Former NASCAR driver ordered to pay $850K to man’s ex-wife after their alleged affair

A North Carolina jury ordered former NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb to pay nearly a million dollars to a woman who claimed the stock car racer’s extramarital affair with her husband ended their marriage.

Big picture view:

The verdict stems from a 2024 lawsuit filed in Davidson County by Tracey Hughes, who accused Cobb of having an extramarital affair with Hughes’ then-husband of 17 years in the months leading up to the couple’s divorce. 

Dig deeper:

The first part of the complaint accused Cobb of alienation of affection, alleging she encouraged Hughes’ husband, Clayton Odie Hughes, to lie about taking trips, helped him hide the affair, and arranged regular rendezvous with him.

In her second claim, Hughes espoused the affair "invaded and ended" the "exclusive rights and privileges of [Hughes’] marriage" and stated "[t]he marital bed was dishonored." She urged the court to find damages for criminal conversation, a tort that allows spouses to sue people who have sexual relationships with their marital partner, according to the Cornell Law School.

By the numbers:

That second claim made up the vast majority of the jury’s award. Jurors awarded Hughes $800,000 stemming from the alleged affair and another $50,000 for the first claim of alienation of affection. Nominal punitive damages of $1 for each claim were also added to the overall award, court records show.

The backstory:

Cobb is noted on NASCAR’s website as holding several distinctions in the Camping World Truck Series. She holds the record for most points in a season by a female driver and the most starts by a woman. The racing series notes that she is one of a few women who have recorded a top-10 finish in NASCAR’s highest levels. She last raced in the NASCAR truck series in 2024. 

 

Sports