In breaking news in the Southern California karting community, CRG SoCal acquired Redlands, CA based Empire Karts. CRG has taken ownership of Empire Karts and its product line as of February 1, 2016. Established in 1999, Empire Karts grew quickly and became one of the best known and most respected kart shops in Southern California, serving some of racing’s biggest names on regional and national levels.

“Bill and I have enjoyed our many years in the sport of karting and are pleased to announce our retirement from Empire Karts. We are looking forward to living life at a slower pace. We are ready to give up the demands of the retail side of the business, turning it over to someone with new ideas and a good understanding of the sport. Francois Doran of CRG SoCal has experience running a race team coupled with a strong desire to provide the highest level of customer service. Add in his youth and energy, he’s the perfect person to continue Empire Karts’ legacy,” explained Sharron Barros.

CRG SoCal will work hard to continue Empire Kart’s tradition of great customer service while focusing on growing the race team to benefit west coast Top Kart racers. Empire Karts will continue to serve the same customers and will provide Top Kart sales and service. With the exception of the physical address, all contact information will remain the same.

“Our goal is to make the transition as smooth as possible,” said Francois Doran, owner of CRG SoCal. “I’m looking forward to learning more about the Top Kart line, which I know to be high quality. I will be working closely with the knowledgeable staff at Grand Products during this time of transition.”

“We would like to welcome Francois into the Grand Products and the Top Kart USA family, and we look forward to a new, fresh direction for our brand as we work with him in Empire Karts,” explained Grand Products Owner Mike Tetreault. “I have to personally thank Bill, Sharon, Steven and Joey Barros for the dedicated service that they have put in since 1999. The success of the Top Kart brand in Southern California over years was largely due to their never-ending support for their customers and loyalty to our brand, and we look forward to Francois continuing that same philosophy for many years to come.”

Empire Karts is the “go-to” place for many racers in Southern California. Racers and even other race teams rely on Empire Karts as much during the week as they do trackside on the race weekends. Additionally, this acquisition will allow Empire Karts to create a larger racing environment where both CRG and Top Kart drivers can take part in for many seasons to come.

“We feel combining Top Kart and CRG together will successfully cover the whole spectrum of classes and we believe this combination of products will allow our drivers to be competitive over the course of a karting career,” continued Doran.

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