NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Paul and April Rice’s MGM Chassis team left New Castle Motorsports Park as a big winner Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the biggest LO206 kart racing in the world, the Cup Karts North America Grand Nationals 6 at the famed karting complex on Interstate 70 in east-central Indiana.
Eric Fagan made headlines at this year’s “Grands” as the only double winner of over 300 drivers in attendance that totaled nearly 400 race entries in just eight divisions. Fagan timed P3 of 40 drivers in Senior Heavy qualifying Friday afternoon and controlled the three heat races, finishing P1, P2 and P1 with Gary Lawson and Sean Meier his key rivals.
The Ohio veteran would start P1 in Sunday’s Heavy final, and he’d proceed to ride his Rob Krout-owned 2023 MGM Espionage to the win by a kart length over Meier to give MGM its first CKNA Grand National triumph.
But Fagan wasn’t done; he’d return to the track later Sunday afternoon for the Masters final, starting P9 after qualifying pole Friday and finishing P2 in heat one but getting involved an incident in the second heat race that resulted in a P23 result. He’d finish P12 in heat three.
He’d methodically work his way to the front in the final, taking the lead from Geoff Shaw just past halfway in the 16-lapper and driving to victory by nearly a half-second margin over Michael Dittmer.
Fagan and MGM found common ground as the only driver and chassis make to win twice Sunday at NCMP.
Other MGMs made their presence known at NCMP during the Grands, including Florida’s Dylan Amundsen, who was one of the top Senior Light and Senior Medium drivers throughout the event. Amundsen wheeled his brand new 2023 Espionage to a fine P3 result in the Senior Light final, which had 70 entrants and started 50 after the last chance qualifier.
GoPro Motorplex top runners Spencer Conrad and Christopher McKeithan placed their MGM-manufactured Nitro-Kart “left-hander” chassis in the top five in the 51-kart Junior final. Conrad took P3 and McKeithan was P5.
Adam Maxwell of A-Maxx Racing raced to a couple of top-10 results, including one podium. The Indiana racer finished P3 to Fagan and Meier in Senior Heavy and was P10 in Senior Medium.
Carter Perl represented MGM in the 55-kart Sportsman (Cadet) division. Perl did a terrific job all weekend, capped by a solid P12 result in Sunday’s final.
Original MGM driver Zach Linsell qualified P2 of 70 entrants in Senior Medium and finished 15th in the final.
All MGM drivers racing this year’s CKNA Grand Nationals will be recognized in this Tuesday night’s MGM Facebook Live at 6:30pm ET on “MGM Chassis” Facebook page!