A North Carolina jury found Jennifer Jo Cobb liable for alienation of affection and criminal conversation in a lawsuit filed by Tracey Hughes.
LEXINGTON, NC — A North Carolina jury awarded $850,002 to a woman who sued former NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb over allegations that Cobb had an affair with the woman’s husband before their marriage ended.
Jurors in Davidson County Superior Court found Cobb liable on claims of alienation of affection and criminal conversation after a three-day trial that ended Sept. 24. Tracey Hughes, who filed the lawsuit in January 2024, was awarded $50,000 on the alienation-of-affection claim and $800,000 for criminal conversation. Jurors also awarded $1 in punitive damages on each claim, bringing the total verdict to $850,002.
The case centered on Hughes’ marriage to Clayton Odie Hughes, a longtime NASCAR spotter. Court records cited in news reports show the couple married in September 2003 and separated in January 2021. Hughes alleged that Cobb became involved with her husband during the months before the separation and knew the couple was still married.
Hughes alleged in her complaint that Cobb communicated with Clayton Hughes by phone and text and met with him in North Carolina and other states while traveling for racing events. She claimed Cobb intentionally interfered with the marriage and helped conceal the relationship. Cobb denied the allegations in her response to the lawsuit.
North Carolina continues to recognize civil claims for alienation of affection and criminal conversation. Alienation of affection generally allows a spouse to seek damages from a third party accused of wrongfully interfering with a marriage and destroying the affection between the spouses. Criminal conversation is a separate civil claim involving sexual relations with a married person. Despite its name, it is not a criminal prosecution and does not carry a potential jail sentence.
Cobb challenged the lawsuit before trial. In April 2024, she sought dismissal and argued that the North Carolina laws underlying Hughes’ claims were unconstitutional. She also sought to have the constitutional challenge considered by a three-judge panel. Superior Court Judge Eric Morgan denied those requests in December 2024, according to published accounts of the court record. Court-ordered mediation in January 2025 did not resolve the dispute, and the case ultimately went to trial.
The verdict does not necessarily mark the end of the litigation. Cobb told the Winston-Salem Journal after the jury’s decision that the matter was not over and that a judgment had not yet been entered. In a later statement reported by The Cut, Cobb said the case remained before the court and that she intended to let the judicial process continue before making additional public comments. Post-trial motions remain possible, as does an appeal.
Cobb, 53, competed for years in NASCAR’s national series, particularly the Truck Series. She made hundreds of starts during a career that extended into 2024 and became one of the most experienced female drivers in NASCAR’s national-series history. Her best Truck Series race finish was sixth at Daytona International Speedway in 2011.
The civil case arose from events Hughes alleged occurred before her January 2021 separation. Under North Carolina law, claims of this type are subject to limits on when the alleged conduct occurred and when a lawsuit can be filed. The jury ultimately sided with Hughes on both of the claims presented at trial, but further proceedings could affect the final judgment.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 3, 2026.