Top 25 RC rankings: Davide Ongaro still No. 1 after the 2026 ROAR Nationals

Photo: Top 25 RC (source)

The Top 25 RC rankings have just been updated following the 2026 ROAR Nationals, the big American national meeting for 1/8 nitro off-road. Despite a hard-fought race weekend across the Atlantic, the top of the pecking order does not move: Italy’s Davide Ongaro, in Team Associated colours, keeps first place in the Top 25 RC rankings.

Seth VanDalen ROAR champion after a close duel

The 2026 ROAR Nationals main event delivered. Seth VanDalen, a Tekno RC driver, eventually got the better of Chase Lemieux (Xray) after a battle fought all the way to the chequered flag, and leaves with the national champion title. Mason Fuller completes the podium at the wheel of his SWorkz, confirming just how deep the American 1/8 nitro buggy field is.

Davide Ongaro keeps the top of the world rankings

That result was not enough, however, to dislodge Davide Ongaro from the summit. The Team Associated driver remains number 1 in the Top 25 RC rankings, carried by consistency maintained all season long at the major international meetings. Behind him, though, the gaps are tightening: every qualifying round moves drivers up or down the table.

How the Top 25 RC rankings work

Published by Top 25 RC, this ranking is nothing like a frozen honours list. It changes with every qualifying race, based on the finishing positions drivers achieve at the events taken into account. That is what makes it a barometer the teams follow closely: it reflects current form more than a simple history of titles. The full breakdown, extended to a Top 50, is published as a table after each update.