Four-time and reigning NHRA Heritage Series Funny Car Champion Bobby Cottrell pulled off the hat trick to start the 2022 Heritage season campaign by capturing a massive win on Saturday afternoon at the Holley Hot Rod Reunion from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
 
With only five Nitro Funny Cars entering the event, Cottrell qualified second in the Austin and O'Brien '69 Camaro dubbed "The Northwest Hitter" and improved his performance in every round of competition.

Cottrell eliminated local favorite Eric Stevens aboard the "Bluegrass Thunder" '69 Camaro Nitro Funny Car in the first round, running a stout 5.738 at 256.45 miles per hour. Cottrell's time was low of the round, giving him a bye in the semi-finals, which meant an automatic berth into the final round.

However, after recording a stout 5.722 at 257.78 miles per hour blast in his bye run in the semi-finals, Cottrell lost lane choice in the final round by two-thousandths of a second to number three qualifier Dan Horan Jr.

Horan, who took care of business against Levi Keenen in his opening-round confrontation, served up a stunning 5.720 at 259.61 miles per hour run in his semi-final win over number one qualifier Kris Krabill, giving him lane choice over Cottrell in the final round. With both finalists running nearly just thousandths apart, it would set up a heavyweight prize fight feel in the finale of Nitro Funny Car with the Holley Hot Rod Reunion title on the line. 

With the sun setting in the background on Beech Bend Raceway Park, the final round would not disappoint. Cottrell would use a massive starting line advantage coupled with running low e.t. of the event at 5.614 seconds at 257.38 miles per hour to defeat Horan and score the win in Kentucky.

Horan was not far behind, running a solid 5.671 at 262.44 miles per hour, his best e.t. and speed of the weekend, but his .216 reaction time in the final round to Cottrell's .054 was too much to overcome.

Sunday marked the third consecutive win to start the 2022 NHRA Heritage Series season for Cottrell and team owners Bucky Austin and Mike O'Brien. With just three races left in the season, Cottrell is in a great position to capture their fifth consecutive Heritage Series Nitro Funny Car championship in a row. 

NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL
Tyler Hilton, Cincinnati, Ohio, '19 Horton, 5.921, 236.17  def. Brendan Murry, San Jose, Calif., dragster, 9.182, 84.73. 

COMP ELIMINATOR
Jaxon Messamore, Hanson, Ky., '38 Chevy, 9.022, 139.78  def. Shane Bowman, Albany, Ind., '23 T Altered, 8.715, 150.75. 

6.0
Cody Krohn, Port Charlotte, Fla., '20 Mckinney, 6.653, 203.25  was unopposed.

7.0 PRO
Jeffrey Cochran, Hopewell, Ill., '15 FED, 7.050, 194.52  def. Steve Mathews, Marietta, Okla., '07 Neil & Parks, 7.292, 176.17. 

7.5 PRO
Bart Boles, Slaughters, Ky., '08 Youngs, 7.501, 171.01  def. Tyler Allen, Manchester, Ky., '63 Corvette, 7.467, 176.19. 

MODIFIED ELIMINATOR
Chris Cowles, Bowling Green, Ky., '70 Nova, 11.984, 99.66  def. Greg Carta, Franklin, Ky., '67 Camaro, 10.456, 123.17. 

NOSTALGIA SUPER STOCK
Greg Deaton, Marion, Ill., '65 Belvedere, 10.564, 118.77  def. Danny Whitford, Paducah, Ky., '67 Chevelle, 9.731, 134.31. 

MIDWEST NOSTALGIA MOD
Jack Detzel, Harrison, Ohio, '68 Camaro, 11.291, 121.28  def. Tug Brock, Williamsburg, Ohio, '78 Malibu, 8.959, 137.36. 

STRAIGHT AXLE MAFIA
John Wolz, Louisville, Ky., dragster, 6.717, 100.10  def. Bill Lile, Brooks, Ky., '56 Park Lane, 6.696, 96.71. 

GEEZER GASSERS
Gary Raber, Royal Palm Beach, Fla., '40 Ford, 11.002, 119.35  def. Patrick Canal, Springfield, La., '33 Willys, 10.476, 121.53. 

GAS
Sam Patrick, Sand Point, Mich., '37 Chevy, 10.018, 130.83  def. Dan Hobbs, Hawesville, Ky., '56 Thunderbird, 8.977, 126.67. 

HOT ROD ELIMINATOR
Caeleb Masterson, Brandenburg, Ky., '82 S-10, 10.814, 111.43  def. Terry Tyler, Indianapolis, Ind., '85 Cutlass, 9.227, 114.92.