Joe Gibbs Racing’s legal battle with Spire Motorsports and former competition director Chris Gabehart has taken a staggering financial turn.
What was previously reported as a lawsuit seeking more than $8 million in damages now carries a potential price tag approaching $150 million, according to a new federal court filing.
The figure surfaced Tuesday night, Oct. 20, in a brief filed by Spire Motorsports as the two NASCAR organizations continue their fight over alleged trade secret theft. It represents the amount Spire says JGR is seeking, not a court ruling or a finding that either defendant is liable.
FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass brought attention to the filing, which also raises questions about whether the case can stay on track for its scheduled Feb. 1 trial.
In its filing, Spire states that “JGR’s damages expert opines that JGR’s damages are $47.4 million” as far as the worth of the trade secrets. (my guess is when adding punitive damages, get to closer to the $150 million total). https://t.co/3JoLGJZSau
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 21, 2026
Joe Gibbs Racing’s $150 Million Damages Claim Comes Into Focus
The new figure is considerably larger than the amount previously associated with the lawsuit, which JGR filed in February after Gabehart left the organization for Spire.
According to the Spire brief, JGR is seeking nearly $150 million in damages. Pockrass also reported that the filing attributes a $47.4 million valuation of the disputed trade secrets to JGR’s damages expert.
Those numbers are not interchangeable.
The $47.4 million figure concerns the expert’s assessment of damages tied to the alleged trade secrets. The nearly $150 million figure represents the broader damages demand described by Spire. Whether punitive damages account for some of the difference has not been established in the material disclosed.
Spire is challenging both the allegations and the scope of JGR’s claims.
In the filing, Spire argues that JGR has not produced sufficient evidence that the organization improperly obtained or used its confidential information. The team also disputes JGR’s examination of its 2026 Chevrolet setups, questioning whether those configurations can be traced to protected information from JGR’s 2025 Toyota program.
Those are Spire’s arguments, not findings made by the court.
NASCAR Lawsuit Faces More Questions Ahead of February Trial
The financial stakes are only part of the latest dispute.
The new filing comes amid disagreements over document production, expert reports and the evidence each side needs to prepare for trial.
Spire alleges that JGR recently produced a final list of its claimed trade secrets, along with thousands of additional documents, after earlier discovery deadlines. The defendants argue that the timing complicates preparations for the scheduled Feb. 1 proceedings.
At the center of the case is Gabehart, who spent more than a decade at Joe Gibbs Racing, including serving as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief before becoming the organization’s competition director.
JGR alleges that Gabehart improperly took confidential information before joining Spire. Gabehart and Spire have denied wrongdoing and challenged the accusations in court.
The parties have also disputed whether Gabehart’s work at Spire violated restrictions imposed earlier in the case.
Now, with the trial approaching, the newly disclosed damages demand adds another dimension to a legal fight already involving two Cup Series teams, a prominent NASCAR executive and competing claims about some of the sport’s most closely guarded technical information.
Nearly $150 million is being sought, according to Spire’s filing. Whether JGR can establish its claims, and whether any damages will ultimately be awarded, remains unresolved.