Racing is one of those endeavors where things can happen at a moment’s notice, and the unintended consequences that result from those actions will have long lasting effects.

Furthermore, the aftermath of some of these events can leave many people scratching their heads, and wondering “What the hell?”

Since this column is an opinion piece I will honestly tell you that was my first thought when I heard that Kris Krabill had been relieved of his duties with Bucky Austin. Krabill had won the funny car championship for Austin in 2016. Krabill had brought major sponsorship to the team in the form of Dayton Superior. For the past few years the team is one of the heavy hitters on the NHRA Heritage Series.

Therefore, my first thought was, “WHAT?”

There was discussion after the March Meet fire about how things went down in that situation. Why fire bottles did or did not work. A protocol in Krabill’s driving of the car on that run. So, it came to a head and according to Krabill he was released, fired, re-accommodated, however one wants to term it, via email after five years of driving for Austin.

That brings us to this point in time and a search for a new shoe for team Austin/O’Brien. Many names were bantered about, but one name always seemed to surface in the “and” position. (this guy, that guy, him, or her, and Bobby Cottrell) Bobby who?

Therefore, when it was announced that Bobby Cottrell would take over the seat in the Austin/O’Brien Bardahl nostalgia funny car. There were some (me included) going “Huh?”

Now for those who don’t know, Bobby Cottrell has been a serious player in nostalgia racing for many years. He started in NE2, moved to NE1 then made the jump to 7.0 Pro where he won the championship twice. Then moved to nostalgia A/Fuel where he also continues to win. He once went to Bakersfield being entered in NE1, 7.0 Pro, and A/Fuel simultaneously. Ran all three classes on that weekend, and won all three classes that weekend.

So DRO decided to reach out to Bobby Cottrell at his family’s business, BC Automotive in Whitter, CA, to get a chance to know more about the new driver of the Austin/O’Brien funny car.

Cottrell stated that when he learned he was in the mix for this seat, his first thought was “ME?”

Then he got a call from Pat Austin, and his response to Pat was “Who is this again?”

Cottrell then settled down and had a conversation with Pat and Cottrell stated “I told him I can’t afford to pay to drive this car.” Austin said he understood and that Bucky knew who he was and wanted to talk to him.  Cottrell and Drew Austin, Pat’s son, are friends out on tour, so that in passing, Drew Austin and Cottrell had also spoken about driving a nitro funny car someday.

When Bucky Austin did reach out to Cottrell, one of the first questions Cottrell asked was “Why me?” To which Bucky’s response was “Cause you win races!”

Cottrell admits he was kind of in shock after he spoke with Austin. “I don’t get really excited but after getting off the phone I was ‘Did that just happen?’”

Cottrell then seemed to get Austin’s attention when he flew up to Seattle not long after and spend the weekend working on the racecar. “I was just so appreciative for the opportunity and I wanted them to know I wanted to be part of the team, not just the driver.”

Cottrell also said he would be showing up at the track when the hauler shows up to help set up the pit area, awning and support equipment.

On Cottrell’s trip to Seattle he and Bucky had a chance to get to know one other. “I told Bucky, I’m a blank sheet of paper. You teach me right, I will do it right, every time. Im gonna be a reflection of what you teach me.”

Another thing Cottrell mentioned to Austin is that Bobby doesn’t believe in scrapping runs. “We can learn something from every pass.” Moreover, Cottrell is understanding that this is an excellent opportunity to learn from one of the best.

Cottrell reiterated that he wants to be working on the car between rounds. “I just feel I am more in tune with the car if I am working on it between rounds.”

Cottrell can’t wait to go testing and get into that car. “The plan is to test prior to going to Boise, most likely, in Bakersfield, and then try to test in Boise before the race there.”

Unlike many drivers who first get into a funny car, Cottrell actually will be dealing with better sight lines than he has with his A/Fuel car. When he first sat in the Austin car Cottrell stated, “Wow I can see; this is gonna be nice. In my A/Fuel car, all I can see is the back of the blower, I can’t even see the front wheels, so this is gonna be great.”

Pat Austin also gave Cottrell another piece of salient advice according to Bobby. “Pat told me that the step from the A/Fuel car to this funny car was a natural progression.

“You kinda have to ‘fist fight’ the A/Fuel car and according to Pat it is even more so with the funny car so this should be fun.”

It appears from the outside that Bobby Cottrell has the backing of the entire Austin family, and time will tell just how successful he will be in the nostalgia fuel funny car. However, if precedence is any indication, Bobby Cottrell will be a factor in the nostalgia funny car class right away -- with nobody asking, “Bobby who?”