As discussions continue this weekend between Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing, time is running out. Federal Judge Susan C. Rodriguez warned that if no agreement is reached by Sunday evening, March 1, 2026, a decision on the temporary restraining order would be made Monday afternoon. Amid the standoff, JGR driver Denny Hamlin plays this one close to the vest.
Hamlin has already stated its position on his Harmful actions podcast, weighing in on the dispute between his former team leader and his team. He argued that the situation was tilted against Gabehart and highlighted why teams protect their data like gold. Asked again about the Circuit of the Americas, Hamlin closed the door to further comments.
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“I shared, you know, my thoughts on Monday about why it’s really important for these teams to be able to protect their information, because honestly, there’s no going back. Yeah, it’s if somehow your information gets leaked, there’s no going back until there’s another new car, and who knows when that will be,” Hamlin said.
On the podcast, Hamlinarticulated the problem in the context of the spec-car era of NASCAR, where data is the final frontier. He highlighted the network of departments involved in building performance, from engineering to aeronautics, arguing that no one owns this work or has the right to carry it out elsewhere.
Hamlin underlines how teams spend millions to find speed and believe they have every right to protect it. Hamlin called the legal clash difficult to watch and suggested Joe Gibbs Racing wasn’t backing down.
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As co-owner of 23XI RaceHamlin said his group was also strengthening its own safeguards. He admitted that during the offseason he was juggling other issues and wasn’t aware of all the details. While the litigation is ongoing, Hamlin said he will not delve deeper into the fight.
Meanwhile, the backdrop is a hearing that lasted more than three hours on JGR’s request for a restraining order against Gabehart. With no decision made, both parties agreed to continue working through the weekend. For now, Gabehart remains free to attend NASCAR events as an employee of Spire Motorsports, with next steps expected to be taken once the court rules.
The position Denny Hamlin doubles down on public stance in Chris Gabehart-JGR trial appeared first on The rush to sport.
