ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Chris Gabehart made his first public appearance as a Spire Motorsports employee Saturday in St. Petersburg, where both IndyCar and its developmental series and NASCAR’s third-tier Truck Series are racing on a street circuit downtown this weekend.
The employee at the center of a federal lawsuit concerning his employment status sat inside the Andretti Autosport hospitality suit as lawyers work behind the scenes to come to a resolution with NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing before Monday afternoon.
“With all the momentum the sport currently has, coming off everything in the offseason, I think this is a very unfortunate spot for the sport to be in, in the public light,” Gabehart said. “This is something that could have been taken care of behind closed doors. I can respect the fact that we are working our way through it and will continue to do so as long as it takes.
“I feel bad for all the publicity that this has drawn away from the sport of NASCAR.”
Gabehart spent 13 years with JGR and in 2025 was the competition director for the organization led by NASCAR Hall. of Fame team owner Joe Gibbs. A dispute over Gabehart’s new role late last year led to negotiations on his separation.