The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla on Thursday confirmed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season will take place as scheduled, adding that the remaining match fixtures will be announced after the election dates are declared by the Election Commission of India. Speaking to ANI, Shukla clarified that the BCCI has already released the schedule for the initial phase of the tournament and will decide on the remaining fixtures once the poll schedule is announced for the states heading to elections.

“IPL will be held as per schedule. We have released the schedule for 20 matches. The schedule for remaining matches will be released after the Election Commission announces the dates for states going to the election,” Shukla said.

The West Asia Conlfict has put stress on player travel. The West Indian team’s departure post the T20 World Cup in India was delayed due to cancellation of flights to the region.

Earlier, the BCCI announced the schedule for the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12, 2026.

As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are announced.

The 19th edition of the biggest T20 league on the globe will commence when defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.

Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, 2026, when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings (PBKS), meanwhile, will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.

Note: The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

As Mark Twain would say: The reports of Aaron Jones’s release were greatly exaggerated. The Minnesota Vikings had initially planned to release Jones this offseason, but that has changed on the third day of free agency. Jones has reportedly accepted a pay cut to stay in Minnesota.

The veteran stayed, though the backfield plan still looks like a work in progress.

Many wondered why the Vikings hadn’t signed any free-agent halfbacks this week. Well, they evidently wanted Jones back for Year No. 3 in the Twin Cities.

Jones Reworks Deal to Stay With the Vikings

Your Aaron Jones jerseys stay relevant.

Jones Back to MIN

NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero broke the news Wednesday, “The Vikings and RB Aaron Jones have agreed to a revised contract to keep him in Minnesota for the 2026 season, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport. Jones lowers his base salary to $5.5 million and will stay in Minnesota.”

“The Vikings never wanted to let go of Aaron Jones, who is a strong locker room presence and still effective when healthy at age 31. The sides worked towards a new deal and found common ground to keep in purple for another season.”

NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper added, “A report early this month said that the Vikings were set to release running back Aaron Jones, but he and the team have worked out a revised deal that will keep him in Minnesota. No other details of the changes have been reported, so Jones may have a chance to earn some of that money through incentives related to his production on the field.”

The move felt like a total swerve because in the Vikings fans’ minds, Jones was as good as gone. He apparently tested the waters on the open market, determining a pay reduction in Minnesota would be more than a fresh contract with a new team.

Running It Back .. at Running Back

What does this mean for Minnesota in 2026? Well, the Vikings are running it back. Full stop. In 2025, they embarked on Week 1 with Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, and Ty Chandler in their roster orbit, with Jones on deck as the RB1.

Minus Chandler, who remains a free agent, Minnesota will feature the same veteran threesome in the offensive backfield.

As recently as two days ago, the only tailback in the mix for Minnesota was Mason, as Scott held a restricted free-agent status, and news had already leaked that Jones would be dropped. Now, just a few days into free agency, all three are back.

One must wonder if the other players “released” by the Vikings, defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, might accept the same arrangement. Stay tuned.

Jones in 2025

Jones appeared in 12 games last season, battling injuries, which is a part of his modus operandi and what prevented him from having a superstar’s career in Green Bay from 2017 to 2023. But — he logged 747 yards from scrimmage in 2025, with 3 touchdowns. That isn’t nothing.

The year before, Jones’s first in Minneapolis, he tabulated 1,546 yards from scrimmage and 7 scores. Ironically in that season, Justin Jefferson and Jones both banked 1,546 yards from scrimmage on the nose.

In 2026, Jones will hope to remain upright and healthy. He’ll turn 32 in December.

It’s also worth noting that Minnesota will retain a core leader in the locker room. From the jump, and even in Green Bay, Jones has created his reputation as a “locker room guy,” and “one of the good ones” to have on a football team. With players like fullback C.J. Ham retiring and possibly safety Harrison Smith, the Vikings risked losing a large faction of its veteran leadership.

Wednesday’s news regarding Jones changed that.

The New Plan?

Jones and Mason are now expected to compete for the RB1 role in 2026. However, Minnesota may still bolster its roster in the draft, as that venue will provide another avenue to acquire a running back.

While Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame might be unavailable by pick No. 18, Minnesota could consider other prospects. Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), Emmett Johnson (Nebraska), Jonah Coleman (Washington), Nick Singleton (Penn State), and Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas) are projected to be Rounds 2–4 selections.

Ultimately, drafting a rookie running back appears to be the most likely path for Minnesota. The team hasn’t drafted a successful tailback since Dalvin Cook in 2017 and Alexander Mattison in 2019, a drought they will likely end this year.

Minnesota met with Johnson (Nebraska) at the NFL Combine, and Washington Jr. (Arkansas) bedazzled all general managers, scouts, and coaches with his size and speed at the same event.

Singleton (Penn State) would provide a blend of youth, size, speed, and big-game experience and is likely available in Round 3 or 4.

In other news, Manchester City were crushed by Real Madrid thanks to an unlikely hat-trick from Federico Valverde. In his post-match press conference, Pep Guardiola was realistic, saying his team would “try” to make up the three-goal deficit in the second leg in Manchester.

Meanwhile, Arsenal failed to win in the Champions League for the first time this season, and Norway‘s Bodo/Glimt’s crazy adventure continues… This follows their impressive victory over Sporting Portugal. 

At Rosehill, Vauban looks to commence the autumn carnival identically to last year by capturing the Sky High Stakes.

Co-trainer Adrian Bott noted the choice to mirror the preparation from 12 months previous, particularly for the first couple of appearances.

“It’s the race he won twelve months ago, so we tried to do a similar prep for him,” Bott said.

“He is well placed, and he seems in good shape.”

Vauban succeeded in the Sky High Stakes (2000m) last year, then was third behind Dubai Honour and Duke De Sessa in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m).

Both contests are planned again, alongside potential Brisbane winter carnival targets further ahead.

“Last year we went to the Tancred, which he was a touch unlucky in. If he resumes as well as he did last year, all things being equal we will look at that race again,” Bott said.

“If not, there are other targets we can look at.

“He’s not confirmed for a Sydney Cup path this time through, we might just keep him at that 2000, 2400 and then potentially look at some options in Queensland as well.”

Vauban last raced when sixth in the Melbourne Cup but boasts three trials sharpening him for reappearance.

While spring Cup efforts test equine stamina, Bott reports Vauban has excelled afterward.

“It’s amazing. He has thrived off the back of it,” he said.

“He has just looked looked tremendous this campaign, so hopefully that’s a good indication.”

In the Sky High, the stable runs Just Fine too, with Bott expecting fitter form than his midfield run in the Parramatta Cup (2000m) three lengths away.

After a 10-month layoff, his home efforts have been encouraging.

“He’d had a while off the scene so he will be better for that run,” Bott said.

“He finished alongside Campaldino the other day, who then came out and won well.

“I was really pleased with him going into that run, and I still have been.”

Tulloch Lodge joins just one other stable in the Sky High Stakes, Chris Waller with seven entrants.

Discover racing betting markets for Vauban in the Sky High Stakes.

First Published: Mar 12 2026 | 12:16 PM IST

Team USA can breathe a sigh of relief, and they can thank Team Italy, the squad that put their World Baseball Classic hopes in limbo, after their win over Team Mexico on Tuesday night. 

With Italy’s 9-1 victory at Daikin Park, they have won Pool B with a perfect 4-0 record and earned a spot in the WBC quarterfinals. 

But Italy also ensured that Team USA’s run in the tournament continues despite handing the star-studded group a shocking 8-6 defeat on Monday night. 

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Vinnie Pasquantino of Italy hits a solo home run in the 6th inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic – Pool B at Daikin Park on March 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

Team USA knew going into this game they would be big fans of Italy, one of the more surprising teams of the tournament thus far, but a thrill to watch. They have the fun espresso home run celebration, which has been used a ton including Tuesday night’s game, and a mixture of veterans and top prospects who have been giving their pool fits on the field. 

However, Vinnie Pasquantino, the team’s captain who stars for the Kansas City Royals, came into this contest without a single hit through three games. Luckily for Italy – and indirectly the U.S. – his first three hits of the tournament were difference makers. 

Pasquantino belted three solo home runs in the win, marking the first time in WBC history that a player went yard three times in a single game. 

TEAM USA’S WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC HOPES TAKE MASSIVE HIT WITH ITALY UPSET

He got Team Italy on the board first in the top of the second, hitting a 342-foot blast to right field. Then, in the top of the sixth inning, he hit a towering shot that stayed fair down the right field line to take a free trip around the bases again. 

As he stepped to the plate in the top of the eighth inning, Pasquantino, already two espresso shots deep after his first two longballs, got just enough to get it over the right-field fence one last time. 

Jon Berti of the Italy reacts after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic – Pool B at Daikin Park on March 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

But, just like the other three games, there wasn’t only one Italy hitter showcasing his power. Jon Berti, who has had a great tournament thus far, made use of the Crawford boxes in left field, hitting one just far enough in the top of the fourth inning to extend Italy’s lead to 2-0. 

Meanwhile, Mexico couldn’t get the bats going against veteran hurler Aaron Nola, the reliable Philadelphia Phillies starter who had his patented knuckle-curve working in Houston. He tossed five innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five over 69 pitches. 

The game started to get away from Mexico, too, in the top of the fifth inning, when nine-hitter Dante Nori dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt that scored Pasquantino’s Royals teammate, Jac Caglianone, to make it a 3-0 game. Then, Miami Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee came in clutch with a two-out, bases-loaded single that scored two runners before he was picked off at first base to end the inning. 

With a 7-0 lead, Mexico, facing desperation, saw some offensive life in the bottom of the seventh with bases loaded and no outs. But after Alek Thomas’ groundout to first, and Rowdy Tellez hitting a liner right at Pasquantino for the second out, Jarren Duran struck out as they were only able to get one run out of a potentially game-changing situation. 

Vinnie Pasquantino of Italy runs the bases after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic between Italy and Mexico at Daikin Park on March 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

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Pasquantino’s third home run flipped momentum right back to Team Italy, and they rode it into the final frame where they sealed victory. 

As Italy soars into the quarterfinals, Mexico is eliminated as their players will head back to their respective big league camps to finish out spring training.

Team USA’s quarterfinal matchup will be against Team Canada, the winners of Pool A, at 8 p.m. ET in Daikin Park on March 13. 

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For weeks, Minnesota Vikings fans and NFL media have speculated that Kevin O’Connell’s team would be interested if Kyler Murray became available — and that theory was correct. The Arizona Cardinals formally released Murray on Wednesday, putting the Vikings in hot pursuit.

Minnesota’s quarterback chase may now have a clear frontrunner.

It may be just a matter of time before Murray signs on the Vikings’ dotted line.

Kyler Murray’s Path to Minnesota Looks More Real Than Ever

It’s time to consider No. 1 in purple and gold a real thing.

Cardinals Drop Murray

Arizona drafted Murray with the first overall pick in 2019 — after it cast 1st-Rounder from 2018, Josh Rosen, to the side to make room — and that relationship has netted one playoff berth. In the 2026 offseason, the Cardinals hired new head coach Mike LaFleur, who evidently has a different vision for the new-look Cardinals than Murray back for Year No. 8.

Following weeks of rumors, the Cardinals, alas, dropped Murray on Wednesday, as soon as the NFL calendar officially rolled to 2026.

Darren Urban, from the Cardinals’ team website, announced, “In the move known for more than a week, the Cardinals officially released quarterback Kyler Murray on Wednesday as the new league year began in the NFL. In the move known for more than a week, the Cardinals officially released quarterback Kyler Murray on Wednesday as the new league year began in the NFL. Murray is expected to quickly find a new team, with the Vikings the speculative favorite.”

“It won’t be Atlanta, who already signed Tua Tagovailoa with Michael Penix Jr. coming back from a knee injury, or the Jets, who traded for Geno Smith. Murray is already owed $36 million from the Cardinals this season, which will allow him to sign where he wants for the minimum $1.3M if he chooses. The NFL’s QB carousel has been spinning since Monday.”

Even the Cardinals’ own reporters know that Murray is probably heading to the Vikings.

Vikings in the Hunt

Then, Minnesota, as the presumptive frontrunner, became a reality.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted, “The Vikings plan to make a push for Kyler Murray and are the favorite to land the former No. 1 overall pick, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport. Finally released today by Arizona, Murray will take his time and wants to speak with interested teams. But Minnesota is the team to beat.”

“The Cardinals owe Kyler Murray $36.8M fully guaranteed this season, so the expectation is he’ll sign a one-year minimum deal. If it is indeed in Minnesota, he would compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.”

The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini added, “Now that Kyler Murray’s release from the Cardinals is official, the Minnesota Vikings are expected to target him as a veteran addition to their QB room, sources tell The Athletic. He will be taking a visit to Minnesota and getting a physical.”

Murray to the Vikings is no longer theoretical. It is in motion.

Batting Away the Steelers?

Ironically, Minnesota may not face much resistance to Murray’s incredibly affordable services. The Miami Dolphins chose Malik Willis. The New York Jets traded for Geno Smith. Tua Tagovailoa landed with the Atlanta Falcons. Daniel Jones re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts for $50 million per season. Aaron Rodgers may end up back in Pittsburgh.

Aside from the Cleveland Browns, who have Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel under contract, the Steelers are the only real competition for Murray. The Vikings basically have to make themselves more attractive than the Steelers, which isn’t difficult with quarterback-whispering head coach Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Brian Flores’s defense.

It also helps that Murray cheered for the Vikings as a kid. He’s solicited that information a few times over the years.

Kirk Cousins as a Fallback?

In the same swoop of Murray’s release, the Atlanta Falcons also dropped Cousins, a former Vikings quarterback, on Wednesday afternoon. Cousins’s options are narrow, too, though he could chat with the Browns and Steelers.

The aforementioned Russini tweeted, “Expect the Las Vegas Raiders to show interest in Kirk Cousins as they look for a veteran QB addition to help develop presumptive No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.”

Some credible hints have suggested that the Raiders may not start Mendoza in Week 1, instead leaning on a patchover passer, which would have Cousins written all over it.

Regardless, in the Vikings’ doomsday scenario — Murray signs in Pittsburgh, Rodgers retires, and Mac Jones isn’t available via trade at a reasonable cost — they could call Cousins to gauge his interest in a battle with McCarthy this summer.

But generally speaking, Murray to Minnesota feels inevitable.

Murray will turn 29 this summer.

Dmitry Bivol has had a number of potential opponents outlined ahead of making his long-awaited return to the ring.

The Russian is set to face mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 23 on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven, defending his IBF, WBO and WBA world titles at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.

This represents Bivol’s first outing since February 2025, back when he exacted his revenge over Artur Beterviev to become the undisputed light-heavyweight king.

Since his majority decision victory, though, the accomplished technician has been forced to undergo and recover from back surgery, preventing him from facing David Benavidez last year.

As a result, the then-WBC mandatory challenger was elevated from ‘interim’ to full champion after Bivol had no choice but to relinquish his green and gold strap.

With Benavidez now gearing up to face unified world cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez on May 2, Bivol will instead defend his titles against Eifert, the IBF’s leading contender, later that month.

After that, Bivol should be in pole position for a far more meaningful opportunity, with his manager Vadim Kornilov revealing several options to boxing journalist Dan Rafael.

“Per Bivol manager [Kornilov] to me as it relates to what Dmitry would like: IBF mandatory Michael [Eifert] this spring (agreed to, ticketed for Usyk card May 23) then Beterbiev 3 [and] then either Canelo 2, Benavidez or a cruiserweight champion.”

A rubber match with Beterbiev seems a logical next step, given the close nature of their first two encounters.

As for a Canelo Alvarez rematch, it is difficult to see the Mexican exacting his revenge over Bivol, who scored a dominant unanimous decision victory in 2022.

Benavidez, meanwhile, could present the Russian with the opportunity to either become a two-time undisputed king or a two-division world champion, depending on how he fares against Ramirez.

In a late Wednesday night series of court filings, Chris Gabehart and his retained attorneys responded to or otherwise addressed the continued legal claims made against him and Spire Motorsports by Joe Gibbs Racing.

The first document filed to the docket was a second first-person declaration in which the former engineer, crew chief and competition director made the case that his role as Chief Motorsports Officer has no overlap with his previous position at JGR.

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In this letter, Gabehart detailed in line-item fashion all the things he did last year as Joe Gibbs Racing competition director and his nine-race stint as crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 team, which was one of reasons he became dissatisfied with his employment.

Gabehart said Spire already has three crew chiefs and a competition director in Matt McCall. He wrote that Spire has a technical director and head of vehicle optimization and also does not serve in those capacities either.

Instead, the 44-year-old cited how much more expansive the Spire Motorsports umbrella is compared to Joe Gibbs Racing with teams that compete in Cup, Dirt Sprint Car, Dirt Late Models and Pavement Late Models. This is in addition to parent company TWG Motorsports owning Andretti Global and the General Motors Formula 1 team.

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His words are italicized below:

“The breadth of Spire’s racing program is central to my role as Spire’s Chief Motorsports Officer. Whereas my position at JGR was confined to NASCAR Cup Series competition, my responsibilities at Spire focus on strategic initiatives and operational oversight across Spire’s entire multi-series motorsports enterprise. My job also involves interfacing regularly with TWG Motorsports teams to discuss and develop common best practices amongst the teams. This is currently done through periodic meetings and event visitation by team principals from each discipline that encourage communication and observation of all of the forms of racing in the TWG Motorsports platform.

“My current role at Spire sits at the executive level and encompasses strategic oversight across all of Spire’s racing programs, not just the NASCAR Cup Series. This structural difference is significant. At JGR, I reported within the NASCAR Cup Series hierarchy. At Spire, I operate at the executive leadership level with responsibility spanning multiple racing series and organizational functions. The scope and seniority of my position at Spire involves duties of an entirely different character than those I performed at JGR.”

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To wit, Gabehart says the role of ‘competition director’ was ‘organizationally parallel’ to positions like Production Director, Aero Director and Technical Director.

At Spire, Gabehart says he is working towards big picture initiatives that go beyond NASCAR like targeting disciplines to expand into, maintaining Spire branding and competition standards across all the various teams under the corporate umbrella, working with Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports to acquire resources and become an asset with both.

His salary has been redacted as part of the public facing version of the declaration.

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Gabehart also continued to assert that he made clear in writing the reasons he was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, something JGR said was not made clear enough or in its own individual memo to senior leadership. He maintains the fact that Joe Gibbs Racing even briefly began to work out the details with him on a separation agreement is proof of that understanding.

In other words, Gabehart asserts that JGR was in violation of its contract with him rather than the other way around as they stopped paying him. Gabehart was a free agent as far as he was concerned, legally.

“Mr. Carmichael (Tim, JGR Chief Financial Officer) notes that I have not signed a complete mutual release agreement with JGR. That is accurate only in the limited sense that the parties did not ultimately finalize a separation agreement. After November 10, 2025, I remained engaged in good-faith discussions and then, in December, responded to JGR’s demand letter by agreeing to a comprehensive forensic review designed and directed by JGR. The parties’ failure to finalize a release was the result of JGR’s unilateral decision to change course, not because I failed to proceed under the Section 6, Paragraph 2 pathway we had been following in November.”

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That forensic analysis did not show any evidence that Gabehart shared any proprietary trade information with Spire Motorsports but the suspicion that he may have is what prompted this legal action. For their part, the Gabehart and Spire camps maintain this is punitive action ‘for daring to leave.’

Read Also:

Gibbs seeks proof that Spire, Chris Gabehart conspired to steal trade secrets

In fact, Joe Gibbs Racing has also motioned the court to allow for expedited discovery, a more immediate version of the process that allows both parties of a lawsuit to obtain private documents and communications pertinent to the legal complaint.

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More on that below.

Gabehart also refuted the declaration from longtime Joe Gibbs Racing competition employee Todd Berrier stating a conversation between them indicating that Gabehart had first met Spire co-owner Dan Towriss about a job last October.

“It asserts that on or about October 21, 2025, I told him that I had a meeting with Spire co-owner Dan Towriss about a potential job and that I later texted him confirming that I had that meeting. Mr. Berrier is mistaken. The first time I met Mr. Towriss was on February 28, 2026, at an IndyCar race in St. Petersburg, Florida. Any contrary statement is incorrect.”

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Towriss also submitted a declaration in support of that statement on Wednesday night.

“To the best of my recollection, I did not meet with Mr. Gabehart, either in person or virtually, at any point in time in 2025. And, specifically, I did not meet with Mr. Gabehart in person or virtually on or around October 21, 2025. The first time I ever met Mr. Gabehart in person was on February 28, 2026 at the IndyCar race in St. Petersburg, Florida. The first time I ever spoke with Mr. Gabehart was during a brief phone call on January 9, 2026. During that call, Jeff Dickerson briefly introduced me to Mr. Gabehart.We did not discuss Mr. Gabehart’s employment with Spire during that Call.”

Gabehart also addressed the declarations by two Joe Gibbs Racing sponsors that Spire had reached out to essentially poach them. Gabehart says he has never met those two sponsor representatives nor shared information about their JGR partnerships with Spire.

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As for the revelation that Joe Gibbs Racing had spied on him as he met with Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson over the winter …

“I have also reviewed the declaration submitted by Ryan Simpson. Mr. Simpson is apparently a private investigator who was retained by JGR to conduct surveillance on me. I was unaware that JGR was spying on me. I do not know why JGR was spying on me or for how long. The meeting with Jeff Dickerson referenced in Mr. Simpson’s declaration was held in public at a restaurant in Mooresville, North Carolina. I was not trying to conceal that meeting.”

Dickerson also addressed that revelation in his own declaration on Wednesday night. He said that he and Gabehart have been friends for nearly two decades and have met for dinner regularly over that period. He says he brokered Gabehart’s first NASCAR job while launching Kyle Busch Motorsports. At the time, Dickerson was an agent and spotter for Busch.

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“On December 2, 2025, Mr. Gabehart and I met again, this time for lunch at Barcelona Burger and Beer Garden in Mooresville, North Carolina, which is adjacent to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Garage. We sat down at the table I am known to sit at, at a restaurant that I frequent.

“The Toyota GR Garage is a high performance motorsports testing garage used by Toyota, which is in a technical alliance with JGR. Workers from the Toyota GR Garage routinely eat lunch at Barcelona Burger and Beer Garden. I had absolutely no concerns about any of those workers seeing me eating lunch with Mr. Gabehart because I understood that there was no applicable non-compete in place at the time I met with Mr. Gabehart. And, even if a non-compete had been in place, there is nothing that prevents me from eating lunch with a friend.

Unbeknownst to me, JGR had hired a private investigator to follow Mr. Gabehart around. The private investigator apparently took photographs of me eating lunch with Mr. Gabehart. I was surprised and, quite frankly, disturbed to learn that a competitor in our industry had hired someone to follow its former employee around. I cannot stress this enough: It is extraordinary for an organization in our business to hire a private investigator to follow around any employee, let alone a former employee. In my twenty-five years of experience in this industry, I have never once heard of a team doing so.

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“Despite JGR being well aware that Spire was recruiting Mr. Gabehart as early as December 2, 2025, no one at JGR ever contacted me to claim that Mr. Gabehart was subject to an applicable non-compete (until JGR filed this lawsuit). Even during the forensic examination process described below, no one at JGR ever contacted me to claim that Mr. Gabehart was subject to an applicable non-compete.”

Gabehart’s full declaration letter can be read below.

Chris Gaebhart second declaration by mattweavermedia

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Read Also:

Joe Gibbs Racing had Chris Gabehart followed by a private investigator before lawsuit

Expedited discovery responses

Typically, the discovery process begins after both parties participate in a Rule 26(f) conference, where all parties involved in litigation meet to discuss settlement options and negotiate the terms of which documents and communications are subject to the process.

To be granted expedited discovery, a party must show ‘good cause’ or ‘reasonableness’ in the interest of justice and the potential for immediate harm in the absence of the process taking place.

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Effectively, Joe Gibbs Racing says it has reasons to believe Gabehart may have shared the competitive proprietary information he stored on his devices to Spire Motorsports as part of the change of employment.

The legal team representing Gabehart disagreed with that conclusion in a Wednesday night filing. The separate legal team representing Spire also disagreed. Their reasons were practically the same.

From the Gabehart legal team’s filing:

“The Motion is unnecessary, premature, and seeks to circumvent the orderly discovery process that the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are designed to ensure. JGR has already received the very information it claims to need: a comprehensive forensic examination of Mr. Gabehart’s personal devices, conducted by JGR’s own chosen forensic examiner, pursuant to a protocol drafted by JGR’s own counsel. That examination established that Mr. Gabehart did not transmit, distribute, or share any JGR Confidential Information (as defined in the Employment Agreement, ECF 8-2). At this time, there is no justification for departing from the traditional discovery timeline.”

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From the Spire legal team’s filing:

“JGR misunderstands the legal standard applicable to expedited discovery requests and wholly fails to demonstrate ‘good cause’ or the broad, expedited discovery it seeks in this case. Indeed, although expedited discovery is only appropriate when a movant would be irreparably harmed by abiding by Rule 26’s typical discovery schedule, JGR has utterly failed to articulate how it would be irreparably harmed in the absence of expedited discovery, as required. In fact, JGR affirmatively represents that expedited discovery is not necessary here because its pending Motion for a Preliminary Injunction provides sufficient evidence for this Court to conclude that JGR is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims, even without ‘having any access to expedited discovery.’ Dkt. That concession alone is a sufficient reason to deny JGR’s motion.”

Furthermore, both defendants have asked Judge Susan D Rodriguez, that if she does decide to grant JGR expedited discovery, that they both be eligible for the same on Joe Gibbs Racing over when it understood its agreement with Gabehart to have concluded.

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Because, again, both Spire and Gabehart say they acted under the conviction that there was no applicable non-compete clause.

The Gabehart response lists three reasons for reciprocal discovery:

“First, Defendants are entitled to discovery concerning Mr. Gabehart’s compliance with Section 6, Paragraph 2 of the Employment Agreement. JGR has taken the position that Mr. Gabehart did not validly exercise his rights under Section 6, and that his termination was ‘for cause.’ Defendants are entitled to explore JGR’s communications and documents relating to Mr. Gabehart’s written notice under Section 6, JGR’s evaluation of that notice, negotiation of a separation agreement with Mr. Gabehart, JGR’s decision to place Mr. Gabehart on ‘garden leave,’ JGR’s withholding of wages, and records concerning Mr. Gabehart’s employment status. These documents are exclusively in JGR’s possession and are directly relevant to whether any noncompete obligation applies.

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“Second, Defendants are entitled to discovery concerning JGR’s internal communications about Mr. Gabehart’s exercise of his contractual rights. The text messages between Mr. Gabehart and Tim Carmichael demonstrate that JGR leadership understood Mr. Gabehart was exercising his rights under Section 6 and did not blame him for doing so. Defendants are entitled to discover what other JGR personnel communicated about this subject, and whether JGR’s after-the-fact ‘termination for cause’ was a pretext designed to avoid the consequences of Section 6.

Third, Defendants are entitled to discovery concerning JGR’s decision to terminate Mr. Gabehart for cause after the forensic examination confirmed no misappropriation occurred. The alleged termination notice was not issued until February 9, 2026—three months after Mr. Gabehart exercised his rights under Section 6, nearly three months after JGR began withholding his wages, and after the forensic examination confirmed no misappropriation. Defendants are entitled to explore the circumstances of this belated termination decision, including what JGR knew and when.”

Gabehart’s legal team writes that if JGR is entitled to expedited discovery from Gabehart, than the inverse is also true.

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Spire’s legal team made a similar argument in their own filing:

“If, however, this Court concludes that ‘good cause’ exists to warrant expedited discovery in this case, Defendant respectfully requests discovery be reciprocal in nature and limited to non-privileged documents that bear on the narrow, central issue related to JGR’s pending preliminary injunction motion: whether the 18-Month Non-Compete Provision in Gabehart’s employment contract was applicable at the time Spire hired Gabehart. Instead of the broad discovery JGR seeks, the Court should order limited, targeted discovery concerning the circumstances under which Mr. Gabehart’s employment with JGR ended in November 2025, including internal JGR communications reflecting how JGR interpreted and responded to the November 6 notice and how it decided to stop paying Mr. Gabehart.”

Chris Gabehart response to JGR motion for expedited discovery by mattweavermedia

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3 11 Spire Response to JGR Expedited Discovery motion by mattweavermedia

What next?

The two sides will once again meet in court, before Judge Rodriguez, in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday morning to expound on the arguments made in their legal filings over the past week. 

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