By Ben Deatherage
BELLEVUE, Neb. (Oct. 20, 2026) — Zach Zeitner followed his first Sunoco IMCA Late Model national championship in 2025 with another successful season in 2026, collecting 16 feature victories in 38 starts while maintaining the consistency that helped establish him as one of the division’s leading competitors.
The Bellevue, Neb., driver recorded 26 podium finishes, 33 top fives, and 38 top-10 finishes during the Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly racing season. He finished sixth or better in 37 of his 38 appearances, with a ninth-place result accounting for his only finish outside the top six.
“The consistency was still there from last year,” Zeitner said. “Last year we had a stretch of DNFs, and this year my goal was to maintain momentum and just try to win as many races as possible. We had around six seconds this year, and we never finished out of the top 10.”
Driving the Zeitner & Sons Refrigerated Transport/Select Auto/Factory CS No. 76 Infinity Chassis, Zeitner collected victories at four different facilities. Shelby County Speedway led the way with six wins, followed by four at U.S. 30 Speedway and three each at Park Jefferson Speedway and Highway 39 Speedway.
Beyond his national championship, Zeitner earned his first South Dakota State title and track championships at Shelby County Speedway, Highway 39 Speedway, and Park Jefferson Speedway. The Shelby County crown was his fourth, while he secured his third consecutive Highway 39 title and second straight at Park Jefferson.
Zeitner’s ability to consistently finish near the front proved instrumental in defending his national championship. Although he never won more than two consecutive features, he remained a contender throughout the season, avoiding the setbacks that had interrupted his momentum in 2025.
Zeitner also appreciated having his track championships secured before the final nights of competition, something that hadn’t been the case the previous year.
“Last year the championship at Harlan (Shelby County) came down to the last night, but this year all the track championships were wrapped up going into the last night, and that gave me a big peace of mind,” Zeitner said.
The season also included another strong performance at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, where Zeitner finished second in the Late Model championship feature at Boone Speedway on Sept. 7. It marked his second consecutive runner-up finish at America’s Racin’ Vacation, although he came away feeling that a victory had been within reach.
“We only get one night a year at Boone, and you’ve got to be good at reading a racetrack and behind the wheel,” Zeitner said. “We were able to battle back to second in the heat to get a good starting spot. I took the lead and had it on the backstretch. I should have gone lower because after that Curtis took the lead, and it was over after that. Our consistency for that race is good. I wanted to win it this year more than last year, but I guess second isn’t too bad,” he added with a laugh.
With his second consecutive national championship in 2026, Zeitner became just the second Nebraska driver to win multiple IMCA Late Model national titles, joining six-time champion Cory Dumpert, who claimed six straight crowns from 2019 through 2024. Zeitner is also one of only four Nebraska drivers to win the championship since 1949, alongside Dumpert, Kyle Berck in 1996, and Jason Friesen in 2000.
Feature Wins: 16
Total Top Fives: 33
Total Starts: 38
His Pit Crew: Wife Sydney and their children, Baker and Lawson, parents Al and Michelle, Travis Meyer, Ryan Dessel, John Goeschel, Austin Swartzendruber, Randy Seffron
His Sponsors: Zeitner & Sons Refrigerated Transport, Select Auto, Factory CS, T-Dogg Lawn and Landscape, SSS Motorsports, Penske Racing Shocks, Swift Springs, The Bar, Blaha Service, Capital Signs, Chaos Productions, Ward Fabrication, Shadow Lake Collision.