NASCAR Driver Ordered to Pay $850,000 in North Carolina Adultery Lawsuit

NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb has been ordered to pay $850,000 in damages after a North Carolina court ruled she was responsible for the breakdown of a marriage. The lawsuit, filed by Tracey Hughes, accused Cobb of alienating the affections of her husband, longtime NASCAR spotter Clayton Hughes, and engaging in "criminal conversation" with him.

North Carolina is one of a handful of states that still permit lawsuits for "alienation of affection," a civil tort that allows individuals to sue another party for intentionally disrupting their marriage. The state also allows claims for "criminal conversation," which permits a spouse to sue a third party for engaging in sexual relations with their partner while the marriage is intact.

In this case, Hughes filed the lawsuit against Cobb in 2024, alleging the affair occurred prior to her divorce from Clayton Hughes in 2021. The Davidson County judge ordered Cobb to pay $50,000 for alienation of affection and $800,000 for criminal conversation.

Cobb has a career spanning 15 years in NASCAR, with 31 starts in the O'Reilly Series and 234 starts in the Truck Series. Her best finish was sixth at Daytona in 2011.

The case comes as college football grapples with its own regulatory issues, with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban lobbying Congress for reforms to the NIL and transfer portal system, while simultaneously admitting he would exploit the current system if he were still coaching. The controversy highlights ongoing debates about the structure and fairness of modern college athletics. Separately, recent college football TV ratings have seen a decline, with factors such as NIL and transfer portal chaos cited as potential causes for fan disinterest. The depth of conference schedules and the appeal of individual teams are also being scrutinized as contributing elements to the viewership trends.