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Joe Gibbs Racing has paid Spire Motorsports $100,000 plus interest to try to knock out one part of Spire’s countersuit, according to a court filing first reported by Motorsport.com.
The payment covers the dispute over car chief Cheddar Smith, who moved from Spire to JGR to work on Ty Gibbs‘ No. 54 car. JGR still says there was never an agreement, but it made the payment and asked the court to dismiss Spire’s counterclaims.
The Cheddar Smith Dispute
Spire countersued JGR on June 25. Part of its claim was that Spire agreed in April 2025 to release Smith from his contract in exchange for either an equal-level JGR employee or a $100,000 payment, and that JGR never held up its end.
In its new filing, JGR said it has now paid, and that Spire accepted the payment.
“On November 6, 2026, JGR paid Spire $100,000 plus legal interest accrued from the end of the 2025 season—the full measure of the only obligation Spire’s own pleading describes, and more,” the filing said. “By Spire’s account, JGR held the express option to satisfy the alleged agreement with a $100,000 payment. JGR has now made that payment, with interest. Even though JGR disputes that the parties ever formed a trade agreement for the release of a JGR employee or payment to Spire of $100,000, JGR issues that payment to avoid any further dispute over the issue.”
JGR argued that because Spire has received everything its counterclaims ask for, “there is no longer a live case or controversy, and the counterclaims should be dismissed for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.”
How JGR Got to $108,087.67
JGR chief commercial officer Eric Schaffer laid out the exact amount in a declaration.
“That amount consists of $100,000 plus legal interest of $8,087.67 on that sum from the end of the 2025 NASCAR season on November 2, 2025 through November 6, 2026 calculated at eight percent simple interest per annum for 369 days. ($100,000 x 8% x 369/365).”
The Gabehart Case Heads to Trial
JGR has said Chris Gabehart, then its competition director, was responsible for working out the Smith arrangement with Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson.
Gabehart later left JGR for Spire, and JGR sued both, claiming Gabehart took trade secrets with him to his new team. Gabehart and Spire both deny that.
Gabehart has acknowledged taking files with him, including information he photographed and stored on a personal server. But he says everything was deleted or returned to JGR, and that nothing proprietary to JGR was taken to or used at Spire.
That case is still being fought in court, and a trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 1.
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