Days after NASCAR announced that veteran driver Jennifer Jo Cobb was not approved to make her NASCAR Cup Series debut in Sunday’s GEICO 500, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and owner is finally speaking out on the eve of what would have been her biggest accomplishment to date.
Last week, Rick Ware Racing announced their intention to field a NASCAR Cup Series entry for the Kansas City, Kan. native at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend but Cobb was informed by NASCAR executives late last week that her attempt would be blocked for a variety of reasons, including her recent string of performances and only 11 lead-lap finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with her own Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing team in 217 career starts.
Had Cobb been approved to run in tomorrow’s 188-lap race at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, she would have been the first woman since Danica Patrick in 2018 to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race and only the second woman in the history of NASCAR to run in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions joining Shawna Robinson.
“I have always been extremely grateful for the opportunity to race in the sport I grew up watching with such admiration,” Cobb told CATCHFENCE.com. “NASCAR’s decision to revoke my prior approval has been devastating. I never wanted to be in the spotlight – I just want(ed) to race.”
Shortly following NASCAR’s announcement, Cobb’s team Rick Ware Racing released a statement on social media attributed to team owner Rick Ware:
“We’ve been informed by the sanctioning body that Jennifer is not approved to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series event at Talladega Superspeedway this upcoming weekend. This is an unfortunate situation, but as a team, we support NASCAR’s decision to uphold the sanctioning bodies rules and regulations.”
Cobb said she was baffled to receive the call about her approval clearance prior to last Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and had since worked diligently behind the scenes to get the ruling overturned.
Her confusion about the approval process was laid out for the following reasons:
• Cobb stated the team’s paint scheme with her name was approved by NASCAR on the front and rear windows.
• Cobb said her Cup Series driver agreement was signed by NASCAR.
• The GEICO 500 entry form with Cobb listed as the driver along with her Cup Series license application was signed and returned to the team.
Cobb and NASCAR both have said that she was once approved to race at every NASCAR Cup Series track several years ago, however, Cobb believes that her approval remained in NASCAR’s system until approximately two days after the team’s press release was distributed last week when it was adjusted.
NASCAR did not dispute most of Cobb’s facts but noted most of the items that she referred to are often part of an automated process or when not automated the individuals doing the process are under the assumption the driver has been approved.
NASCAR reiterated as well that Cobb failed to follow the chain of command, which would have been filing for approval first.
According to the 2021 Cup Rule Book, section 3.11.1.1.b states that drivers must outline their previous racing experience to the NASCAR Resume Committee, which will determine if the driver is approved for competition.
The rule also says: “Any previously approved driver who has not competed for at least one year must resubmit the Driver Information and Record application.”
Cobb said did not seek approval because she said she thought her prior approval from 2015 was still good.
“This is the first I’ve heard of an active driver in one of NASCAR’s top-three divisions having to re-apply for approval,” said Cobb. “I would think that at any time my performance would have been an issue, I would have been removed from the system and | or notified.
“All I am asking is to be evaluated the same way the 40 male drivers competing this Sunday were evaluated in their approval process. There are many examples of drivers that are racing with less experience and less performance(s) than I have shown.”
On Sunday morning nearly two and a half hours before the GEICO 500, NASCAR president Steve Phelps spoke to the media as part of the sanctioning body’s announcement that it is partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as the sport gravitates toward greater inclusion.
Phelps defended NASCAR’s driver approval process and stood by the decision to keep Cobb out of the Cup Series.
“Steve O’Donnell (NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer), Scott Miller (NASCAR senior vice president of competition), Elton Sawyer (NASCAR vice president of officiating and technical inspection), these guys have decades of experience in this sport,” Phelps said.
“In their opinion, Jennifer did not have the experience necessary in order to run in the Cup race. I understand it may seem ambiguous to those outside, but I think they have their finger on the pulse, and in their opinion, Jennifer wasn’t ready to race in this race.
“With that said, we certainly, to your point, on a day where we’re talking about inclusion, would love to have female drivers racing in our top series. It’s something we very much would be interested in doing.
“We’re trying to diversify our driver core. Women, people of color, those are things that are very important to this sport, but as it relates to Jennifer, the group felt that she was not ready.”
Cobb believes her accomplishments in the sport were overlooked by the competitiveness of her race team which has clawed each season and race to race to do the best they can on a minimal budget.
“There are numerous underfunded teams like mine competing against multi-million dollar teams,” she said. “More times than not, those underfunded teams fall off of the lead lap. Everyone knows that there are different levels of competitiveness within the race in all three series.
“That difference is almost always due to the discrepancy of the budget of the teams. For my accomplishments to be overlooked and my dedication and commitment to the sport to be discredited just doesn’t seem right.
“The worst part for me has been the timing of the notification of the decision – days after the announcement was made.”
NASCAR did admit the system needs “fine-tuning” and said it plans to do that to avoid future situations like this.
At present, NASCAR says Cobb remains unapproved for any event on Cup’s 36-race schedule.
Some may be baffled as to why Cobb would be approved to compete in the Truck Series at the famed Alabama race track, but not in Cup, but NASCAR said the bar is set higher when it comes to competing at the sport’s pinnacle level and many factors are considered including performance and situational awareness to name a few.
Despite laying low, Cobb said the colossal support she has received privately has been overwhelming.
“I have been contacted by numerous drivers, team owners and even winning NASCAR Cup Series crew chiefs who have shown support and expressed anger and disbelief at this decision,” added Cobb.
Since 2008, Cobb has made 217 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts including nine at Talladega. She finished a track-best 11th in 2018 and led 16 laps in last fall’s Truck Series race.
A NASCAR career spanning nearly two decades, she has one top-10 finish in the Truck Series coming in the 2011 season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway where she finished sixth. At the time, she was the highest finishing female driver in NASCAR history until Natalie Decker placed fifth in the 2020 Truck Series race at Daytona.
She also has two Xfinity starts at Talladega in 2011 and 2018, respectively.
Cobb was involved in an altercation with driver Norm Benning in last Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250, but their decision about Talladega had been made before the sixth Truck Series race of the season at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and was not a determining factor.
In six Truck Series starts this season, she has a season-best 18th lead lap finish at Daytona in February and stands 33rd in the championship driver standings ahead of the series’ next race on May 1.
Taking days to collect her thoughts and emotions, Cobb is emerging from her cocoon and will continue to put the best effort possible together on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and hope that one day the opportunity will arise with NASCAR’s blessings to allow her to finally make her Cup debut.
“I will turn my attention to working on my Fastener Supply Company Ford for our next race at my hometown track of Kansas Speedway next weekend,” added Cobb. “The only thing I can do is work to find more funding to put myself in a position for better finishes. My motto has always been “Never Give Up,” so it’s time for me to push through this nightmare for my fans and sponsors.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
