NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Gibbs. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chris Gabehart calls out Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs in response to JGR lawsuit

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 25, 2026 8:22 PM ET

It didn't take long for the lawsuit between Joe Gibbs Racing and Chris Gabehart to turn nasty.

JGR sued Gabehart Feb. 19, alleging that the former JGR crew chief and competition director stole sensitive information and saved it in a folder on his personal computer entitled "Spire." Gabehart signed with Spire Motorsports on Feb. 21 to serve in a leadership role.

On Wednesday, Gabehart filed a declaration, in which he called out Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 54 team in the NASCAR Cup Series. The No. 54 JGR Toyota is driven by Ty Gibbs, the son of team owner Joe Gibbs.

"I further expressed serious concerns about the management of JGR’s No. 54 car, which is one of JGR’s four Cup Series entries," Gabehart said, per Kelly Crandall. "It was my view that the No. 54 car should be managed and held accountable in the same manner as the organization’s other cars. Instead, the No. 54 car was managed directly by Coach Gibbs and everyone in the organization knew it."

Gabehart on the 54 team:

"I further expressed serious concerns about the management of JGR’s No. 54 car, which is one of JGR’s four Cup Series entries. It was my view that the No. 54 car should be managed and held accountable in the same manner as the organization’s other cars.…
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) February 25, 2026

"Beginning early in the 2025 season, Coach Gibbs repeatedly pressured me to take over as crew chief of the No. 54 car. I consistently declined, explaining that as Competition Director, I did not believe this was the right move, that it would undermine the long-term development of the team, and that I did not want to be crew chief of the No. 54 or any other car."

Chris Gabehart wasn't happy with JGR

Gabehart became Gibbs' de facto crew chief on June 28, 2025. He also said that he "identified specific examples of the No. 54 team’s differential treatment that undermined my position as Competition Director."

Gibbs missed the Cup Series playoffs in 2025, finishing 19th in the Cup Series standings. He was the only JGR driver to not qualify for the postseason.

Gibbs is winless in 125 Cup Series starts and has 17 top-five finishes and 33 top-10 results. He's 33rd in the Cup Series standings two races into the 2026 campaign.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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