the team owner’s grandson and a so-called “dysfunctional” team.
“I notified JGR that the job was not, at all, as advertised,” Gabehart’s filing read in part.
“I was promised a COO-type role overseeing all competitive operations with autonomy to lead.
“Instead, I found myself constantly intertwined with Coach (Joe) Gibbs, senior JGR executives, and family members when making even routine competition decisions—a dysfunctional organizational structure that I could not continue in.”
It is alleged that ‘Coach’ Joe Gibbs pressured Gabehart into taking over as Ty Gibbs’ crew chief on the #54 Toyota Camry – and ultimately relented.
Gabehart claimed Ty Gibbs was not being held to the same standard as his teammates Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, and Denny Hamlin.
“It was my view that the No. 54 car should be managed and held accountable in the same manner as the organization’s other cars,” Gabehart said.
“Instead, the No. 54 car was managed directly by Coach Gibbs and everyone in the organisation knew it.
“Beginning early in the 2025 season, Coach Gibbs repeatedly pressured me to take over as crew chief of the No. 54 car.
“I consistently declined, explaining that as Competition Director, I did not believe this was the right move, that it would undermine the long-term development of the team, and that I did not want to be crew chief of the No. 54 or any other car.
“Despite my objections, Coach Gibbs and ownership continued pressing, and I eventually conceded to the pressure by first helping the No. 54 team more behind the scenes and then, beginning on June 28, 2025, by publicly serving as the crew chief and calling the races on Sundays for nine consecutive races before returning those duties to the original crew chief, Tyler Allen, against the strong desires of ownership, when I made it clear that I did not want to serve as a crew chief for the long term.”
Gabehart ultimately split with Joe Gibbs Racing in early November. The team allegedly stopped paying him that month.
After conducting a forensic audit, Joe Gibbs Racing filed legal action against Gabehart on February 20.
Gabehart said he conducted his own, independent forensic audit and claims it showed “no evidence I transmitted, distributed, used or otherwise shared any JGR confidential information. No text messages. No email attachments. No dissemination whatsoever.”
On Wednesday, Gibbs amended its lawsuit against Gabehart to include Spire as a defendant.
Gibbs has also sought to stop Gabehart from working at Spire by filing a restraining order and motion for injunctive relief.
“This lawsuit is not about protecting trade secrets — it is about punishing a former employee for daring to leave,” Gabehart continued.
“Granting injunctive relief and preventing me from working in NASCAR, where I have dedicated my entire career, would deprive me of my livelihood and ability to work in my chosen profession.
“Granting the injunctive relief requested by JGR would effectively bar me from pursuing my livelihood in the only industry in which I have developed expertise over the course of my professional career.”
A hearing is scheduled for Saturday in the Western District of North Carolina.
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