By Ben Deatherage
ONAGA, Kan. (Oct. 20, 2026) — A late-season charge that produced 12 victories in his final 13 starts helped 28-year-old Nicholas Ronnebaum of Onaga, Kan., capture his first Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock national championship in 2026, prevailing by just four points after a season that saw him win more than half of his feature appearances.
Ronnebaum became the fifth Kansas driver to win the national championship and the first from the Sunflower State since Doug Holzmeister in 1994. Kansas drivers claimed the division’s first four national championships from 1991 through 1994, with Brady Bauer, Larry Cole, Wayne Malsom, and Holzmeister each earning a title.
The championship came after Ronnebaum recorded 24 feature victories, 37 top-five finishes, and 43 top-10 results in 46 starts. He also secured his first B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region championship and track titles at Beatrice Speedway in Nebraska and Salina Speedway in Kansas, with the latter marking his fourth career championship at the facility.
Ronnebaum collected 11 victories at Salina Speedway, three at U.S. 30 Speedway, two each at Beatrice Speedway, Fix It Forward Speedway, and Goodland Raceway, and one apiece at RPM Speedway, Dodge City Raceway Park, Black Hills Speedway, and Rooks County Speedway.
For much of the season, Ronnebaum concentrated on his weekly racing commitments, particularly a close track championship battle at Beatrice with Taylor Huss. Only after securing that title did he turn his full attention toward pursuing the national championship and closing the gap on Austin Jahnz.
“We did a lot of traveling for about a month,” Ronnebaum said. “I knew I had a shot, but I wasn’t going to waste fuel and time until I won the Beatrice track points because the point battle there was really close between me and Taylor Huss. Once I got that secured we figured then to give it our all and see what we could make out of it.”
The decision took Ronnebaum and his team to several unfamiliar facilities across the Midwest, including trips to North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Kansas. Racing at different tracks became a significant part of the championship effort as he worked to close the points gap.
“U.S. 30 in Columbus, I never raced there until the start of the year, and then Fargo, North Dakota, Park Jeff, Black Hills,” Ronnebaum said. “I’d say about half the tracks I ran this year I was there for the first time ever.”
The variety of tracks presented different challenges, with Black Hills Speedway’s large half-mile configuration contrasting with the smaller confines of Park Jefferson Speedway. Ronnebaum credited his experience at Beatrice Speedway with helping him adapt to unfamiliar facilities without requiring major changes to his car.
“I feel racing at Beatrice, if you have a car that goes good there, you have a car that can go decent anywhere without changing a whole lot,” he explained. “A guy can show up and make one spring change and be pretty close.”
Among the highlights of Ronnebaum’s championship season was his 100th career IMCA Hobby Stock feature victory Aug. 23 at Goodland Raceway. The milestone capped a three-win weekend that also included victories at Fix It Forward Speedway in Fargo, N.D., and Salina Speedway in Kansas.
His strongest stretch came during the closing weeks of the season, when he won 12 of his final 13 starts. That late surge helped him overcome Jahnz in the national standings and secure his first national championship by four points.
“Most guys had run their 50 races toward late August, and we started hitting hard in September and pushing hard,” Ronnebaum said.
The championship pursuit also gave Ronnebaum an opportunity to compete against drivers at tracks he had never previously visited, something he appreciated about racing under IMCA sanctioning.
“It’s been a fun year,” he said. “I want to thank IMCA because it’s nice to be able to go to places and know I’m competing against the same caliber of cars.”
Feature Wins: 24
Total Top Fives: 37
Total Starts: 46
His Pit Crew: Fiancée Danielle, children Stella and Ava, parents George and Tiffany Ronnebaum
His Sponsors: Dirt Digger Chassis by Ronnebaum Welding and Fab, Schmidt Machine, Ronnebaum Salvage, Ronnebaum Family Farms, Wesley Trucking, Schroll Body and Paint, Burdiek Farms, Morrison Heating and Cooling, Rieger Collision, RS Customs, Empress Ink by Jesse, Buffalo Nutrition, Extreme Motorsports, Shawn Sleazack Carburetors.