A new legal filing has added another development to the ongoing dispute between NASCAR teams Joe Gibbs Racing and Spire Motorsports.
Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson submitted a declaration Wednesday night responding to allegations made by Joe Gibbs Racing in its lawsuit involving former competition director Chris Gabehart.
The filing outlines Dickerson’s account of events surrounding Gabehart’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing and his subsequent hiring by Spire, while also pushing back on claims that Spire improperly pursued confidential information or sponsors connected to Joe Gibbs Racing.
The declaration represents the latest development in a legal battle that has unfolded publicly across the NASCAR garage in recent weeks.
Dickerson Denies Allegations Involving Proprietary Information
Joe Gibbs Racing previously filed a lawsuit alleging Gabehart may have taken proprietary competition information that could potentially benefit Spire Motorsports.
In his declaration, Dickerson rejected that claim.
In the filing, Dickerson wrote that Spire does not want or need confidential information from Joe Gibbs Racing, pointing to the team’s existing technical relationships and competitive resources.
Spire competes as a Chevrolet organization and maintains a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports while also receiving manufacturer support from General Motors.
“To be clear, Spire never asked for, did not want or need, and does not want or need any information from Mr. Gabehart that was the property of JGR,” Dickerson wrote in the filing.
The declaration states that Gabehart signed a non-disclosure agreement with Spire preventing him from sharing protected information from his former employer.
Filing Describes Disputed Employee Agreement
Dickerson’s filing also includes details about a previous situation involving car chief Robert “Cheddar” Smith, who left Spire Motorsports in 2025 to join Joe Gibbs Racing.
According to the declaration, Smith was still under contract with Spire at the time but was released early so he could immediately join Joe Gibbs Racing.
Dickerson wrote that the decision was made with the understanding that Joe Gibbs Racing would provide a similar contractual waiver in the future if Spire later attempted to hire an employee from the team.
The filing states that Dickerson believes that agreement was never fulfilled.
Dickerson also said Spire later explored potential hires from Joe Gibbs Racing but that those requests were declined.
Private Investigator Allegation Included in Filing
Another detail in the declaration involves a meeting between Dickerson and Gabehart in December 2025.
According to the filing, the two met for lunch at a restaurant in Mooresville, North Carolina. Dickerson later learned that photographs of the meeting had been taken by a private investigator allegedly hired by Joe Gibbs Racing.
Dickerson described the situation as unusual within the NASCAR industry in the filing.
“I was surprised and, quite frankly, disturbed to learn that a competitor in our industry had hired someone to follow its former employee around,” Dickerson wrote.
Sponsor Dispute Also Addressed
Dickerson also pushed back on claims that Spire attempted to improperly pursue sponsors connected to Joe Gibbs Racing.
In the filing, Dickerson said competition for sponsorships is common throughout NASCAR and that teams regularly pursue companies already working within the sport.
“This conduct is part of the racing business,” Dickerson wrote. “Sponsors are free to choose which teams they sponsor, and teams are free to pursue their preferred sponsors.”
The filing also includes Dickerson’s claim that Joe Gibbs Racing has pursued sponsors connected to other teams in the past.
Lawsuit Remains Ongoing
The dispute centers largely on Gabehart’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing and his subsequent hiring by Spire Motorsports.
Joe Gibbs Racing has alleged that Gabehart was involved in a scheme to take proprietary competition information from the organization.
Dickerson’s filing disputes those claims and states that Spire has no interest in obtaining confidential data from competitors.
Earlier this month, a judge issued a temporary restraining order limiting the scope of Gabehart’s work with Spire Motorsports while the case proceeds. That order currently runs through March 16.
The legal process between the two NASCAR organizations remains ongoing.
Spire’s Jeff Dickerson Responds to Joe Gibbs Racing Lawsuit in New Court Filing