Unleashing "The Gladiator": Keith Haney Racing’s New Weapon Strikes at the 2026 Yellowbullet Nationals

The 2026 Yellowbullet Nationals marked the competition debut of Keith Haney Racing’s newest weapon, "The Gladiator", a brand-new Quarter-Max Race Cars build, and the new combination showed its potential right out of the gate.

The weekend went extremely well for a brand-new car and combination. The only issue the team encountered came during Q2, when the engine wasn’t oiling properly, causing the car to slow down. Rather than take any chances, the KHR team went to work and swapped engines before Q3, getting The Gladiator back and ready to make another run.

When eliminations began, Haney and The Gladiator were ready.

In the opening round, Haney cut a .020 light and charged to an outstanding 3.619 at 207.69 mph. It was just the sixth pass ever on The Gladiator, and the 3.619 was one of the best runs in Keith Haney Racing history.

“To go 3.619 on only the sixth pass in this car is amazing,” Haney said. “That’s one of the best runs we’ve ever made in the history of Keith Haney Racing. To do that on only the sixth pass with a brand-new Quarter-Max car tells me we have something special here.” While the win light didn’t come on for Haney, the performance made a statement. In only six passes, the Quarter-Max-built Gladiator was already producing some of the best numbers in Keith Haney Racing history.

For Haney and the entire KHR team, the Yellow Bullet Nationals weren’t the ending they wanted, but as the debut of The Gladiator, the weekend proved exactly what this new program is capable of.
New car. New chapter. Same mission: MAKE NITROUS GREAT AGAIN.
Photo By David Localio