A North Carolina woman says a lawsuit against NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb left her feeling “empowered” after a jury ordered Cobb to pay $850,000.
Tracey Hughes was awarded the substantial sum on Thursday under North Carolina’s so-called homewrecker law. She had accused Cobb of having an affair with her husband and contributing to the collapse of their 17-year marriage.
Hughes’ marriage to Clayton Odie Hughes ended in January 2021. The couple, who share two children, both worked in NASCAR. Speaking to WFMY, Hughes said: “I felt like my whole world had just blown up.”
She ultimately pursued legal action, saying the case helped change her outlook after her personal life was turned upside down.
“The lawsuit gave me power,” Hughes said. “It empowered me, it gave me focus. It gave me a job to do and stand up for myself.”
A North Carolina jury found in Hughes’ favor and ordered Cobb, 53, to pay $50,000 for alienation of affection and $800,000 for criminal conversation.
Tracey Hughes has spoken publicly after a North Carolina jury awarded her $850,000
NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb was ordered to pay damages to Hughes over an alleged affair with her husband, which Hughes says ended their marriage of more than 17 years
“It’s more important, I think, to be vindicated. The money figure was, I think, just a statement maybe by the jury,” Hughes said.
Her attorney, John Vermitsky, explained: “Alienation of affection is any wrongful act that a third party does to diminish the feelings of affection of one spouse for another, and it actually doesn’t require sex.”
According to WFMY, Cobb maintains that the final judgment has not yet been entered and that post-trial motions remain ongoing. She reportedly wants to distinguish the jury’s verdict from any formal legal orders that may follow.
Cobb, a longtime NASCAR Truck Series driver who last competed in 2024, was sued by Hughes on January 5 of that year over the alleged relationship.
In her complaint, reviewed by Our News Outlet, Hughes alleged that Cobb “willfully, intentionally, and deliberately seduced, enticed, and alienated the affections” of her husband.
The alleged relationship continued for several months before the couple separated in January 2021, according to the filing. Hughes said she had been happily married before Cobb became involved.
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In the complaint, Hughes alleged that Cobb called and texted her husband while he traveled to races and arranged secret meetings for sex.
Hughes said the alleged affair caused her to “suffer the loss of support, injury to [her] feelings and reputation, and had her marital relationship destroyed.”
Jennifer Jo Cobb pictured with Clayton Odie Hughes, who was previously married to Tracey Hughes
Cobb faced a damages lawsuit under North Carolina law over her alleged relationship with Hughes’ husband
Hughes sought more than $25,000 for each of her alienation of affection and criminal conversation claims, as well as $25,000 in punitive damages.
Under civil law, a spouse who has been deserted can pursue an alienation of affection claim by showing that a third party intentionally interfered with and destroyed the love and affection within the marriage.
They must show that they had a loving marriage before the interference, and that this was taken away by the actions of the third party.
Criminal conversation is also a civil tort rather than a crime, despite its name, which allows a person to sue somebody for having sexual relations with their spouse while their marriage is still in tact.
A jury returned a verdict in Hughes’ favor on September 24 in Davidson County, and awarded her $850,000 – much more than she bargained for.
Cobb, from Kansas City, also had a husband. She married Eddie Troconis, another former stock car driver and now a crew chief who was once her team member, in what she described as a ‘fairy tale wedding’ in 2015.
It’s unclear whether they separated before or after the alleged affair with Hughes.
Cobb’s two-decade-long NASCAR career began in 2004 and her last race was 2024. She owned her own team – Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing – alongside being a racing driver herself, specializing in stock car competitions.
Cobb previously raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
Our News Outlet has contacted Cobb for comment on the civil lawsuit and alleged affair.
