PRICES: Galletta's Kart Club is a free, not-for-profit, backyard racetrack. We operate as a weekly point series raceway (Summer Sundays) only on nominal, bare-bones donations. For a regular-season race:
Spectator = Free. Donations welcome. Race your own kart = $3-5 donation to Matt. Race a Galletta's Kart = Veteran: $10-12 donation. Rookie: $15-20 donation. (Why? Rookies wreck more and race TWO features if they qualify!) A copy of your own race's DVD = $5 per DVD. Each DVD contains the entire evening of racing from up to two camera angles (and sometimes more!).
These are not fees. The nominal Donations cover the gas and parts for 12 equalized Galletta-type racing karts, in addition to electricity for lights, water, and none of the above ever cover a tip for Matt's work for the track. Matt prepares 12 racing karts out of his own wallet every single year, always in the red, and the donations never once have covered gas and parts.
Who wants to spend $3,000-$6,000+ to race a go-kart competitively?
Why not try a $300-$600 kart and be able to race like this all season?
The above video is from our Galletta's Karting Club - 2009 Season, Event
#16:
The
14th ANNUAL GALLETTA'S GO-KART KLASSIC 200-LAP CHAMPIONSHIP RACE on
October 3rd, 2009. As for this year...
Galletta's Karting Club - 2010 Season, Event
#8 -
Monday, July 26th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #8-
Monday,
July 26th, 2010 - Another Feature, another winner! Driving the Galletta's Greenhouse
#7 kart, Kelly Miller, braving a rough high groove, passed Matt Stevens and held him off from a near-pass to win his 1st feature race at Galletta's
Sunday. Some reconstruction to the track made the usually fast
high groove bumpy and made the low groove unusually the slightly quicker
line. But Kelly stuck it out enough to get by Matt -- and as
Matt said, he was laughing to himself thinking Kelly looked like
a Bo or Luke Duke driving the General Lee over a jump! -- and got the
impressive win to become the 9th different winner of 9 features so far
this season at Galletta's, including the 7th 1st-time first feature
winner so far at John J. Galletta Memorial Karting Speedway.
Galletta's Karting Club - 2010 Season, Event
#7 -
Sunday, July 18th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #7- Sunday,
July 18th, 2010-Driving the Galletta's Greenhouse
#9 kart, Jeff Tetro, won his 1st feature race at Galletta's
Sunday. He became the 8th different winner of 8 features so far
this season at Galletta's, including the 6th 1st-time first feature
winner so far at John J. Galletta Memorial Karting Speedway. The
racing is so close that handicapping and staying out of accidents
are critical more so than any other year in our 20 year history
of racing Karts at Galletta's!
Galletta's Karting Club - 2010 Season, Event
#6 -
Sunday, July 11th, 2010:
2010
Season, Event #6- Sunday, July 11th, 2010-Driving
the Galletta's Greenhouse #6 kart, George Russell,
won his 1st feature race at Galletta's Sunday. He became the 7th
different winner of 7 features so far this season at Galletta's,
including the 5th 1st-time first feature winner so far at John J.
Galletta Memorial Karting Speedway. The racing, again, is just so
close that passes are
rare and starting handicapped up front is vital for your chances.
Galletta's Karting Club - 2010 Season, Event
#5 - Monday, July 5th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #5-
Monday, July 5th, 2010- Independence Day Twin-30s Night:Michael "MC" Howell finally won his first feature win in his 4th season of racing at Galletta's in the Galletta's Greenhouse #0 kart. The 2nd feature went to
Melissa Stevens
in her Scissors N' Fur #19 kart. 11-karts, 60-Laps of
bumper-to-bumper action throughout.
Points, race results and pictures
are up now and videos are catching up and will be up to date soon! Thanks for reading!
Galletta's Karting Club - 2010 Season, Event
#4 - Sunday, June 27th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #4-
Monday, June 27th, 2010:Russell Bartlett picked up his first feature win at Galletta's in the Galletta's Greenhouse #9 kart, which has been in Victory Lane for two straight weeks! Here he poses with Jeff Tetro and Jeff's girlfriend
Samantha Vivlemore. 12-karts, bumper-to-bumper action throughout, and we even survived a small rain shower, which made the track VERY fast! YouTube Video will be up SOON!
Galletta's Karting Club - 2010 Season, Event
#3 - Sunday, June 20th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #3-
Sunday, June 20th, 2010: Jared Halstead
- a racer in only his 2nd full race event at Galletta's and brother-in-law of last week's winner - won the 12-kart, 45-Lap Feature in the Galletta's #9, again leading every lap from his pole starting position, although he had to hold off challenges from George Russell, Matt Stevens, and even a loose header.
Results, points and pictures are now up. YouTube highlights forthcoming after the race tape is compiled, edited, and processed.
Galletta's Karting Club - 2010 Season, Event
#2 - Monday, June 14th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #2-
Monday, June 14th, 2010: A 55-Lap Feature was in store for 12 karts - including four 1st-time drivers - and it saw another new entry into Galletta's Victory Lane. Tim Galletta - cousin of club founders Chris and Matt - took an impressive win in the Galletta's Greenhouse #7 kart.
Race results on this page. YouTube highlights forthcoming after the race tape is compiled, edited, and processed.
DVD Highlights to Galletta's Backyard Karting Club 2010 Volume 1 (in 2 parts):
2010 Season, Event #1 - Monday, June 7th, 2010: An excellent 11-kart, 45-lap feature opened our 2010 season and it was won by Gary Miller Sr. in the Galletta's Greenhouse #0 kart. Race results on this page. YouTube highlights from the DVD ($5 each for full, unedited race videos from two camera angles on most races) are up on the page as well.
What do we race for? Fun! Bragging rights amongst friends and
family! Polishing racing skills! Satiating the competitive
spirit! And, what keeps this webmaster himself racing every
race, every year... the points:
Want to race karts for a World Championship spending only little more than just gas money? Or just watch a race for free? Now you can. At Galletta's Backyard Karting Speedway - a free-of-charge 0.14 mile dirt oval with 20-degree banked turns - we hold the World Championship of 1-WD Gas Flathead Karting. In the 1990s, we formed a league of highly affordable, and simply made karts with stock gas motors as an answer to big money karting. What we got is all the excitement of racing professionally AND got to keep our money too! We made an elaborate website that contains details, statistics, pictures and often videos to every race held in the last fifteen+ years. Chock full of info, read more below. Here is our race day countdown and join our Facebook group for updates and social networking with racers, friends, and family of the Galletta's Karting Club:
You can race fast and highly economical 1-WD karts in 45-60-lap weekly races for a points championship all Summer, be in our
All-Time Points & Wins Series, and then take a shot and
enter our 15th
Annual 200-Lap Marathon "Klassic" Championship Race held every Fall - The race that has decided the overall champion of Oswego Dirt Karting since 1996! You can also race with some of the winningest and most experienced karters in the local area - some of whom have raced in all sorts of racing classes and race here because we have the best bang for the buck. Plus, you can choose to either race "Arrive-and-drive" Galletta's Team Karts for gas-and-parts money, or build your own for just a few hundred dollars. Our
facebook group is where we post updates, so if you are on there, join up! We have arrive-and-drive, competitive "race-ready" karts that have all won features available to race. Rookie/Novice races for beginners. Veteran races for the experienced pros. One class (the biggest in the area for over 10 years now), horsepower-to-weight handicap ratio. Inverted wins and points-per-race handicapped starts. We can also help you build your own competitive kart for far less money than other forms of karting. Why? Because it is a private backyard track with friends and family having fun putting on a friendly race, avoiding the typical organized kart track BS with big money spenders, politics and people just using karting as a footstool to get into a big track. This is just pure, fair, fun, clean racing. Want to see what a season is like? Well, here is last season's review...
Want to race in a weekly karting series but can't afford it in this economy? Want to race with only $200-$700 karts, race weekly for gas and pocket change, be scored in a professional points chase, all for no entry fees? Now you
can! If you live in Oswego County, New York, and this sounds like great fun, then read more! We specialize in being a professional go-kart racing club without the outrageous prices and big-buck snobbery of "organized" racing! How? Friends, family, backyard speedways and an agreement on affordable racing vehicles and simple rules. Read more:
We are a homemade and inexpensive alternative to the costly WKA-type methanol karting series. Literally a grass roots karting league invented in the early 1990s essentially as a "Supermodified Racing Yard Kart" carting league, and running collectively hundreds of drivers in hundreds of races on two tracks every Summer-through-Fall in Central NY. Points standings and online descriptions weekly. Join us racing by either building your own or renting one of our team backup karts. We've been racing this way since the early 1990s. See all these pictures? Each one leads to the race that they were taken from - hundreds over the last thirteen years. Check them all out!
Have a go-kart? Whether it be a racing chassis or a yard kart, we can help you prepare it for racing in our club. Our karts are not only cheaper than WKA/NKA karts, but also cheaper than "Clone/Box Stock" karts, as the entire class uses "used" 5hp flathead motors, mostly used or homemade frames, ban high-priced racing parts and limit most racing modifications. No "rich" engine builders, no secrets kept - all friends and families racing and having FUN! No fighting and no whining about the rules or rough riders! Clean , affordable racing. Build a kart for a few hundred bucks. Race all season for $10-15 a week - that includes gas and parts. No irate track operators calling you names and throwing you out - even when you pay and obey all the rules. Acquire speeds comparable to karts that cost three to ten times as much for a fraction of that cost. Please read on and learn more about our extremely affordable brand of highly competitive racing! We're always looking for new racers! The season starts in June and lasts until November. Write us about joining the club and racing this very season for just some pocket cash! Start racing, affordably, today!
All you need to race is: [1] a full-faced helmet, [2] a neck brace, [3] full body coverage clothing (sleeves, gloves, pants, shoes) and join the private race club's waiver race-agreement, and you can race all summer long in the Oswego/Minetto, NY area. All fun, no fuss! Bring your kart for testing and help prepping it for racing. Try one of our karts. You will not find tougher, cleaner, nor more affordable karting competition anywhere. Find out why we've been racing for nearly twenty years - ten years with large fields, many winners, and full points series every year - for pocket change.
Galletta's Karting Club season will begin Sunday June 6th, 2010 at 6:30pm. Weather permitting, we will be racing every Sunday evening in June, every Sunday afternoon in July through August, and every Saturday in September through October. Our track is a private, non-profit backyard track, not a business. We have no fees, veterans can race in every regular event and a new rookie who proves he/she can race cleanly via a rookie race can try. Free to join or watch a race with permission. We can arrange for practice sessions (starting in June) for those interested in joining our weekly racing club. We are looking for weekly racers! Since we do not charge money for our races, volunteers and donations are welcome. Gas, tires, lights, flags, flaggers, clay, lumber, plastic, used or new kart parts, track work - all are needed, greatly appreciated and highly welcome!
Motor classes: Our main class features Briggs & Stratton 5hp L-type Flathead gas stock motors with Galletta's-type limited modifications allowed (hand-shaved heads, Dyno 94-S cam, all else stock, especially a '90s-style carburetor is a must for cost and speed regulation). We are also open to a Gas 100% Stock Junior class (keeping it safe for the kids) and a heavy OHV motor class with support. With all of our classes, they are gas-only, and strict limitations on racing enhancements. We do not race for money, nor for the typical "how much horsepower can I get out of this here lil' engine, dude", just for equalized-racing fun and points with speeds kept down for safety and cost, so no expensive racing enhancements will be allowed, only inexpensive and manageable ones (this means for equalized racing where experience and drivers talent count instead of the domination by wealthier competitors as found in other forms of racing). If you want them, we have nothing against them, and you can spend thousands of dollars per year on WKA-type karts on other tracks, but not this one. We built it for fun, equality, fairness and affordability - in defiance of cheater engine builders, high-priced engine purchasers, and biased track operators, race for the competition found in equalized vehicles, NOT "Dude, I can make my motor faster than yers', no matter the cost!" Making karts with the same motors race better using time-tested and earned driving skills and talent is how we do it.
We videotape all of our races and make them available on DVD for $5 per disc. Each DVD contains 2-3 hours of racing action. We have complete race seasons (from 2006, 2007, 2008) available for purchase. Exciting action, talented drivers racing it out, hysterical wrecks, and just hundreds of hours of great karting! Watch our karts race on two local tracks nearly every week for three straight years - and enjoy watching other karting classes as well (including WKA flat chassis, Champ Cage karts).
What is a Galletta's Go-Kart? Or a Single-Wheel-Drive "Gas Stocker" Kart? Read here!
Also, though we have already announced it earlier, we wanted to reiterate it here that the Galletta's Kart Club will re-institute a mandatory minimum weight (yet to be determined; a good average that every active driver must vote upon) and fixed gearing to go with the pre-existing limited modification Galletta's 5hp flathead motor rules in 2008. By using the weight rule, we have also re-enforces our ban on "Outlaw" type Gas "Briggs Animal" (6.5hp-appearing) motors from our competition as well, which is the only way we can institute a weight rule. All motors in our class must be equal. Thank you. We have no animosity or dislike for anybody who has raced us with an OHV motor, as we have made peace with them, and invited them to race their karts in their own OHV Clone series on our track.
UNPAID DUES: Oswego Speedway's Dirt Track - Oswego Kartway track operator, Jim Losurdo,banned our 1-WD Gas Stocker class from competition at the Oswego Kartway, did not pay for logos used for one year, and childishly mocked us and physically threatened our lives on a public forum. In discriminating against our established and affordable class--which had fully supported the track bringing 6-15 karts (with paying customers) per week ever since it's inception ( 2006-08), gave free promotion to, produced high quality weekly DVDs of their events for, created professional uncompensated and over a year later, STILL unpaid logos and banners for, never fought at, never had one severe crash or injury at, and raced at despite the track operator's irrational refusal to acknowledge - and even irrational rebellion against - our simple points & rule set--was never answered in either a logical, fair, calm, nor rational manner by one person, including the track operator. Did I mention how that in addition to barring us, during our three years there, they intentionally allowed some people in our class to cheat and have larger horsepower motors and race-enhancements. He also called us many angry & childish names and did not act like a professional track operator, nor respectful person should. The Galletta's Kart club will race on our own track and all local tracks that allow us our simple rule set and points system formula upon invite only. You can read about and discuss the situation in this large message board thread here, and see results to our final race there here. All comments, debate points, and opinions on all sides are welcome, and will not be deleted. We believe in freedom of speech & debate, and not deleting anything that isn't 100% positive. Think I'm overreacting? Look at how their track officials treat people who disagree with them - with cowardly anonymous IDs that do personal attacks, mockery and threats of bashing skulls in with a sharpened shovel even after we were already long gone for nearly a year! However, considering their annual price increases, the Galletta's Kart Club (averaging between 6-15 weekly competitors) has estimated that we will collectively save $2,000-$3,000 in entrance fees by racing on our own track exclusively for the majority of our points series instead of two tracks like we have been doing the past three years (What they do with all that money is a mystery to me, especially since they still didn't pay for their logo yet)! This news means more enhancements to our own karts and own track with professional AND fun racing, and less problems with dishonest people ruining their parent track's name with their weak simulation of a professional track - no points, no DVDs, no names, booting people, not paying people for work - just the big track's name and money in it. Keep screwing people, keep mocking people, keep fighting, and keep thinking your races are important only because of your location. If a $5,000 kart can only go 27-30MPH, it is nothing more than a glorified Kiddie Kartway in the shadow of a famous track, which is the reason why anybody even goes there. Keep your huge entrance fees and your transponders and and we'll keep our money and still have a bigger class field and more fun, thanks. In case you're wondering, this stays on our main page until I are paid up, and your threats are being closely monitored by the authorities. Thanks.
The Galletta's Go-Karting Club was founded by brothers Matt and Chris Stevens in the early 1990s when they modified yard karts for racing purposes. They are the inventors of "clockwise 5hp flathead gas stocker kart" racing, and have a 13-kart race team that includes several backup karts available to be rented and raced at both Galletta's and Oswego Speedway all summer. Invented with specifically "gas stock 5hp motor" and "Single Wheel Drive" rules so that a person doesn't have to spend thousands of dollars to race in extremely competitive racing events, the class grows in talent and competition every single year. Join us by building your own kart for less than $500 or rent one of our team karts all Summer-Fall in Oswego, NY and any Central NY dirt track by appointment. Additional details:
Although we do rent karts to friends, family members, and occasional new invitees, we are a PRIVATE go-kart racing club, and not necessarily a kart rental business nor a large spectator facility suitable for numerous spectators. We have no fees, but you must simply obey our rules and sign a waiver to race. From June through October, we race karts in a points series on our backyard track and local kart speedways upon invitation only. We are closed from December through May. While we are open to allowing people to rent our karts if they waive any liability, our club and track is generally a private one. Although we always invite new people to join us, we are not a racing facility funded by a professional racetrack, nor a business operation for large groups of beginner drivers. That being said, the general rule is that if there are interested parties that do wish to race weekly during the Summer months in the Oswego County area, we are open to small groups of new people giving it a try joining our racing club. We're always looking for new people to race with. But, in general, we don't want people seeking "amusement park" go-karts - in other words, people with no prior experience just looking to have fun racing once or twice for fun, or a bunch of people looking for a one-day recreational karting event. We are a private racing club, but invite any to inquire abut joining us. More details on our rules page, updated 1/2009. Perhaps the best thing that is if you want to race with us, you can use a Galletta's Kart (all of which have won features and can win any given night), or build your own and have all the vets help you out. They will help you get your own kart as fast as theirs and give you tips to compete for wins within your first season or two of racing. No other racing club offers this - no need for expensive engine builders or top-money parts just to be able to field a kart let alone win - you can race and really have fun for a lot less money than you thought. We have rules based on a majority vote of all active drivers, and the rules are based on affordability and fairness. Lightest drivers are weighed to a minimum weight, and heaviest guys are given a power cam and a header to give them enough horsepower to equalize the speeds. Starts are handicapped via points-per-race and wins-per-season. It means one large class of close racing, instead of multiple 3-9 kart classes and no champion decided. We have no cheats, no costly fees, and the fun and lack of bickering that we have shows it. Give it a try. You can check out our complete archive of documented races (each videotaped race is available on DVD for $5 per disc).
Galletta's Go-Kart Backyard Speedway is a 0.133887 mile dirt oval with 20-degree banked turns. It is located behind Galletta's Greenhouse in Oswego, NY, and can be seenfrom outer space! The single-wheel-drive gasoline-fueled flathead motor karts take the track between 15-17 seconds per lap which averages over 30 mph (approximately 45-50 mph top speed in the straights). Our speeds are comparable to alcohol/methanol-fueled karts that cost 8 times as much because we use mostly stock parts and gas on a large track; leading to more karts, more competition, and more fun. Our class is usually the largest and most competitive in the area. Thanks to Google Earth for this Spring 2006 photo. More->
Due to the fact that the karts are so affordable and the oldest veterans have been racing for nearly two decades, it is one of the most difficult karting divisions to win at, but yet you can be instantly competitive for just a couple hundred dollars IF you're a good driver. You can't outspend your opponent due to our gas-powered stock 90's type carb only rule, so you must out-race them and out-setup them. In fact, nobody has ever defeated Matt & Chris in the open challenge: race a stock 5hp flathead and stop them from scoring 1st & 2nd in a points season. Though hundreds of people have tried in hundreds of races since the early 1990s, Chris and Matt have scored 1 & 2 every year. But it's not just them you have to race. Our regular drivers are all talented and experienced. You can prove your skills against the winningest karters in the local area AND you won't even have to spend a lot of money to get started! We dare you to try! Most drivers from other karting divisions don't even have the guts to even attempt, and will use "but you won't let us use methanol" or "you won't let us use a different, bigger motor than you use" as a weak excuse. There is no other organized race club in the area can you race your own kart for free, rent a competitive kart (for 50-200 laps on a large track), and have full points records back nearly a decade. Nothing can beat the speed and competition for the price anywhere in the world. Nearly 200 different drivers in nearly 200 events since 2000 can't be wrong. We race every weekend from June through October at Galletta's. Make your own or rent one of our racing team karts. Sound like fun? Read on, explore the website, and join us!
NEW! NOW YOU CAN COMMENT ON EVERY RACE ON GALLETTA'S KARTING CLUB'S WEBSITE! Just sign in via your Twitter, Facebook, BlogSpot, Yahoo or other Social Networking ID and post:
Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Club Facebook Comments:
Comments, questions, and additional info with Galletta's Kart Club drivers and officials can be found on
our new message boards. ->
Our karting club's home track is located in back of: Galletta's Greenhouses 60 County Route 20 Oswego, NY 13126-6512 (315) 343-0879 or (315) 343-4281 Need directions? Here they are!
Index Guide to the Complete Galletta's Karting Club Race Archives at Galletta's Backyard Speedway (1996-up) & Oswego Kartway (2006-2008):
Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Club & Backyard Speedway 60 County Route 20 Oswego, NY, USA 13126-6512 Telephone: (315) 343-0879 or (315) 343-4281 (Ask for Matt or Chris only!) Directions
Every year in mid-September since 1996, we host a HUGE Galletta's Go-Kart Klassic Championship race, which is now at 200 laps (and averages 10-15 karts). Judging by our track size and year started, the Galletta's Klassic is the longest single-tank karting feature event in the world, and the longest-running and most prestigious of the local area. All local karters worth anything either have run it or flat out fear it. This ain't no Kiddie Kart Track BS. This is IronMan Adult Warhorse Karting at it's finest. Proclaimed the "Street Cred" of Karting... enter it to see what kind of a driver you really are.
2010 Season, Event #7- Sunday, July 18th, 2010 - Driving the Galletta's Greenhouse #9 kart, Jeff Tetro, won his 1st feature race at Galletta's Sunday. He became the 8th different winner of 8 features so far this season at Galletta's, including the 6th 1st-time first feature winner so far at John J. Galletta Memorial Karting Speedway. The racing is so close that handicapping and staying out of accidents are critical more so than any other year in our 20 year history of racing Karts at Galletta's!
2010 Season, Event #6- Sunday, July 11th, 2010 - Driving the Galletta's Greenhouse #6 kart, George Russell, won his 1st feature race at Galletta's Sunday. He became the 7th different winner of 7 features so far this season at Galletta's, including the 5th 1st-time first feature winner so far at John J. Galletta Memorial Karting Speedway. The racing, again, is just so close that passes are rare and starting handicapped up front is vital for your chances.
2010 Season, Event #5- Monday, July 5th, 2010 - Independence Day Twin-30s Night: Michael "MC" Howell finally won his first feature win in his 4th season of racing at Galletta's in the Galletta's Greenhouse #0 kart. The 2nd feature went to Melissa Stevens in her Scissors N' Fur #19 kart. 11-karts, 60-Laps of bumper-to-bumper action throughout. Points, race results and pictures are up now and videos are catching up and will be up to date soon! Thanks for reading!
2010 Season, Event #4- Monday, June 27th, 2010: Russell Bartlett picked up his first feature win at Galletta's in the Galletta's Greenhouse #9 kart, which has been in Victory Lane for two straight weeks! Here he poses with Jeff Tetro and Jeff's girlfriend Samantha Vivlemore. 12-karts, bumper-to-bumper action throughout, and we even survived a small rain shower, which made the track VERY fast! YouTube Video will be up SOON!
2010 Season, Event #3- Sunday, June 20th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #2- Monday, June 14th, 2010:
2010 Season, Event #1 - Monday, June 7th, 2010:
Randy Platt
Jared
Halstead 
Rob Clarke
Chris Carroll
Todd Halstead
Dave Latulip
Justin Lamb
Championship of 1-WD Gas Flathead Karting. In the 1990s, we formed a league of highly affordable, and simply made karts with stock gas motors as an answer to big money karting. What we got is all the excitement of racing professionally AND got to keep our money too! We made an elaborate website that contains details, statistics, pictures and often videos to every race held in the last fifteen+ years. Chock full of info, read more below. Here is our race day countdown and join our Facebook group for updates and social networking with racers, friends, and family of the Galletta's Karting Club:
enter our 15th Annual 200-Lap Marathon "Klassic" Championship Race held every Fall - The race that has decided the overall champion of Oswego Dirt Karting since 1996! You can also race with some of the winningest and most experienced karters in the local area - some of whom have raced in all sorts of racing classes and race here because we have the best bang for the buck. Plus, you can choose to either race "Arrive-and-drive" Galletta's Team Karts for gas-and-parts money, or build your own for just a few hundred dollars. Our facebook group is where we post updates, so if you are on there, join up! We have arrive-and-drive, competitive "race-ready" karts that have all won features available to race. Rookie/Novice races for beginners. Veteran races for the experienced pros. One class (the biggest in the area for over 10 years now), horsepower-to-weight handicap ratio. Inverted wins and points-per-race handicapped starts. We can also help you build your own competitive kart for far less money than other forms of karting. Why? Because it is a private backyard track with friends and family having fun putting on a friendly race, avoiding the typical organized kart track BS with big money spenders, politics and people just using karting as a footstool to get into a big track. This is just pure, fair, fun, clean racing. Want to see what a season is like? Well, here is last season's review...
Want to race in a weekly karting series but can't afford it in this economy? Want to race with only $200-$700 karts, race weekly for gas and pocket change, be scored in a professional points chase, all for no entry fees? Now you can! If you live in Oswego County, New York, and this sounds like great fun, then read more! We specialize in being a professional go-kart racing club without the outrageous prices and big-buck snobbery of "organized" racing! How? Friends, family, backyard speedways and an agreement on affordable racing vehicles and simple rules. Read more:
We are a homemade and inexpensive alternative to the costly WKA-type methanol karting series. Literally a grass roots karting league invented in the early 1990s essentially as a "Supermodified Racing Yard Kart" carting league, and running collectively hundreds of drivers in hundreds of races on two tracks every Summer-through-Fall in Central NY. Points standings and online descriptions weekly. Join us racing by either building your own or renting one of our team backup karts. We've been racing this way since the early 1990s. See all these pictures? Each one leads to the race that they were taken from - hundreds over the last thirteen years. Check them all out!
Have a go-kart? Whether it be a racing chassis or a yard kart, we can help you prepare it for racing in our club. Our karts are not only cheaper than WKA/NKA karts, but also cheaper than "Clone/Box Stock" karts, as the entire class uses "used" 5hp flathead motors, mostly used or homemade frames, ban high-priced racing parts and limit most racing modifications. No "rich" engine builders, no secrets kept - all friends and families racing and having FUN! No fighting and no whining about the rules or rough riders!
Clean , affordable racing. Build a kart for a few hundred bucks. Race all season for $10-15 a week - that includes gas and parts. No irate track operators calling you names and throwing you out - even when you pay and obey all the rules. Acquire speeds comparable to karts that cost three to ten times as much for a fraction of that cost. Please read on and learn more about our extremely affordable brand of highly competitive racing! We're always looking for new racers! The season starts in June and lasts until November. Write us about joining the club and racing this very season for just some pocket cash! Start racing, affordably, today!
All you need to race is: [1] a full-faced helmet, [2] a neck brace, [3] full body coverage clothing (sleeves, gloves, pants, shoes) and join the private race club's waiver race-agreement, and you can race all summer long in the Oswego/Minetto, NY area. All fun, no fuss! Bring your kart for testing and help prepping it for racing. Try one of our karts. You will not find tougher, cleaner, nor more affordable karting competition anywhere. Find out why we've been racing for nearly twenty years - ten years with large fields, many winners, and full points series every year - for pocket change.
Galletta's Karting Club season will begin Sunday June 6th, 2010 at 6:30pm. Weather permitting, we will be racing every Sunday evening in June, every Sunday afternoon in July through August, and every Saturday in September through October. Our track is a private, non-profit backyard track, not a business. We have no fees, veterans can race in every regular event and a new rookie who proves he/she can race cleanly via a rookie race can try. Free to join or watch a race with permission. We can arrange for practice sessions (starting in June) for those interested in joining our weekly racing club. We are looking for weekly racers! Since we do not charge money for our races, volunteers and donations are welcome. Gas, tires, lights, flags, flaggers, clay, lumber, plastic, used or new kart parts, track work - all are needed, greatly appreciated and highly welcome!
Motor classes: Our main class features Briggs & Stratton 5hp L-type Flathead gas stock motors with Galletta's-type limited modifications allowed (hand-shaved heads, Dyno 94-S cam, all else stock, especially a '90s-style carburetor is a must for cost and speed regulation). We are also open to a Gas 100% Stock Junior class (keeping it safe for the kids) and a heavy OHV motor class with support.
With all of our classes, they are gas-only, and strict limitations on racing enhancements. We do not race for money, nor for the typical "how much horsepower can I get out of this here lil' engine, dude", just for equalized-racing fun and points with speeds kept down for safety and cost, so no expensive racing enhancements will be allowed, only inexpensive and manageable ones (this means for equalized racing where experience and drivers talent count instead of the domination by wealthier competitors as found in other forms of racing). If you want them, we have nothing against them, and you can spend thousands of dollars per year on WKA-type karts on other tracks, but not this one. We built it for fun, equality, fairness and affordability - in defiance of cheater engine builders, high-priced engine purchasers, and biased track operators, race for the competition found in equalized vehicles, NOT "Dude, I can make my motor faster than yers', no matter the cost!" Making karts with the same motors race better using time-tested and earned driving skills and talent is how we do it.
We videotape all of our races and make them available on DVD for $5 per disc. Each DVD contains 2-3 hours of racing action. We have complete race seasons (from 2006, 2007, 2008) available for purchase. Exciting action, talented drivers racing it out, hysterical wrecks, and just hundreds of hours of great karting! Watch our karts race on two local tracks nearly every week for three straight years - and enjoy watching other karting classes as well (including WKA flat chassis, Champ Cage karts).
YouTube And the complete and high quality races found on this site and YouTube can be purchased in our Galletta's Go-Kart DVD store!
THE GALLETTA'S KARTING SPEEDWAY
Cheaper karts, more different winners, simpler rules, and closer competition than any other karting classes. Also, past Galletta's Kart Klassic history has been been updated for "Galletta's Kart Klassic" week, including painstaking translation from ink-on-paper to digital for our points charts from 2000-up. We now have a complete history of our first 12 Galletta's Kart Klassics, and points standings from every year from 2000-2008! Observe them all here: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1996-1999. "All-Time-Points" Lists: Galletta's Track All-Time Points, 2006-08 Gas Flatheads Oswego Kartway All-Time Points, 2000-08 2-Track All-Time Point Lists , 2-Track All-Time Win Stats! Enjoy!
Also, though we have already announced it earlier, we wanted to reiterate it here that the Galletta's Kart Club will re-institute a mandatory minimum weight (yet to be determined; a good average that every active driver must vote upon) and fixed gearing to go with the pre-existing limited modification Galletta's 5hp flathead motor rules in 2008. By using the weight rule, we have also re-enforces our ban on "Outlaw" type
Gas "Briggs Animal" (6.5hp-appearing)
motors from our competition as well, which is the only way we can institute a weight rule. All motors in our class must be equal. Thank you. We have no animosity or dislike for anybody who has raced us with an OHV motor, as we have made peace with them, and invited them to race their karts in their own OHV Clone series on our track.
UNPAID DUES: Oswego Speedway's Dirt Track - Oswego Kartway track operator, Jim Losurdo, banned our 1-WD Gas Stocker class from competition at the Oswego Kartway, did not pay for logos used for one year, and childishly mocked us and physically threatened our lives on a public forum. In discriminating against our established and affordable class--which had fully supported the track bringing 6-15 karts (with paying customers) per week ever since it's inception ( 2006-08), gave free promotion to, produced high quality weekly DVDs of their events for, created professional uncompensated and over a year later, STILL unpaid logos and banners for,
never fought at, never had one severe crash or injury at, and raced at despite the track operator's irrational refusal to acknowledge - and even irrational rebellion against - our simple points & rule set--was never answered in either a logical, fair, calm, nor rational manner by one person, including the track operator. Did I mention how that in addition to barring us, during our three years there, they intentionally allowed some people in our class to cheat and have larger horsepower motors and race-enhancements. He also called us many angry & childish names and did not act like a professional track operator, nor respectful person should. The Galletta's Kart club will race on our own track and all local tracks that allow us our simple rule set and points system formula upon invite only. You can read about and discuss the situation in this large message board thread here, and see results to our final race there here. All comments, debate points, and opinions on all sides are welcome, and will not be deleted. We believe in freedom of speech & debate, and not deleting anything that isn't 100% positive. Think I'm overreacting? Look at how their track officials treat people who disagree with them - with cowardly anonymous IDs that do personal attacks, mockery and threats of bashing skulls in with a sharpened shovel even after we were already long gone for nearly a year! However, considering their annual price increases, the Galletta's Kart Club (averaging between 6-15 weekly competitors) has estimated that we will collectively save $2,000-$3,000 in entrance fees by racing on our own track exclusively for the majority of our points series instead of two tracks like we have been doing the past three years (What they do with all that money is a mystery to me, especially since they still didn't pay for their logo yet)! This news means more enhancements to our own karts and own track with professional AND fun racing, and less problems with dishonest people ruining their parent track's name with their weak simulation of a professional track - no points, no DVDs, no names, booting people, not paying people for work - just the big track's name and money in it. Keep screwing people, keep mocking people, keep fighting, and keep thinking your races are important only because of your location. If a $5,000 kart can only go 27-30MPH, it is nothing more than a glorified Kiddie Kartway in the shadow of a famous track, which is the reason why anybody even goes there. Keep your huge entrance fees and your transponders and and we'll keep our money and still have a bigger class field and more fun, thanks. In case you're wondering, this stays on our main page until I are paid up, and your threats are being closely monitored by the authorities. Thanks.
The Galletta's Go-Karting Club was founded by brothers Matt and Chris Stevens in the early 1990s when they modified yard karts for racing purposes. They are the inventors of "clockwise 5hp flathead gas stocker kart" racing, and have a 13-kart race team that includes several backup karts available to be rented and raced at both Galletta's and Oswego Speedway all summer. Invented with specifically "gas stock 5hp motor" and "Single Wheel Drive" rules so that a person doesn't have to spend thousands of dollars to race in extremely competitive racing events, the class grows in talent and competition every single year. Join us by building your own kart for less than $500 or rent one of our team karts all Summer-Fall in Oswego, NY and any Central NY dirt track by appointment. Additional details:
Although we do rent karts to friends, family members, and occasional new invitees, we are a PRIVATE go-kart racing club, and not necessarily a kart rental business nor a large spectator facility suitable for numerous spectators. We have no fees, but you must simply obey our rules and sign a waiver to race. From June through October, we race karts in a points series on our backyard track and local kart speedways upon invitation only. We are closed from December through May. While we are open to allowing people to rent our karts if they waive any liability, our club and track is generally a private one.
Although we always invite new people to join us, we are not a racing facility funded by a professional racetrack, nor a business operation for large groups of beginner drivers. That being said, the general rule is that if there are interested parties that do wish to race weekly during the Summer months in the Oswego County area, we are open to small groups of new people giving it a try joining our racing club. We're always looking for new people to race with. But, in general, we don't want people seeking "amusement park" go-karts - in other words, people with no prior experience just looking to have fun racing once or twice for fun, or a bunch of people looking for a one-day recreational karting event. We are a private racing club, but invite any to inquire abut joining us. More details on our rules page, updated 1/2009. Perhaps the best thing that is if you want to race with us, you can use a Galletta's Kart (all of which have won features and can win any given night), or build your own and have all the vets help you out. They will help you get your own kart as fast as theirs and give you tips to compete for wins within your first season or two of racing. No other racing club offers this - no need for expensive engine builders or top-money parts just to be able to field a kart let alone win - you can race and really have fun for a lot less money than you thought. We have rules based on a majority vote of all active drivers, and the rules are based on affordability and fairness. Lightest drivers are weighed to a minimum weight, and heaviest guys are given a power cam and a header to give them enough horsepower to equalize the speeds. Starts are handicapped via points-per-race and wins-per-season. It means one large class of close racing, instead of multiple 3-9 kart classes and no champion decided. We have no cheats, no costly fees, and the fun and lack of bickering that we have shows it. Give it a try. You can check out our complete archive of documented races (each videotaped race is available on DVD for $5 per disc).
Galletta's Go-Kart Backyard Speedway is a 0.133887 mile dirt oval with 20-degree banked turns. It is located behind Galletta's Greenhouse in Oswego, NY, and can be seen from outer space! The single-wheel-drive gasoline-fueled flathead motor karts take the track between 15-17 seconds per lap which averages over 30 mph (approximately 45-50 mph top speed in the straights). Our speeds are comparable to alcohol/methanol-fueled karts that cost 8 times as much because we use mostly stock parts and gas on a large track; leading to more karts, more competition, and more fun. Our class is usually the largest and most competitive in the area. Thanks to Google Earth for this Spring 2006 photo. More->
Due to the fact that the karts are so affordable and the oldest veterans have been racing for nearly two decades, it is one of the most difficult karting divisions to win at, but yet you can be instantly competitive for just a couple hundred dollars IF you're a good driver. You can't outspend your opponent due to our gas-powered stock 90's type carb only rule, so you must out-race
them and out-setup them. In fact, nobody has ever defeated Matt & Chris in the open challenge: race a stock 5hp flathead and stop them from scoring 1st & 2nd in a points season. Though hundreds of people have tried in hundreds of races since the early 1990s, Chris and Matt have scored 1 & 2 every year. But it's not just them you have to race. Our regular drivers are all talented and experienced. You can prove
your skills against the winningest karters in the local area AND you won't even have to spend a lot of money to get started! We dare you to try! Most drivers from other karting divisions don't even have the guts to even attempt, and will use "but you won't let us use methanol" or "you won't let us use a different, bigger motor than you use" as a weak excuse. There is no other organized race club in the area can you race your own kart for free, rent a competitive kart (for 50-200 laps on a large track), and have full points records back nearly a decade. Nothing can beat the speed and competition for the price anywhere in the world. Nearly 200 different drivers in nearly 200 events since 2000 can't be wrong. We race every weekend from June through October at Galletta's. Make your own or rent one of our racing team karts. Sound like fun? Read on, explore the website, and join us!
Comments, questions, and additional info with Galletta's Kart Club drivers and officials can be found on our new message boards. ->
Super Mario Kart Xtreme game
