The California Hustler Funny Car will race at Pomona, but Eily Stafford won’t be behind the wheel. Injuries sustained in a frightening explosion at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals have put eight-time NHRA Heritage Series Funny Car champion Bobby Cottrell in the role of pinch hitter.
Cottrell will drive Don Nelson Racing’s 1978 Firebird at the Nov. 12-15 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona Dragstrip, closing out the team’s 2026 racing schedule. Stafford will concentrate on recovering from injuries that have sidelined her until next season.
“Bobby is a good friend of our team and will fit right into the seat while Eily recuperates for the 2027 season,” crew chief Dale Murray said.
For Don Nelson Racing, having Cottrell available is about as good as a team could ask when its regular driver is sidelined. Eight championships and years of experience in nostalgia Funny Car racing make him considerably more than somebody available to keep the seat warm.
The circumstances behind Cottrell’s temporary assignment began in Las Vegas, where Stafford experienced a weekend that went from one of her finest moments to one she’d probably prefer to forget. Before the explosion, she had already pulled off one of the event’s biggest upsets.
Stafford defeated newly crowned NHRA Heritage Series champion and No. 1 qualifier Nathan Sitko in the opening round, using a .131 reaction time against Sitko’s .173 to overcome the quicker car. Her 4.830-second pass at 237.59 mph beat Sitko’s 4.919 at 234.82.
The celebration didn’t last long. Just after crossing the finish line, an explosion sent debris flying through the cockpit, leaving Stafford with broken bones in her right foot and deep lacerations to her leg.
The injuries included two broken bones in the top of her foot and another fracture along the side. What began as a weekend highlighted by an upset victory ended with Stafford facing a recovery period instead of preparing for the season finale.
Stafford initially believed she might still make Pomona, figuring the swelling in her foot was the result of being battered around during the explosion. Doctors discovered the fractures and advised her that she would be out of a race car for at least eight weeks.
Cottrell’s familiarity with the team should help ease his transition into the California Hustler. Still, every nitro Funny Car has its own personality, and getting acquainted with somebody else’s ride isn’t quite the same as climbing into the family station wagon.
Stafford is scheduled to return March 4-7 at the Good Vibrations March Meet at Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, California. The event opens the 2027 NHRA Heritage Series season, with Stafford expected to resume her driving duties.
For Stafford, the time away provides an opportunity to heal before another season begins. For Don Nelson Racing, having Cottrell available allows the California Hustler to finish 2026 with a driver who knows his way around the winner’s circle.
The team heads to Pomona with the same intentions it had before Stafford’s accident. Cottrell is there to win, and Stafford’s seat will be waiting when she is healthy enough to return.
Stafford had hoped to finish the season herself, and she made that clear during an interview following the Las Vegas accident. She was already thinking about Pomona before doctors delivered the news that would put her on the sidelines.
“I really thought it was just a swollen foot, from being banged around by the transmission and it was just the laceration, so I was going to be okay by Pomona, and I was ready to jump back in, and finish up what we started in Vegas, and try to qualify for the Pomona race, but unfortunately that’s just going to have to wait till next year.”
