A trial date and schedule has been officially set for the Joe Gibbs Racing v Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports lawsuit and countersuit.
In a Thursday morning order issued by Judge Susan C. Rodriguez, a trial is expected to last nine days and will start on Monday, February 1. JGR sued Gabehart, its former longtime crew chief turned competition director for taking trade secreted information upon his decision to leave and take the Chief Motorsports Officer job at Spire in February. Spire was then also sued by JGR for allegedly using the proprietary information during the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Both defendants have denied the allegations and since countersued Joe Gibbs Racing. Thus far, JGR has yet to provide conclusive evidence of its claims. However, Judge Rodriguez has concluded as a matter of fact that Gabehart did misappropriate the data upon leaving but has since claimed to have turned over everything he took without transmitting it to Spire.
The following key dates have been established by Judge Rodriguez.
Rule 26 Disclosures | July 27, 2026
Substantial Document Production | August 17, 2026
Amendment of the Pleadings | August 24, 2026
Joinder of Other Parties | August 24, 2026
Opening Expert Reports | September 14, 2026
Rebuttal Expert Report | September 28, 2026
Completion of Fact Discovery | August 31, 2026
Completion of Expert Discovery | October 15, 2026
Mediation Report | October 23, 2026
Filing of Dispositive Motions | October 30, 2026
Trial Date | February 1, 2027 (Nine days)
