Nearly two months after coming off a high of capturing their fifth March Meet title in the last six years with driver Bobby Cottrell earlier this year, team Bardahl was struck with sudden tragedy.  

As the team was set to compete in the second race of the 2023 NHRA Heritage series season in Boise, Idaho, for the 52nd Ignitor held at Firebird Raceway, team owner Buck Austin's wife Julie passed unexpectedly, and the team responded by packing up, heading home and focusing on other things than drag racing. 

While winning a drag race will never fill the void of losing a loved one, it has brought some momentary relief, and that's what happened the past two weeks, first at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway and last week at the Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals in Bowling Green, Ky.  

"The last couple weeks have been pretty hard," Cottrell said. "Bucky (Austin) lost his wife, Heidi's mom. We were actually at Boise when it happened, and we got the phone call and stuff, so we just got on the first flight out and kind of dealt with that. We came out swinging for Bristol, and this one is for her, so it's a good deal."

In Bristol, Cottrell finished qualifying in the No. 4 position with a solid 4.810 elapsed time and faced a tough task heading into the first round of eliminations on Saturday evening as he faced off against the driver of the "Happy Hour" 69' Camaro, Tim Boychuk, in a rematch of the March Meet final earlier this year. 

Boychuk was on a roll entering the event, having posted back-to-back runner-up finishes at the March Meet and the first race of Legends Nitro Funny Car race held at the Winternationals in Pomona earlier this year, including a No. 1 qualifying position at the Ignitor. 

However, just like the March Meet, Cottrell would win this matchup as well as Boychuk was automatically disqualified when he crossed the center line and made contact with the timing blocks down track, handing the win to Cottrell. 

The five-time NHRA Heritage Series champion was on his game in the opening round as well, cutting an impressive (.017) reaction time and stopping the 1000-foot clocks at 4.813 seconds at over 236 miles per hour. 

Cottrell's run in the opening round was only bettered by his scheduled opponent in the semifinals, No.1 qualifier Kamaka Pocock, who laid down a blistering 4.789 at 236 in a bye to run to set up the highly anticipated matchup. 

Unfortunately for Pocock, at the wheel of the "California Hustler," was unable to repeat his performance from qualifying and the opening round as Cottrell got a six-hundredths of a second advantage on the starting line against Pocock and sailed on through to his best run of the weekend at 4.786 seconds at over 237 miles per hour and advancing into another final round. 

The road would not get any easier for Cottrell as the last man standing in his way was the driver of the "Quarter-Pounder" 70' Firebird, Geoff Monise. Monise defeated Chuck Loftin in the opening round with a strong 4.821-second pass at over 233 miles per hour, then recorded a respectable 4.878 at 233 to take down the driver of the "Problem Child" 69' Camaro Billy Morris. 

The titanic final round clash between Cottrell and Monise at the Thunder Valley Nationals was not the first time the two were set to face off for the money and trophy, as the first time was supposed to happen at the March Meet back in 2022. Unfortunately, parts breakage in the semi-finals forced the Quarter-Pounder driver and team to sit out the March Meet final, handing the win to Cottrell. Fast forward over two years later, and Cottrell and Monise were ready to do battle once again, with Monise looking to exact a little revenge. 

But once again, the driver of the green machine dubbed the "Northwest Hitter" came out on top as Monise ran into trouble right off the starting line, and Cottrell blazed the 1000-foot course to his second Legends Nitro Funny Car win, running a stout 4.813 at over 234 miles per hour to conquer the Thunder Valley Nationals in Nostalgia Funny Car. 

"I was behind the eight-ball on the starting line this round (final round), but Bucky and the crew save my butt this time, I can tell you that," Cottrell admitted. "We came out and did it again. Legends Nitro Funny Car is an awesome association, and really cool to come all the way East and do it all over again."

When the tour rolled into Bowling Green, Cottrell picked up where he left off by qualifying No. 1 and stopping Kamaka Pocock in the final round.