Recently, Jennifer Jo Cobb made her debut in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
To say the least, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Jennifer Jo Cobb received a unique opportunity unlike any other. The Kansas native landed a deal to compete in Valencia, Spain. She drove the No. 10 Racing Total Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
In the end, Cobb finished Round 1 in 17th-place while bringing it home in 19th on the following day. According to Cobb, the experience in Europe reminded her of spending time with friends working on your race car at a local track. Although the atmosphere was more laid back compared to the U.S., it was still a busy weekend.
“There are several races in one weekend with different drivers sharing the same car so the team atmosphere is really cool,” Cobb told The Podium Finish. “It’s funny because they allow beer/wine/liquor in the garage area as it doubles as each team’s hospitality and the garages never close so once we are off track we all sat down for dinner and a beer.”
On-the-track action in the U.S. often includes tight racing and inevitable contact. However, it is an entirely different ballgame across the pond. “Boys have at it” may result in some consequences during NASCAR Euro events.
Cobb said there are strict rules on aggressive driving compared to NASCAR in the U.S. Retaliating against a driver for roughing you up on track will not end well in the eyes of race officials. With Go Pro cameras in each vehicle, aggressive driving tactics will not be tolerated.
“I was under review the second corner of my first lap because another driver dive bombed me going into the corner and I did not give up the spot and we got together,” she said. “I ended up being OK, but it’s difficult when in the US, you can go up and put a fender on someone and let them know you didn’t appreciate the move but I couldn’t do that in Spain.”
Although Cobb wished for a better result, she was optimistic about her performance, despite lacking valuable road course racing experience.
“I think I did well in the races,” Cobb said. “That is one very positive thing about having three different drivers compete in the same exact car. You can gauge your own performance versus what the car is doing. I had the fastest laps of all three drivers the entire weekend and one of the drivers had a lot of experience at that track and in the NASCAR Euro cars. So, it did boost my confidence in my driving ability and improved my road course skills.”
Ultimately, Cobb became one of a few American drivers who raced in a unique experience. Nevertheless, racing in an event under the NASCAR umbrella is a truly unique atmosphere.
