Venturini Motorsports, a championship-winning organization in the ARCA Menards Series, has filed a lawsuit against two former employees, one of whom was former Crew Chief Frank Kimmel.
The lawsuit alleges that Kimmel, a 10-time series champion during his driving career, engaged in a scheme with fellow defendant Griffin Rider to steal the team’s secrets before their departure from the team.
“Just before terminating their employment with VMS, both defendants engaged in a scheme designed to steal VMS’ most sensitive intellectual property,” alleges the complaint.
The complaint goes on to state that Kimmel is accused of taking pictures of suspension components and setups developed by VMS “through wind tunnel and pull down machine testing for aerodynamic and handling advantages.”
Kimmel was ordered by a judge on Friday to return any and all documents and photographs he may have taken to VMS by Monday, and he is also required to submit his phone for forensic analysis.
Kimmel left VMS last month to serve as General Manager for KBR Development, a direct competitor of VMS in the ARCA Menards Series. 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.
