NASCAR has stated that it is aware of claims that an engineer from a Cup Series team accessed confidential information and shared it with another team.
The racing series did not provide any specifics about the allegations because no complaint has been filed by either team with NASCAR. However, a spokesman confirmed to The Associated Press at Charlotte Motor Speedway over the weekend that there is a potential scandal involving the two teams.
The engineer is currently in a contract year with Joe Gibbs Racing, according to executives from six teams who spoke to the AP anonymously, as the details are private and not publicly available. Joe Gibbs Racing, which still has two cars competing for the Cup title, chose not to comment.
The engineer had been looking at job options with other teams as the season comes to an end, multiple team officials told the AP on Sunday, confirming that discussions about possible employment took place.
NASCAR informed the AP that it had heard that one team, which does not have cars in the playoffs, paid the engineer cash for setup information.
Until a lawsuit is filed or a complaint is made to NASCAR, there is nothing the series can do. This raises concerns that employees might be able to share confidential information with rival teams without facing any consequences.
