SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Local race car driver Dustin Gulbrandson won his ninth national championship in the hobby stock division with a win in Wheatland, Mo., earlier this month.

Gulbrandson competed in roughly 40 races this season all around the midwest before heading to the USRA Nationals eight hours away. With a second career win in that competition, he cemented himself as the best in the U.S.

“To want a national championship, you’ve got to race a lot,” Gulbrandson said. “You got to be on your game every night and keep the keep the car maintained, keep everything up so you don’t have any DNFs. You got to finish every race and try to finish in the top three to realistically have a chance at winning the points.”

But his success on the track comes from the support of his loved ones. They called the trip to Wheatland their family vacation.

“We like our racing,” Gulbrandson said. “It’s been in my blood since I was a kid. My fiancée comes from a race family. So she likes it. We just all enjoy it.”

Next season will look different for the Hartford native as he intends to move up a division and shift his focus from racing hobby stocks to racing street stocks.

“I’ve kind of accomplished everything I probably can accomplish in a hobby stock,” Gulbrandson said. “So, I feel like it’s time to step up a class and help out some other guys that have gotten in the race and hopefully better them in the hobby stocks and just support.”

Gulbrandson said he plans to race street stocks at both Huset’s and I-90 Speedway next year. He also plans to still race hobby stocks in about 20 competitions.