Winter Nationals Win, 7 Podiums give MGM Fast Start in 2025
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (photos by Kart Lounge/Kenny Pearson)— MGM Chassis raced to a fast start in 2025 with an impressive showing at the CKNA Winter Nationals, held January 2-4 at the historic 103rd Street Sports Complex. Highlighted by a sweep of the top-four positions in the Senior Heavy division and near wins in the Senior Medium and Masters finals, MGM drivers showcased the strength of the Espionage chassis across multiple categories during the highly competitive event.
Senior Heavy: A Dominating Final
MGM drivers delivered a statement performance in the Senior Heavy final, claiming eight of the top-10 finishing positions.
Georgia’s Owen Lloyd led the charge with another national victory in the Heavy category, followed by teammate Colin Aitken in P2. William Lessig secured a podium finish with a solid P3 drive, with Texas’ Bryce Frank rounding out the top-four MGM sweep in P4.
Maryland’s Brady Atwood finished just outside the top five in P6, while Florida drivers Brad Davis (P7) and Junior Downs (P9), and North Carolina’s Jack Sukeena (P10) completed an incredible showing for MGM in a field of 30 starters.
Additional MGM drivers in Senior Heavy included Cale Martin (P13), Bryce Downs (P15), Tyler Dolack (P20), Cody Svoboda (P25, DNF) Jeb Perkins (P26, DNF), and Noah Rivers (P28, DNF).
Senior Light: Podium Finish for Owen Lloyd
Owen Lloyd continued his strong weekend with a P2 finish in the highly competitive Senior Light final. Texas’ Kelvin Xing and N.C.’s Caleb Gafrarar also finished in the top 10, crossing the line in P7 and P8, respectively.
Other MGM Senior Light results included Jack Hughes (P21), Austin Speck (P22), Brady Atwood (P26), Kayden Jarvis (P34), Dylan Callahan (P30), and Sawyer St Clair (P38).
Senior Medium: A Close P2 for Caleb Gafrarar
The Medium final would close out the Winter Nationals.
Caleb Gafrarar piloted his MGM Espionage to a P2 finish, narrowly missing out on the win after taking the lead in the late stages of the race.
Owen Lloyd and Colin Aitken added to MGM’s strong showing with P4 and P5 finishes, while Shawn Chiarello rounded out the top 10 in P10.
Despite strong qualifying efforts and good runs in different heat races, Bryce Frank (P21), Nicholas Lefferdo (DNF), Sawyer St Clair (DNF), Brady Atwood (DNF), and Noah Rivers (DNF) were unable to finish the final.
Masters: A Near Win for Brad Davis
Brad Davis almost scored a big win in the Masters final, but contact while battling for the lead on the final lap would relegate him to finish P10.
The race was still a breakout performance for the Florida driver, and he’ll be one to watch in both Masters and Heavy throughout the 2025 season.
Davis’ last-lap misfortune would result in Tennessee’s Jamie Bradford to lead the charge for MGM in the Masters final, earning a P5 finish. The CKNA Grands P2 finisher had an up-and-down weekend before closing it out with a solid drive in the final. Elliott Fitch had a good run to finish P13 on his Espionage. Jorge Ruiz was unable to start the final after posting top-15 finishes in the heat races.
Junior: Grit Through Adversity
Seven MGM drivers entered the super competitive Junior category and Virginia’s Anthony Louis led the early charge with a P5 qualifying effort of 40 entrants. Louis would have top-five finishes in each of the three heat races Friday before he ran into some tough luck in the final, ultimately finishing the main event in P22.
Harley Andrews was the top finishing MGM in the Junior final just outside the top 10 in P11. Kellan Weiss would follow with a respectable P16 result to finish in the top half of the tight field.
Whitnee Hatch (P31), Brady Beegle (P26), and Richard Rosinski (P36, DNF) persevered through a tough weekend, while Ryan Sukeena (P38) suffered an unfortunate DNF on the opening lap of the final.
Legends: Battling to the End
In the Legends division, Jeff Chalmers led the MGM contingent with a top-10 finish in P10. James Perkins and Ron Tipton showed consistency, finishing in P13 and P23, respectively, in another aggressive field.
A Promising Start to 2025
With standout performances across all divisions, MGM Chassis begins 2025 with strong momentum heading into the new season. The dominant sweep in Senior Heavy and multiple podiums in other categories highlight the capabilities of the Espionage chassis and the dedication of MGM’s talented drivers and team.
For more information on MGM Chassis, their race-winning Espionage chassis, or how to join the team, visit MGMChassis.com.