A former NASCAR driver has spent decades around expensive cars and high-stakes races. Now, she’s facing a different kind of costly situation.
No checkered flag waited at the end. But Jennifer Jo Cobb walked away with a big win after being accused of having an affair with a married man.
Instead, a courtroom battle left her staring at a bill that could make even a NASCAR repair tab look tame.
A North Carolina jury awarded Tracey Hughes $850,002 after she accused Cobb of having an affair with her then-husband, Clayton Odie Hughes, according to WFMY.
Jurors returned the verdict on Sept. 24 following a three-day trial in Davidson County Superior Court.
The Hughes married in 2003 and separated in January 2021. Tracey sued Cobb in January 2024, claiming she had been “happily married” before the racer allegedly came between them.
According to her complaint, Cobb “willfully, intentionally, and deliberately seduced, enticed, and alienated the affections” of Hughes’ husband for several months before the separation.
The allegations went beyond a secret romance.
Tracey Hughes claimed Cobb called and texted Clayton while traveling to races.
According to WBTV, the complaint alleged the pair arranged “regular trysts” in North Carolina and other states. It also accused Cobb of helping Clayton cover up the relationship and lie about trips.
The filing did not mince words. It claimed the relationship “invaded and ended” Tracey’s’ “exclusive rights and privileges” in her marriage. It also declared that “the marital bed was dishonored.”
North Carolina remains one of a few states where a spouse can still sue an alleged affair partner for monetary damages under traditional “heart balm” laws.
“Heart balm” laws allow people to sue over broken romantic promises or a disrupted marriage, including claims like alienation of affection and breach of promise to marry. Rooted in English common law, most U.S. states abolished these laws by the 1970s. North Carolina is among the few states where such lawsuits remain permitted.
Tracey Hughes sued Cobb for alienation of affection and criminal conversation. Alienation of affection allows a spouse to seek damages when a third party’s wrongful conduct allegedly destroys the love and affection in a marriage.
Criminal conversation is a civil claim involving sexual intercourse with someone else’s spouse during the marriage.
The jury put most of the money behind the second claim. Hughes received $800,000 for criminal conversation and $50,000 for alienation of affection. Jurors also awarded $1 in punitive damages on each claim.
That brought Cobb’s total judgment to $850,002.
New York Post readers wasted no time picking sides. “Hope he was worth it?” one reader wrote. Another said, “So much to pay when a separation of a year could have avoided this all.”
Another commenter was equally unforgiving, writing, “HE was the one who was married. HE broke the rules. HE should have to pay his ex-wife which is prob what he’s already done.”
One reader turned the criticism toward Tracey Hughes instead. “Oh, its HER fault? Sorry Sweetie, if you were a better wife, he would still be with YOU,” the commenter wrote.
So what does the verdict mean for Cobb’s wallet?
Racer Networth estimates Cobb’s net worth at around $5 million. That figure is unverified. If accurate, the verdict would eat roughly 17% of it.
Her racing résumé is easier to document. Between 2004 and 2024, the 53-year-old driver made 265 combined starts across NASCAR’s national touring series. Financial records show her entries generated roughly $1.66 million in total posted purse money — prize funds that flow directly to racing teams for operational overhead rather than personal earnings.
Cobb made NASCAR history during the 2011 Truck Series season opener at Daytona, driving to a sixth-place finish — the highest result for a female driver in series history at the time. Driver Natalie Decker later surpassed that milestone by finishing fifth at Daytona in 2020.
Well before trial, Cobb moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that North Carolina’s “heart balm” statutes violate constitutional protections. A judge rejected her motion, and a jury subsequently ruled against her.
Still, Cobb says the race is not over.
“This isn’t over. The judgment has not been entered,” she said following the verdict.
That distinction matters. The jury’s decision had not yet become a final judgment when the case was first reported. Cobb can still file post-trial motions or appeal.
For Tracey Hughes, however, a jury has already put a price on the alleged affair.
It came to $850,002 — including two dollars that may be the smallest part of one very expensive relationship.