A legal dispute that has been hanging over the NASCAR garage for months is now moving toward its next major phase.
A trial date has officially been set in the lawsuit and countersuit involving Joe Gibbs Racing, Spire Motorsports, and former Joe Gibbs Racing competition director and crew chief Chris Gabehart, establishing the timeline for one of the sport’s most closely watched legal battles.
Judge sets February trial in Joe Gibbs Racing, Spire legal dispute
According to a Thursday court order issued by Judge Susan C. Rodriguez, the case is scheduled to begin Monday, February 1, 2027, and is expected to last nine days.
The lawsuit stems from Gabehart’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing earlier this year.
Following the conclusion of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Gabehart stepped away from his role as Denny Hamlin’s longtime crew chief to become the competition director. He then left Joe Gibbs Racing in late 2025 to accept a position as Chief Motorsports Officer at Spire Motorsports.
In February, Joe Gibbs Racing filed suit against Gabehart, alleging he took proprietary trade-secret information with him when he left the organization. The team also sued Spire Motorsports, claiming the organization improperly used confidential information during the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Spire and Gabehart have denied wrongdoing, and the dispute has since expanded into a lawsuit and countersuit that has remained active in court throughout the season.
The newly issued scheduling order marks the first time a trial date has been formally placed on the calendar, signaling that the case is moving beyond preliminary legal filings and toward courtroom proceedings.
Lawsuit has remained a major off-track storyline
The legal battle has become one of NASCAR’s biggest off-track stories in 2026, involving one of the sport’s premier organizations, one of its fastest-growing teams, and one of the industry’s most respected competition leaders.
Gabehart spent years at Joe Gibbs Racing, most notably serving as Hamlin’s crew chief before transitioning into the organization’s competition director role. His move to Spire Motorsports ahead of the 2026 season immediately drew attention given his extensive knowledge of Joe Gibbs Racing’s internal competition processes.
Joe Gibbs Racing subsequently alleged that proprietary information followed Gabehart to Spire, while Spire and Gabehart have maintained their positions in court as the litigation has unfolded.
Unless the parties reach a settlement before then, the case is now scheduled to be heard in February 2027.
With a nine-day trial officially on the calendar, one of NASCAR’s most significant legal disputes has taken another major step toward a courtroom resolution.
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