Longtime NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb has been ordered by a Davidson County jury in North Carolina to pay $850,000 over an alleged affair.
The 53-year-old racing driver was sued by Tracey Hughes, who accused Cobb of causing the breakdown of her 17-year marriage to her husband, Clayton Odie Hughes, beginning in 2020.
A North Carolina jury sided with Hughes on September 24 in Davidson County. The jury ordered Cobb to pay $50,000 for alienation of affection and $800,000 for criminal conversation, resulting in an $850,000 total judgment that far exceeded the initial damages requested in the lawsuit.
Details of the civil complaint
Hughes officially initiated the civil lawsuit against Cobb on January 5, 2024. According to the legal complaint seen by WOWT, Hughes alleged that Cobb willfully, intentionally, and deliberately seduced, enticed, and alienated the affections of her husband.
The filing stated that the extramarital relationship continued for several months until Tracey Hughes and her husband separated in January 2021. Hughes asserted in the court filings that she had enjoyed a happy marriage until Cobb entered the fray.
In her complaint, the heartbroken divorcee alleged that Cobb routinely called and texted her husband while traveling to racing events across the country. The lawsuit further alleged that Cobb set up secret meetings with Clayton Odie Hughes for sexual encounters.
Hughes stated in the legal filing that she suffered the loss of financial support, severe injury to her feelings and personal reputation, and had her entire marital relationship destroyed by the alleged affair.
Legal claims and jury award
When Hughes filed her civil action in early 2024, she sought damages in excess of $25,000 for the claim of alienation of affection and in excess of $25,000 for the claim of criminal conversation. In addition to compensatory relief, she requested $25,000 in punitive damages.
Following the trial in Davidson County, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Hughes on September 24, awarding her a total of $850,000, an amount substantially larger than what had been outlined in the initial complaint.
North Carolina civil tort laws
Under civil law in North Carolina, alienation of affection is a legal tort that allows a deserted spouse to seek financial damages from a third party. To succeed on such a claim, the plaintiff must prove that genuine love and affection existed in the marriage prior to the interference, and that those affections were intentionally destroyed by the actions of the third party.
Criminal conversation is a separate civil tort under state law, despite carrying a name that sounds like a criminal charge. The tort permits a spouse to sue an individual for engaging in sexual relations with their husband or wife while the marriage remains legally intact.
North Carolina is among a small number of American jurisdictions that continue to recognize these historic common law causes of action in civil court, allowing spouses to sue third parties for marital interference.
Racing career and personal background
Cobb, a native of Kansas City, built a two-decade career in professional stock car racing after making her debut in NASCAR in 2004. Over her 20 years in the sport, she specialized in stock car competitions and operated her own racing team, Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing, while driving herself.
Cobb competed extensively in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where her last race took place in 2024. Throughout her motorsport career, she also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the ARCA Menards Series, and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
In her personal life, Cobb was also married. She wed Eddie Troconis, a fellow NASCAR driver and member of her racing team, in 2015, describing the event as a fairy tale wedding. The legal filings and court proceedings did not clarify whether Cobb and Troconis had separated before or after her alleged affair with Clayton Odie Hughes took place.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Cobb for comment regarding the civil lawsuit, the allegations, and the jury verdict.
