Judge Wants ‘Hard Evidence’ in JGR Trade Secrets Case
Court presses both sides as dispute with former executive Gabehart intensifies.
JGR Trade Secrets Case: Judge Wants ‘Hard Evidence’ US District Court Western District of North Carolina After a 35-minute recess Thursday afternoon, a federal judge said she needed more time before ruling on Joe Gibbs Racing’s request for a preliminary injunction against the team’s former competition director Chris Gabehart. “I want to dig my teeth into this,” US District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez said.
“It’s really important for the court to get this right. There is a livelihood and there are businesses on the line. ” Rodriguez said she would issue her ruling “as quickly as we can.
” JGR has requested a preliminary injunction against Chris Gabehart and Spire Motorsports, who hired Gabehart as its chief motorsports officer, so the status quo can be maintained until the case goes to trial. A temporary restraining order that prevents Gabehart from performing duties at Spire Motorsports that overlap with the ones he had during his 17 years at JGR was extended to April 9. During Thursday’s six-hour day, attorneys for both sides reiterated statements concerning: Gabehart taking trade secrets, the “crown jewels” from JGR to give to Spire.
Spire’s hiring of Gabehart to get the “crown jewels” so the team could take a “short cut” to being a successful race team. Spire saying it doesn’t have any of JGR’s information and it doesn’t want it. Spire and Gabehart’s attorneys contending JGR breached its contract with Gabehart first and therefore, the 18-month no-compete clause JGR wants against Gabehart cannot be enforced.