NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb ordered to pay $850K in North Carolina lawsuit

A North Carolina jury has ordered NASCAR truck driver Jennifer Jo Cobb to pay $850,002 to Tracey Hughes following a lawsuit involving an alleged affair with Hughes’ husband, Clayton Odie Hughes.

The lawsuit was filed under North Carolina’s “homewrecker laws,” specifically the legal claims of alienation of affection and criminal conversation. The jury awarded $800,000 for criminal conversation and $50,000 for alienation of affection. While the jury also found Cobb liable for punitive damages on both counts, they awarded only $1 for each.

Tracey Hughes, whose 17-year marriage ended in January 2021, stated that the legal process provided her with a sense of empowerment and focus. The lawsuit alleged that Cobb, who employed Clayton Hughes as a spotter for her racing team, engaged in a months-long affair that included sexually provocative communications and sexual encounters while traveling for racing competitions.