Post the Phoenix race, in an interview with FOX Sports, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs sent a subtle message to ex-competition director Chris Gabehart. The reply came after Gabehart alleged that Gibbs received different treatment in the organization for being Joe Gibbs’ grandson.
After JGR filed a lawsuit, Gabehart filed his declaration. In the documents, the ex-competition director claimed that the #54 Toyota Camry XSE driver always received special treatment in the team. Chris Gabehart also revealed that the team owner pressured him to crew chief the #54 Toyota in the 2025 season.
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Fast forward to the Phoenix race, Joe Gibbs Racing had a great day except for Chase Briscoe. Team drivers Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, and Denny Hamlin secured a spot among the top-five drivers. Reflecting on that, Gibbs issued a statement after the 312-lap race:
“Yeah, we were really good today. And yeah, just, I don’t know that’s unfortunate, but we keep rolling. And, you know, I think I could have done some things better there. I just, yeah, unfortunate there, but very, you know, happy with my team.”
“And you know, all the guys we’re with, I’m with the right guys, and that makes a difference. And so, you know, we’re running good because of that, and it shows, so, you know, I’m really happy with my team. Everybody believes in me, and we all believe in each other. So happy with that,” he added.
Ty Gibbs qualified 14th for the 312-lap race and clinched a P4 finish, earning 36 points. Meanwhile, Gibbs’ teammates Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin secured a P2 and a P5 finish at the Phoenix race. On the other hand, Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney secured his first victory of the 2026 season.
Joe Gibbs Racing hired a private investigator to follow Chris Gabehart ahead of the lawsuit
Amid allegations of illegal data transfer at Chris Gabehart, Joe Gibbs Racing revealed the latest details relevant to the lawsuit. On March 7, 2026, Motorsports.com shared a report by JGR, claiming that the Cup Series team hired a private investigator to track Gabehart’s travel in December 2025.
The NASCAR team claimed Gabehart allegedly copied the organization’s sensitive data and used it for personal gain. Following that, JGR has been seeking over $8 million in financial damages due to the data breach. Meanwhile, the former JGR employee denied all the allegations about the data leak.
Following that, Joe Gibbs Racing unveiled that Chris Gabehart met Spire Motorsports’ owners, Dan Towriss and Jeff Dickerson. In addition, a picture from Dec. 2, 2025, featured Gabehart driving to Spire’s facility and taking Dickerson to a nearby restaurant.
The report also featured quotes from Denny Hamlin about the information Gabehart had access to. Continuing, Hamlin explained:
“The materials Gabehart took — including car setups, simulation files, post-race analytics, tire management strategies, fuel mileage calculations, and pit crew performance data — represent decades of JGR’s research, development, and innovation specifically designed to optimize speed and win races.”
Denny Hamlin concluded that if Chris Gabehart leaks the data, it “would cause major harm” to the Cup Series team. Meanwhile, Spire hired Gabehart, and as a result, JGR added them as a defendant in the ongoing lawsuit.
Edited by Karan Yadav
