Checkered Weekend: Gabehart Lawsuit Shakes NASCAR, Creed Finally Wins, Lawrence Breaks Through

This Checkered Weekend had a little bit of everything, legal tension in the NASCAR garage, a long-awaited first win, a breakthrough moment under the lights in Supercross, and financial reshuffling in Formula 1.

Another NASCAR Lawsuit?

Spire Motorsports confirmed they have hired former Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart as Chief Motorsports Officer, a role that will oversee multiple disciplines within the organization. On the surface, it’s a big move for an expanding race team. But the move is already entangled in legal action.

Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit alleging Gabehart accessed proprietary competition data while negotiating with Spire Motorsports, including syncing files to personal devices and accessing a folder labeled “Spire.” The suit also claims photographs of sensitive team data were stored on a personal Google Drive account. Gabehart issued a statement forcefully denying the allegations and is expected to formally respond in court. Three attorneys from Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. Cary B. Davis, Anna Claire Tucker, and Spencer T. Wiles have filed notices of appearance on his behalf.

Beyond the immediate headlines, this dispute raises broader questions in the modern spec-car era. With shared chassis and tightly controlled technical rules and proprietary data. Simulation tools, setup libraries, workflow systems become competitive edges. The resolution of this case could define what senior-level executives are legally allowed to retain when transitioning between teams.

On track at Atlanta Motor Speedway, drivers were careful not to fuel the fire. Christopher Bell acknowledged his working relationship with Gabehart but made clear the legal implications were beyond his role. Meanwhile, Wally Brown has stepped back into the competition director position at JGR. New Spire driver Daniel Suarez reflected on racing against Gabehart during the 2016 Xfinity championship fight, calling him “extremely smart and competitive.”

The legal battle may unfold in courtrooms, but its competitive implications will be felt in the garage.

A Winless Streak Ends!

While executives sorted through lawyers, one of the sport’s most persistent streaks finally ended Saturday night in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

After 137 career starts and 15 runner-up finishes, Sheldon Creed finally stood in Victory Lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The win came in chaotic fashion. Austin Hill took the lead from Ross Chastain coming to the white flag, but Chastain stayed within striking distance down the backstretch. Hill threw a late defensive block to the inside. The cars made contact. Hill spun sideways. Creed surged through the smoke and crossed the line first.

It wasn’t the cleanest path to a first win but few breakthrough victories ever are. For Creed, the statistic that defined his career is gone.

In Arlington, another breakthrough came on two wheels.

At AT&T Stadium, Round 7 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Hunter Lawrence captured his first premier 450SMX victory.

The 20-minute main event saw Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb trade early control before Lawrence inserted himself into the fight. Meanwhile, Eli Tomac charged from 11th to the front group within the opening laps, setting up a four-rider battle separated by mere seconds.

Lawrence’s decisive move came in the whoops after relentless pressure on Roczen. Once clear, he managed the gap despite a late push from Tomac and secured the win by 2.8 seconds. It marked the fifth different winner in seven races this season and pushed Lawrence into a four-point championship lead over Tomac.

After four runner-up finishes to start the year, the breakthrough finally arrived and it may prove pivotal in a title fight that is tightening by the week.

Stroll Buys Aston Martin...Again

Lawrence Stroll is set to purchase the naming rights of the Aston Martin F1 Team for £50 million as the automaker works to stabilize its financial outlook. The deal, pending shareholder approval, comes amid reports of earnings pressures tied to macroeconomic headwinds, including tariff impacts and weakened demand in China.

On the competitive side, the team’s pre-season testing program in Bahrain was disrupted by battery-related power unit issues ahead of its 2026 Honda partnership. The upcoming season represents a new chapter, with Adrian Newey stepping into a leadership role and Honda supplying power units. But early reliability setbacks underscore the challenge ahead.

The business structure may be evolving but performance questions remain unanswered.