ARCA Series crew chief Frank Kimmel sued by his former team

Venturini Motorsports is suing two of its former employees, including former crew chief Frank Kimmel.

Kimmel, along with former VMS crew member Griffin Rider, are accused of stealing team secrets, according to the lawsuit filed in North Carolina Business Court.

“Just before terminating their employment with VMS, both defendants engaged in a scheme designed to steal VMS’ most sensitive intellectual property,” alleges the complaint.

Kimmel is accused of taking photographs of VMS cars when senior management was offsite, while Rider is accused of copying sensitive information from a shop computer.

“Upon information and belief, Kimmel was documenting the unique suspension components and setup developed by VMS through wind tunnel and pull down machine testing for aerodynamic and handling advantages,” alleges the complaint.

On Friday, a judge issued a court order requiring Kimmel to return any photographs or video of VMS cars to his former employer by Monday. He is also required to submit his phone for a forensic analysis.

Kimmel is a former driver in the ARCA Racing Series, a semi-professional league of stock car racing, where he won 10 series championships. In 2018, he became the crew chief for Venturini, which is known for developing premier NASCAR talent such as Joey Logano, Erik Jones and William Byron.

In December, Kimmel left VMS to serve as the general manager for KBR Development, another team in the ARCA Series and a direct competitor of VMS. The complaint alleges that Kimmel took photos to use at KBR.

VMS has asked the court to enter a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, and is seeking to recover damages in excess of $25,000.

Kimmel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.