It was a wild year for drag racing in general, but most certainly for the Funny Car Chaos and DMP Awnings Nitro Chaos series, especially when it came to mother nature. A weather plagued season resulted in three complete rainouts while the events that were completed also faced weather challenges, but none the less the CHAOS charged forward and delivered its reputable run whatcha’ brung outlaw style of funny car and nitromethane drag racing competition we have all come to love.
On the Funny Car Chaos side, the 2026 season seemed reminiscent of the early years of the series when three-time Champion Ken Singleton seemed nearly unstoppable, except a new name had emerged and took a strangle hold on the competition, this name is Keith Zimmerer. The “Penny Pincher II” team from Lindsay, Texas had a strong 2025, coming up just six points short of the Championship. All intentions were to hoist the Twisted Shifterz Championship trophy this season and that mission got off to a strong start right off the bat.
Zimmerer’s team which is led by tuner Will Hanna, kicked off the season with a win at Tulsa Raceway Park and never looked back. The team collected four wins in the five events they entered this season, also winning the Rodak’s Custom Coffee ‘A’ Field at the Texas Motorplex, Great Lakes Dragaway and Mo-Kan Dragway to earn their well deserved Funny Car Chaos Championship.
“Our team had a strong outing in 2026 capped with four wins and the FCC Championship. We race all out, no BS in our pits. The results are satisfying knowing the amount of effort the team put into this season and we were successful by surrounding ourselves with great people. Thank you to my mom, dad, wife, daughter, Will, Ricky, Joey, Doug, Mike, Joe, Cody & Cindy, Tony & Willa, Stevie and Maxima Racing Oils. The 2027 season will probably look different but I am excited for new challenges. Floor it!” says Zimmerer.
Respectively, Indiana’s Justin Malott used three consecutive event wins to close the season and finish in second place in the “Must Be Nice” 1957 Chevy bodied entry. Jordan Ballew, Wayne Hofmann and Cody Chatfield rounded out the final top five finishers and earned their deserving places in the year end points payout. An impressive seventy one different drivers earned points in the 2026 Funny Car Chaos tour.
The Funny Car Chaos series will celebrate its 10th Anniversary season in 2027 and has welcomed over 200 different funny car teams to competition in that span, a truly incredible statistic. If you dig flip top floppers and outlaw heads up drag racing, be sure to keep an eye on Funny Car Chaos and check out an event near you next season.
The DMP Awnings Nitro Chaos series was hit the hardest by mother nature, losing two of the five scheduled events to rainouts in mid-season. Despite the schedule challenges, a heated points battle had developed heading into the final event of the season at Cordova Dragway. Garry Wheeler Jr and the Tulsa, Oklahoma based “Grand Prix Racing” outlaw top fuel team came into the event with a slim points lead and had hopes of securing their second series title, but with Brian Kohlmann and Colin Thomas also solidly in contention, they would have to earn it and that they did.
Powered by a 392 Hemi on 90%+ nitromethane and tuned by John Russell, Wheeler piloted the Jon Brook owned entry into the RBS Superchargers ‘A’ Field winners circle at the Twisted Shifterz CHAOS Championship Finals at Cordova to become the first multi-time Nitro Chaos Champions in series history.
Back in the pits at Cordova, the team celebrated with a fire-up and throttle whack session to the delight of the fans and crew in attendance. The “Grand Prix Racing” team put in the work, the shop hours, the investment in quality parts and it paid off for all involved. This season, the team also debuted their second team car with rookie driver Trent Work, who respectively earned a number four points finish in the standings.
“We are so thankful for the opportunities our team owner Jon Brook has given us to compete in the Nitro Chaos series. This season we brought out a second car, trained a second crew and managed to lock up our second Chaos Championship. I’d like to thank our crew for all their hours at the shop and hard work at the track. Our team would like to thank CP-Carrillo, Arias Pistons, Carter-Maxwell, Dove Fuels, MSD, Molinari Clutches, DMP Awnings, ABC Salon, T&T Truck Repair, Kryptonite Kustomz, Dicus Benton Machine Shop and of course Grand Prix Auto Sports Center for their support. We’ll be busy during the off-season celebrating this Championship and getting ready to defend our title next season!”
Brian Kohlmann, Colin Thomas and Levi Keenen also claimed respectable top five points finishes and their share of the DMP Awnings points payouts in a season that despite hosting only three events, welcomed thirty-three different independent nitro teams to competition.
The CHAOS series would like to thank Laris Motorsports Insurance, DMP Awnings, Driven Racing Oil, Spell Paving, Twisted Shifterz, 360-Steel, Wulff Pumps, AlkyDigger, Rodak’s Custom Coffee, Taylor Motorsports Products, RM Race Trailer, RBS Superchargers, CP-Carrillo, Star Racer Belts, Meyer Enterprises, McKinney Motorsports, Rocket Battery, Carter-Maxwell, Ellis County Custom Carts, Car Chix, Dove Fuels, Pro Things and Racing Junk for their support of the 2026 season.
The 2027 CHAOS schedules are nearing completion and should be out soon so make sure to keep an eye on www.funnycarchaos.com and www.nitrochaos.com for the latest news and schedule announcement coming shortly and we’ll see you…at the CHAOS!
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