Jury Awards Tracey Hughes $850,002 in Cobb Civil Case

A Davidson County jury found for Tracey Hughes on two civil claims against former NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb, awarding Hughes $850,002 over allegations that Cobb had an affair with Hughes’ husband while they were married. The verdict was returned September 24 after a three-day trial, according to reports of the case. The award comprises $800,000 for criminal conversation and $50,000 for alienation of affection, plus $1 in punitive damages on each claim. Criminal conversation accounted for most of the total. The claims are civil torts under North Carolina law, not criminal charges. Hughes’ lawsuit, filed in Davidson County in January 2024, alleged that Cobb became involved with her then-husband, Clayton Odie Hughes, before the couple separated in January 2021. The complaint said Cobb contacted him by phone and text and arranged meetings while traveling for races. Hughes alleged that the relationship contributed to the end of her marriage and caused her to lose support and suffer harm to her feelings and reputation. Those details are allegations in the lawsuit; the reports do not provide the full trial record or the evidence jurors considered.