NASCAR aware of allegations a team engineer stole intellectual property to give to rival team

CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR has acknowledged it is aware of allegations that an engineer for a Cup Series team accessed proprietary information and shared it with another team.

The stock series released no details about the allegations because neither team has filed a complaint with NASCAR. But a series spokesman confirmed to The Associated Press at Charlotte Motor Speedway over the weekend it is aware of a brewing scandal between the two teams.

The engineer is in a contract year with Joe Gibbs Racing, according to executives with six teams who spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity because the details are considered private and have not been disclosed publicly. Joe Gibbs Racing, which has two cars still competing for the Cup title, declined to comment.

The engineer had been exploring options with other teams as the season draws to a close, multiple team officials told the AP on Sunday, confirming they discussed possible employment.

NASCAR acknowledged to AP it has heard that one team — with no cars in the playoffs — paid the engineer cash in exchange for setup information.

Until a lawsuit is filed or a complaint is lodged with NASCAR, there is nothing the series can do, raising concerns that employees will be able to hand over intellectual property to rivals without ramifications.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing