The Galletta's 1WD Dirt Gas Flathead Karting
Club & Backyard Speedway's Free Video Player
Galletta's Go-Karts
60 County Route 20 Oswego, NY, USA
13126-6512
Telephone:
(315) 343-0879
or
(315) 343-4281 Directions:
ChrusherComix
Google website search:
Other racing websites:
Social Networking
w/ Galletta's Go-Karts Founders:
Chris Stevens:
Matt
Stevens:
VOTE
FOR CHRIS' SITE:
Every
year in mid-September, we have a HUGE Galletta's Go-Kart Klassic Championship
race, which is now at 200 laps (and averages 10-15 karts), which judging
by our track size, clearly the longest karting event in the world:
Welcome!
We are a Karting Club that races 1-Wheel-Drive Gas Flathead go-karts for
a Points championship every summer at Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Kartway
since the early 1990s, and formerly a Gas Stocker division at Oswego Speedway's
Kartway weekly between 2006-08. Please read on and learn more about our
extremely affordable brand of highly competitive racing!
Founded
by brothers Matt and Chris Stevens in the early 1990s, Team
Galletta is a karting team sponsored by Galletta's Greenhouse of Oswego,
NY. Matt, Chris, and their dad, Wesley have been racing karts since
1990 and are the inventors of "clockwise gas stocker kart"
(racing-modified go-karts with stock, gas, flathead motors) racing in
the local area. We have a 13-kart race team that includes several backup
karts that are available to be raced at both Galletta's Greenhouse Kart
Speedway all Summer and formerly at Oswego Speedway's Kartway until
their belligerent track operator lost his feeble little mind. Sound
like fun? Join us!
This is
an info page. News and updates are found on THIS
page. Thank you!
Galletta's Dirt Gas Stock Karting
Club - Professional Racing on a Beginner's Budget: The Complete Journal Archives documenting
every season since 1996 and and every race since 2005:
Name (Karts
Piloted)
Note: Pictures with colored borders have profiles
All karts are Galletta-type
5hp Flathead Gas Stockers unless otherwise noted. Some are unauthorized/un-inspected 5.5hp-.6.5hp+
OHV; noted in red/italics.
The above list is abridged to high-scorers, special
event drivers, feature winners, drivers with profiles, and Klassic
drivers between 2000-up. However, it is not complete. The drivers
ranked 143-201 and missing top 142 drivers are found on
THIS page. And, our 2006-08 secondary track's list is on
this page.
Key: * = Includes a "tie" for Feature Win.
< = Includes "Non-Winner's Only" Feature Win.
^ = Includes rain-shortened Feature Win.
> = Includes a 1/2-lap shortened Feature Win.
Red = Majority of races in larger/since
outlawed "OHV" motor + mods. All others in approved
FH 5hp.
Pictures = Raced in at least one race recently, or a videotaped
event (like the Galletta's Klassic).
Profiles = Regular Drivers and Klassic Competitors have driver
profiles (Click on highlighted pictures).
# = Honorary points for racing in the 1990s.
All-Time Wins-Only Listing is found
here.
We
race every Sunday from June-thru-August & Saturdays from September-thru-October
behind Galletta's Greenhouse!
Each season begins in June
on Sunday afternoons at Galletta's
Kartway, and summer Thursdays/Fridays at Oswego Speedway's Dirt Oval
Kartway. This
is the newcomer intro page. But for constantly updated pictures, videos,
descriptions, and points standings updated after every single race,
go the index page of the website, found
here. (Above
pic by Xtreme)
The starting
lineup to some of our Galletta's Kart Klassics! You're invited to our
next one! Want
to race a go-cart/go-kart and go for a seasonal points title? The join
our Galletta's Go-Karts Racing Club! We race on a simple backyard race
track with gas yard karts specially modified to race. Whether you're
a beginner, amateur, or experienced driver, as long as you are serious
and committed about giving racing a try (and not just looking to goof
around for a day), then welcome to Galletta's Go-Kart Racing League
located in Oswego Town, NY, USA, around 45 minutes north of Syracuse.
We race stock 5-horsepower small engine karts clockwise at Galletta's
Greenhouse and formerly at Oswego
Speedway's dirt
oval track. We reach speeds between 40-50 mph. You are invited
to rent one of our competitive karts, or bring your own and race with
us! For fun, not for profit, and only serious and friendly drivers!
Come view our
website!
Each picture clicks to the race that
it is from. All pictures (unless noted) are captured stills from the
DVDs of each race. Cameras by Rungnapha "Au" Stevens and Gene
Galletta, captures by Chris Stevens.
A snapshot from one of our competitive Summer
Points Challenge events in 2007
and 2008!
Galletta's
Go-Kart Speedway is a 0.133887 mile dirt oval and can be seenfrom outer space! The karts take the track between 15-17 seconds
per lap which averages around 30 mph (probably 45-50 mph top speed). We
race between 45-175 laps per event. More->
An
The Galletta's Go-Kart Speedway
from outer space sometime in Spring 2006! Thanks to Google Earth!
THE BELOW INFORMATION
MAY BE OUTDATED, PLEASE REFER TO OUR INDEX
PAGE AND RULES
PAGE FOR 100% UPDATED
INFORMATION:
Where do you race:
Our 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's:
What do we race?:We race box
stock-part, gas, 5hp engine Go-Karts clockwise on a dirt (or clay) oval
tracks. We race single-wheel-drive karts clockwise (instead of the usual
dual-wheel-drive counter-clockwise) because this way the engine is located
on the outside of the kart leading to greater speeds and less sliding
in the corners. In this way, we are unique, and why our type of karts
are called "Clockwise Gas Stocker" karts, "Racing-Modified
Yard Karts", or most specifically "Galletta-Type Racing
Karts". They are NOT cheap/slow Yard Karts, and they
are NOT hyper-expensive WKA-related Methanol Racing Karts. They
are a hybrid of both but with the best features of; affordable, durable,
and fast.
Where do we race?:
We race at Galletta's
Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway, also known as John J. Galletta
Memorial Karting Speedway, named after the late founder of Galletta's
Greenhouse and grandfather of founder's Chris and Matt Stevens. John
envisioned a kart track on the property that was not realized until
shortly before his passing in the mid 1990s, when Matt and Chris each
got karts and began their racing series.
Team Galletta's Go-Kart Racing
Team and League race two clockwise, single-wheel-drive, Gas Stocker
kart points series at the following tracks:
=============== Track
1: At Galletta's Greenhouse Racing-Modified Yard Kart Speedway (www.gallettasgreenhouse.com/gokarts/)
...only on Summer Sunday late afternoons/evenings, and/or Fall Saturday
afternoons. Our track is NOT a professional amusement park or raceway,
it is a backyard kart track designed for recreational racing between
friends, family members and making new racing friends; therefore offers
absolutely NO insurance towards anybody on the property.
- If you have your own "Gas Stocker" go-kart, you can bring
it and race, although we are taking $3-5 donations for the new clay
that was just put on the track and maintenance thereof (Spectators can
watch for free, though we offer no refreshments or restrooms). -If
you do not have your own kart and want to rent, we have 11 Galletta's
Racing Team Karts (All powered by 5hp Flathead Gas Stocker motors with
limited racing modifications and staggered to turn right [clockwise]
due to single-wheel drive setups). Some (anywhere between none to seven)
are rented out weekly for $17-20 per regular event (a 10-lap heat and
a 45-lap feature), and more for longer races. -Novices
(drivers with 0-5 Galletta’s races completed) race in their own heats
separate from the veterans, and ONLY if you qualify (by not causing
accidents, damage to the karting equipment, or spins AND if enough karts
are available), then a novice can enter the "Veteran" feature.
In the feature, any visiting driver is held to a 3-cautions-and-you're-out
or 1-broken-kart-and-you're-out rule. If there are not enough karts
available to race in the veteran feature, you may have more than one
qualifier and then a B-Main "Novice" Feature separate from
the "Veteran" feature. No refunds are given if a driver gets
at least 10 green laps of racing or gets less than 10 laps of racing
and damages a kart or property.
=============== OTHER
TRACKS:
- If you have your own "Gas Stocker" go-kart (5hp, box stock
parts, shaved head, and runs on gas), you can bring it and race, although
the track will likely have a required fee for drivers that ranges between
$15-$35 depending on the track and the program.
-If you don't have your own kart and want to rent, we have 11 Galletta's
Racing Team Karts and some are rented out weekly for $5-10 per regular
event (a 10 lap heat and a 25-50 lap feature; more for longer races).
All Galletta’s Karts are powered by 5hp Flathead Gas Stocker motors
with limited racing modifications and staggered to turn right (clockwise)
due to single-wheel-drive setups. This fee is separate and an addition
from the gate fees on the other track. Discounts are available to those
who help load Team Galletta's karts at Galletta's Greenhouse and truck
them to the other track and furthermore those who race at Galletta's
on Sundays. To
race on EITHER of these tracks, you are REQUIRED to have the following:
1. Sign a legally binding waiver that vows that you will not bring a
lawsuit against the property owners for any injuries and/or death, no
matter of negligence and/or faulty equipment.
2. Have a full-face helmet designed for racing (motorcycle, racing car,
motocross or ATV; preferably DOT or Snell approved) is required. Clear
visors that do not restrict vision are also required. No shaded visors
past dark. 3.
Full skin coverage is required (long sleeved shirt and/or jacket, full
pant-legs and sturdy gloves are all required; absolutely no exposed
skin must be seen while racing). Extra rib/chest/shoulder protection,
elbow pads, and kneepads are all strongly preferred but not required.
4. A neck brace designed for racing is required.
5. No alcohol allowed for any driver until he/she is done racing at
Oswego. Galletta's would prefer no alcohol at all. Absolutely ZERO illegal
drugs allowed on either track at any time. No lit cigarettes near equipment
or gas.
6. Both tracks also reserve the right to deny any person that is a hazard
(to himself/herself, to property, to equipment, or to others) from being
on the premises. This includes reckless behavior, reckless driving,
verbal or physical fighting, intentional or repeated unintentional accidents.
7. Driver must obey all rules and regulations on each track; most of
which are basic racing rules run by most reputable motorsport racing
institutions. Any questions, ask the track operators, regular drivers,
or read the rulebook.
Each picture clicks to the race
that it is from.
When
do we race?:We run on a weekly basis, which is almost always
Sunday (afternoons and evenings) from June through September, and then
usually Saturdays from September through October (weather permitting)
every year at Galletta's.
We also race USED to race every Thursday or Friday at Oswego
Speedway's Dirt
Kartway. We race virtually every weekend from June through October,
and many times twice-per-week during the summer. We occasionally race
two times per weekend and/or during the weekdays, depending on weather,
holidays, local events, and racer attendance.
The
name of the “Clockwise Gas Stocker” class is supposed to be AFFORDABLE
STOCK, turn right because of a yard-kart motor setup, and PUMP GAS.
Our class is cheaper and easier to maintain than your average Box Stock
Project, or CLONE motor classes. For this reason, no driver should be
using ANY racing parts unless they have been approved by all drivers
and track operators, nor making significant alterations that are not
approved by both, and are under the spirit of “gas stocker” rules. If
not, they should just move up to another class.
Galletta’s Karting Club's Engine Rules: -
Briggs & Stratton “New style” 1990s-and-up style Flathead motor
Box stock block. Absolutely NO porting or reinforcements allowed to
the block unless (A) a bore for renewed life and (B) is approved by
all regular competitors. No Galletta’s Team Karts have blocks altered.
- Briggs & Stratton Box Stock 1990s-and-up style carburetor and
tank. The jet is box stock/standard and fixed. Absolutely ZERO alterations
allowed. Drilled carbs are banned. Raptor or other racing carbs are
banned due to expense. (This rule makes for a VERY even race.)
- Briggs & Stratton rods must be:
- (a) Box-Stock with vinyl dippers, OR
- (b) a Briggs & Stratton Raptor III Rod (for durability/engine
safety) are allowed. Box-Stock oil dippers are banned due to durability
issues. Billet rods are discouraged due to cost.
- Briggs & Stratton Box stock air breathers. Drilled air holes allowed.
Racing breathers discouraged, especially for drivers under 200 lbs..
- Briggs & Stratton Cams must be "NON-SLAPPER" Cams. Cams
that are currently in use:
- (A) Box stock cam allowed.
- (B) Dyno 94-SS “hot stocker” cam is allowed.
- (C) Dyno 98-3 cam is allowed (and proven to help our heavier drivers
over 200 lbs.) .
- Briggs & Stratton box stock coil. No Galletta’s karts contain
hot coils.
- Briggs & Stratton box stock flywheel. No Galletta’s karts have
3-4hp flywheels.
- Briggs & Stratton box stock crankshaft. Single or dual bearing
allowed. Most of ours are standard, no bearings. We have no ruling for
or against crankshaft types.
- Briggs & Stratton box stock Piston. Pistons/rings should be box
stock standard. Boring/replacements allowed after excessive wear. (.10,
.20. .30 are only allowed as the motor wears, as each motor has a life
cycle.)
- Heads must start as a Briggs & Stratton box stock 5hp or 4hp head,
and…
- (A) Head may be shaved for extra horsepower. All Galletta's Karts
have hand-shaved heads via sandpaper and drills. Professionally machined
heads are discouraged due to cost. Matt will assist all head shaves
for free.
- All Raptor parts (except for Raptor III rods) and equivalent expensive
after-market racing counterparts are illegal under Galletta’s rules.
The engine rules are meant to be “box stock.” If you think that is lame
and want to pour thousands of dollars into your engine, then there are
plenty of karting classes for you. Our #1 rule is to go as fast as we
can as affordably as we can. We succeed at that, and believe nobody
does it better for equal or lesser cost.
- Obviously, Overriding the governor is allowed.
- If you don't have a motor like this, the Galletta's Karting Club can
buy you one, set it up exactly like all other Galletta's kart motors,
and all for just cost (within the $100-200 range in most cases). Why?
Because we want more people to race against and we are not looking to
make a buck off of this!
Galletta’s Karting Class Additional Setup Rules: -
DRIVE SYSTEM: Classic “Yard Kart” motor setup is preferred. This includes
the motor mount on left-rear, single-wheel drive preferred. Karts should
be staggered to run clockwise (right-hand turns) on a dirt oval track.
Live axles are not banned, but discouraged because they are unnecessary
under Galletta’s Club “clockwise” right-turn rules (We don't ban live
axles, but we turn the other way so we don't need them, and they actually
may even hurt you when you turn the other way).
- CLUTCH: Max-torque, Comet, or equivalent ‘yard kart’ style clutches
in the $30-50 range. Last for around a full year. Costly racing clutches
are illegal at every Galletta’s event!!! You want them? Race WKA or
Champ class.
- Muffler/Header/Pipes:
- (a) Briggs & Stratton Box-Stock “Fun Power” type mufflers for
all drivers 190lbs.-and-under.
- (b) Racing Headers/Pipes allowed for drivers 190 lbs.-and-over. MUST
have a muffler on the end to avoid noise pollution and is required for
both tracks we race at.
- Fuel: All karts must
run PUMP GAS. Galletta’s Team karts all use and highly recommend 93
Octane. No additional additives are allowed. Additives should be disqualified
unless approved before the race by all other drivers in the same race.
If you want to race methanol, go race another class.
- Weights: We have a
minimum weight rule in 2009 now that we have banned OHV 6.5hp-appearing
Animal "Outlaw" motors from our class. Before the classes
were separated, we could not penalize smaller motors with weight, as
it was the only way to compete against the larger motors. Without them,
we can now institute a minimum weight to help heavier drivers. Each
of these little picture clicks to the race that it is from with larger
pictures, YouTube video clips, and vivid descriptions of each race.
Also point standings, race orders, and all the stats any fantasy sports
nerd would go goo-goo for.
How
fast do you go?: Approximate speed is probably around 35-50mph
in the straight-aways at Galletta's. We purposefully don't want to modify
the motors to go much faster because we are looking to keep costs low
and the safety high. We could easily make them get around 70mph in the
straights like our methanol WKA counterparts can reach, but it would
go against our policy of affordable and safe racing. We timed expensive
racing go-karts against ours at Oswego Speedway, and for merely a few
hundred dollars, you can make a car less than one second slower than
a kart that costs thousands of dollars - AND have a bigger field
of karts! Beat that! (And no, having 35-70 karts but only 3-9 kart-per-class
races that last only 5-10 minutes each do not count as "beating"
us. Cost-for-race proves we are the biggest, most affordable, and longest-running
class in the area, and likely most of the world)
Where
do we race?: The gasoline Briggs & Stratton flathead 5hp
(only shaved heads allowed, all else must be stock) series championship
takes place weekly June-October at the dirt "backyard speedway"
in back of Galletta's Greenhouse
on
County Rt. 60, Oswego, New York, USA. We also race a mixed-motor
(all gas, 6.5hp max) "Supermodified Yard Kart" pr "Clockwise
Gas Stocker" class weekly at Oswego
Speedway's Dirt
Kart Track all June-August.
Do
you race other types of motors or chassis?:Yes. We can allow
other motor types and chassis types to race in separate races on our
track provided that they use slicks, but just not in our class's point
events. We have always held this policy, but it garners little to no
interest. Just ask us about it and we can arrange something. Also, in
the future, the Galletta's Kart Club will vote on a motor to change
over to in the future (We will likely go with a clone motor or a stock
OHV. Until then, 5hp flatheads with shaved heads, gas stock carbs, and
Dyno 94-SS cams, are the staple).
Don't
you race on other tracks?: Yes and no. We also formerly
raced at Oswego Speedway's
Dirt
Kartway(www.oswegokartway.com)
before their
belligerent and cheat-happy track operator booted our once loyal class
(3-straight years of bringing 5-15 karts with rule-abiding/paying customers
per week, in addition to creating uncompensated banners and logos for,
providing free website and word-of-mouth promotion for, and creating
affordable weekly DVDs for). The track operator did so for multiple
reasons: (1) because of the controversy between the forced mixed-motor
racing of medium-weight clockwise gas stocker flatheads against heavy-weight
clockwise gas OHV Animals, (2) a personal bias and grudge admittedly
held upon us since 2005, and (3) his desire to get rid of two clockwise
classes to make a counterclockwise "Gas OHV Clone" class.In addition to the unjustified banishment, they also
mocked us with deeply insulting personal attacks and threatened to kill
us on public web forums. The person who controls that track
- and some of his friends - have proven time and time again to be dishonest
and hateful, and before we met any of them, they had a reputation of
cheating, arguing, and fighting. From what we observed there between
2006-2008, we found the accusations and reputation to be accurate, and
we will never again go to that track again unless the people in control
of that track are no longer there. The club is still owed money for
logos and banners used on trophies, promotional items, and website during
2008 - still unpaid by the track operators and owners. Our karting club
is meant to be affordable, fair, fun, and equalized, something that
cannot be accomplished with such personalities.
Four members of Team Galletta's
in 2007 at Oswego Kartway. (Above pic by Xtreme
Photography)
Will you ever race on
other tracks?: Yes. We have been invited to other a few other
local area tracks, and we are grateful. We will race on them under the
following circumstances: (1) The track operator personally sends us
an invite; (2) We have our own, separate class with our own motor
type, rules, and points system [tried and true for over a decade
now]; (3) we can bring enough karts and drivers to put on a good show
(5-15); (4) the Oswego Kartway operator and/or his good buddies have
nothing to do with the track.
On
August
30th, 2007, the Galletta's Go-Kart originators, Chris "ChrusherComix"
Stevens, Wesley Ogre Stevens, and Matt Stevens swept the top three
in the Oswego Speedway Classic
Weekend's Dirt Gas Stocker Kart (formerly known as Supermodified Yard
Kart) Classic 50! Then, Matt, Wes, and Chris swept the top-3 a year
later at the 2nd Annual Classic at the same Oswego Kartway on
September 4th, 2008. The track operator couldn't beat us, so he
booted our class.
How
do we race?:Every race begins under a handicapped start (Points
leaders and race winners in the rear with low-points and winless racers
in the front in opposite order of points-per-race), and race length
can vary between 20-50 laps for regular season races and up to 150-175
laps for our "Klassic Championship" race that usually occurs in late
September.
I
don't have a kart. Can I still go karting?:: YES! The track
owns 12 Karts (4 that we personally race and the rest are backups that
we rent out to aspiring drivers). They are all competitive and can win
any given race with an experienced driver at the wheel. Every engine
and kart has won a race at the track, and all are potent and have a
solid chance of winning. Several of our friends/co-competitors also
have extra karts and may rent them to you. We had as many as 18 karts
on track in 2005-06 and expect in excess of 20 this season. More if
you've never been here and join us.
What
kind of engines do you run:Our featured class of karts all
have 5hp Briggs and Stratton flat-head 4-cycle motors. For example,
ours are mostly regular, Fun Power or I/C. We allow simple modifications,
but no racing parts, as this makes the racing too expensive, and needlessly
slow, as we reach comparable times around the same tracks for a tiny
fraction of the cost, and we don't exclude people who don't want to
invest thousands into a kart. Hundreds is all you'll need. We may change
this rule in the future, but for now, all of our established competitors
race with 5hp flathead Briggs and Stratton motors with shaved heads.
At Oswego, the motor rules are somewhat more lax, as we also allow up
to 6.5hp OHV motors until 2008, and now they have their own separate
class. The main rules, above all, are gas and stock parts. If a driver
is over 250 lbs. then it is suggested that they either race with 5.5-6.5hp
OHV karts, or see Matt for allowances on some limited racing parts.
If you're around 130-230 lbs., you can compete to win right off the
bat due to our new weight rule! AGAIN: WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO OTHER
KART CLASSES (RIGHT OR LEFT TURN, GAS OR METHANOL, OHV OR FLATHEAD),
BUT WE HAVE HAD NO INTERESTED PARTIES. PLEASE ASK IF INTERESTED.
A
shot from Oswego Speedway's 16-kart Dirt Racing-Yard Kart Classic in
2007 - the biggest (16 karts, 50 laps, 4 motor types) and most exciting
(several lead changes and a handful of entertaining accidents) race
in the history of that track (yet, they banned and mocked us. Nice,
huh?) Fuck off, Jim Losurdo & Galletta's Mockers!
Restrictions on the motors?: We currently do not allow
after-market racing parts, such as special racing crankshafts, cams,
carburetors, springs, and so on in our class. This is to keep speeds
both extremely safe and affordable. This may change in the future with
a vote of the active drivers and track owners and the pricing. The reasons
for not running bigger horsepower motors are listed below.
I
have my own kart. Can I race?:YES! Others are invited to bring
their own karts and race them at Galletta's. The only qualification
is that they must be 5hp motors that must run on gas, and they cannot
have illegally modified racing parts unless examined and allowed by
all track officials and drivers. Stock flathead 5hp Briggs are the norm,
though we modify them (shaved heads for all, racing oil dippers, and
"Hot Stocker" Dyno 94-SS cams for heavier drivers) and will
help you do the same. We call them limited-modified stock 5hp Galletta's
Racing Yard Karts. Our
class has several advantages over more expensive forms of racing and
karting, including affordability and durability. The track owners and
mechanics can help you set up your kart to the exact modifications that
everybody else runs. All engines should be approved by the track owners
and mechanics, but as long as it's a 5hp and aren't illegally modified
(as said above), you will almost certainly be allowed to race. We have
had trouble with the expenses and inequality of racing motors and OHV
motors compared to stock 5hps, and
for now, they are not Galletta's-legal. Regardless, they must be a 5hp,
no stickers removed. You can buy any go-kart in a yard sale or store,
and with minor modifications (governor spring, shaved head, stagger,
chain, and tire tips) you could be racing the same day and can be competing
to win the very next race. If you have a non- gas stocker kart (WKA,
Raptor, Animal, Methanol, NKA, Champ, or anything else), you may still
come and try the track out, or race your own class with enough support.
Also, at our former "away" track, Oswego
Kartway, all classes of karts are run, and ours too until the track
operator disposed of our class, though ours was there since the very
beginning and most of the others were newcomers. More details on their
official website..
Can
I buy a kart off of you?: We can build you a kart for a price.
We are very affordable, mainly because we love racing so much, that
we want more people to race against! We can also help you find motors
and parts, or help you fix motors, karts, and parts that you may believe
are junk (until we get our hands on them). Most of our karts cost in
the $200-700 range total, while most other karts cost in the $3,000-7,000
range or sometimes more. Why so cheap? Because we ban racing parts,
keep it stock, build our own stuff, and it keeps things really affordable.
And the more affordability means more competition to race against because
it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
How
much does it cost to race?: To rent one of our karts, the standard
40-lap race at Galletta's and also use it at another track the same
week is $15. This is extremely affordable and a great price. If you
notice, covering gas and parts, we are basically letting you race for
free because we want people to race against! It's often said by visitors
to be the most fun they've ever had for $15. Longer races are slightly
more. If you have your own kart Galletta-type, there is no entrance
fee. The fees cover parts, repairs, kart maintenance, track maintenance,
and entrance into the points standings. This is a non-profit, race-at-your-own-risk,
recreational operation and all of the money goes right back into
the track and karts. Prices may vary depending on costs, race length,
points race prize entry, and track/kart volunteer work.
Each picture clicks to the race
that it is from. Above is the 1st lap of our 11th Annual Championship.
How much does it cost to watch?: It is 100% FREE to watch
the races, though you may be asked to participate in a 50/50 ticket
contest which will be drawn after the contest's conclusion (50% of the
funds will go to the points standings prize purse, the rest to the winning
ticket holder). We also occasionally have cookouts before or after race
time for holidays and bigger events. Chris
Stevens and his wife Rungnapha after the 2007 Oswego Speedway Dirt Classic
win. Picture courtesy of LocalTrax.com
and XtremeFotoz.com, and thanks
to MC for the heads-up on it!
View more on this race here.->
Do
you have prizes to the winners/top-runners?: We used to debate
doing this, but no longer believe in it. It used to depend on drivers
and spectators putting money into a fund, and we had so little support
in the one season that we tried it, we stopped. For example, in 2005
we attempted a points fund, but at year's end, the top 5 winning visiting
drivers all owed more money in gas, kart use, parts, rental & repair
fees than winnings, so there were no prizes, as the karts needed repairs
and maintenance. Then, between 2007-08 we would have monthly money races
and/or trophies to be won at Oswego Speedway's Dirt Kartway's events,
but it proved to not only be more difficult to get interested drivers
to join because of the added expense, but also be more cutthroat and
the track operator allowed bigger motors into our class, which obviously
could not work fairly. Finally, whenever we bring it up, many of the
competitors initially like the idea, but then know that once we place
money at stake, the drivers will all be too aggressive. We race for
fun, competition, sportsmanship, and to hone racing skills against respected
drivers in equalized karts, not be out to win-at-all-costs-and-***-the-opposition,
cheating & wrecking all the way. This is a non-profit, friends-and-family,
recreational-only organization, and prize money is more feasible for
racing classes that are more expensive to run and have honest tech garages
to keep it all on the up and up. To keep it simple, cheap, and fun,
we choose against prizes and instead just race interchangeable karts
that all have the same interchangeable motors and parts. So, our prizes
are this: Gun for feature wins, for points, the track championship and
Klassic Championship. These are for bragging rights only, and whomever
wins these is respected as a great driver. Doubt this? Come try. Our
regular drivers - especially those with a few years experience - are
better than anybody gives them credit for. And without a kart that is
head and shoulders better than the others like in most racing circles,
the win means so much more.
What
are the racing rules?:We have standard general racing rules
that most racetracks follow in order to keep the racing as safe, fair,
and as competitive as possible. Basic rules at most tracks will almost
all be exactly the same here, but hard ramming and intentional bumping
is not permitted at all, though straight bumper-to-bumper contact
is allowed (usually only in the straights) provided that it does
not cause an accident. We're not NASCAR, and
any bump
that causes an accident will be penalized (rear of the field). You will
be asked to sign a waiver that frees the track owners of responsibility
to any injuries sustained while racing on our property. Our track is
recreational, race-at-your-own-risk-only and we do not have nor offer
insurance for racers. In over ten years of racing, we've never had a
serious injury (just some scrapes and bruises at most) because we have
safety standards and frown upon rough racing. Safety first on our track.
Expanded
rules are all here.
Is
there a weight limit with the drivers and karts?: There is no
weight limit for our drivers. However, weight does play a role in your
ability to win. If you weigh between 150lbs. and 200lbs. you should
be both physically strong enough and physically light enough to be competitive
immediately, and - with a little patience and experience - good enough
to win a race. We have had many different winners within this weight
range, and the past track champions ranged between 135lbs.-160lbs.,
which would make your potential optimal. However, if you weigh more
than 200lbs., we
will allow a lighter frame, racing headers, and weigh down the lighter
drivers to a good, agreed upon minimum weight to be more competitive.
In some sports, size is good. In small-engine racing and horse racing
for example, it's often a hindrance, but we have equalized them through
the years. The lightest winner weighed around 140 lbs., and the heaviest
winner weighed 250 lbs., so do not be discouraged. . We are developing
and allowing lighter frames for heavier drivers, which may remedy this
minor problem, but bigger motors for heavier drivers proved to be too
problematic with everybody racing
5hps
getting angry about the fairness of allowing some people to compete
bigger motors, as it defeats the purpose of equal competition.) Also,
the karts should be relatively the same size and stagger. Again, our
rules are available on our rules
page.
Is
there an age limit with the drivers?: New rule in late 2006
is that we've had all kinds of problems with teenagers wrecking and
destroying karts and slowing up our races. For 2007, you must be at
least 18 years old to enter a Galletta's Go-Kart race without a parent.
The only exceptions is if you are 16 years old and r parent or guardian
is with you and completely consents and helps
you
race. Even then, you must qualify with either time-trails or heat races,
before you will be allowed. This new rule is a suggestion from a Police
Officer thanks to a few punks who caused trouble late in 2006. And not
all kids are physically strong enough to race our karts. These are racing
karts going 35-50mph on a grueling racetrack, not a theme park with
10-15mph
karts. If that is what you are looking for, then places like Fulton,
NY's "Thunder Island", which has the facilities and safer
"theme park" type karts for special events like these. You
can visit their Thunder
Island website here.
Do
you have special racing events for kids, birthdays, weddings, or other
special occasions?: I've had to add this recently because I've
had a few people asking about things like this. We aren't karting
theme park kart or kart rental business. Our family business is a greenhouse,
and the go-karting is just for fun. This website is showing what a bunch
of friends and family members do for a hobby, and we don't make money
at what we do, nor have facilities like bathrooms and refreshments.
We
race go-karts for fun, race weekly, record the races, have a points
standings, and all for fun! We are always looking for new people in
the Oswego area to join us either at Galletta's or Oswego Speedway's
dirt series, and if you don't have a kart, you can rent one of our karts
(we'll let you race it and the fee covers your gas, wear-and-tear on
the karts, and a tip to Matt for working on them) or build your own.
However, if you are looking for having kart racing for a special occasion
and you have absolutely no racing experience and no desire to join our
league and race all season, then, as I listed above, places like Fulton,
NY's "Thunder Island", which has the facilities and safer
"amusement park" type karts for special events like these.
You can visit their Thunder Island website here. The have a great facility
for such an occasion, and we're just friends and family having good
old-fashioned and affordable racing fun! Again, if you want to join
our racing league, you are welcome to, but we can't have specialized
events.
Oddly
enough, this race has more hits than all of our other videos, although
it isn't, in my opinion, one of the better ones. And, it gets lots of
negative comments, but oddly enough, mainly from the type of person
who can lean the most from it: Those who just race on video games and
think that the wreck was nothing special. Believe us, 35-50MPH to a
dead stop in a 3-kart collision is nothing to sneer at, and those who
do simply aren't all that bright. Regardless, it shows the danger in
such racing if precautions are not taken. We have since added many -
including more padding, safety measures, lower karts, and cautions for
karts stopped near the track. This wreck was due to one freak race where
a perfect storm happened: Not enough flaggers, one tire caught another,
which sent one kart into another, and both into a third who retired
but did not leave the track. We also don't believe that children should
race anything other than box stock, due to the speeds and G-forces involved
even in gas box stock let alone methanol racing motors. This accident
will never happen again - we now have more flaggers mandatory, padding,
and lower karts.
You race only 5hps now? Why not 5.5hp or 6.5hp or more anymore?:
We were allowing 5.5hp motors for some of the heavier competitors
until some of them began to cheat and race larger motors with the stickers
removed (a 6.5hp OHV or 7.5hp OHV is nearly identical to a 5.5hp OHV
Briggs to the naked eye), as well as allegedly illegally modifying them
with expensive racing parts like stock Animal throw-out parts. On top
of all this, they accused us of whining because we disapproved of them
disobeying our motor rules. Hence, to keep the competition equal
AND affordable, we have instituted a stock 5hp-only rule until further
notice. This may change in the future depending on engine and part availability.
We are considering different classes for 5.5hp OHV and
up., but it seems as if these "Outlaws" only wanted to race
against people that have smaller motors than they do. This does not
mean that other motors (or even counterclockwise karts) can't race on
our track. They can, but they can no longer race in our division.
Why
not racing parts? Why not raptors or other racing parts?: We
have been stock-part 5hp since day one. The only modification that we
allowed for the first ten years of racing was shaved heads (and this
was after several competitors were illegally modifying Intek OHV karts,
so shaving the heads equalized the speed difference). Racing motors
are exceedingly expensive,
and our class is stock in order to not price people out of the racing.
We want quantity of equally matched karts, not high-priced-speed. No
raptor carbs, or internal Raptor parts will be allowed without the expressed
consent of Matt and Chris (possible exceptions will be severe weight
differences of over 100 lbs., but we'd rather you race a different class
if that is the case). Period. Why? Because if one upgrades, then all
11 of our karts and countless visiting drivers will also have to upgrade,
so for now, it's a no-go, ok? Plus, trust us... with Matt and Chris
already that fast with stock motors, don't ask us to upgrade, ok? We
have a hard enough time keeping the competition around with our affordable
stock motors, ok? If you show up to race with us and you don't have
a 100% stock-part 5hp Briggs & Stratton flathead, then don't get
mad when we say you can't race with us. There are plenty of go-kart
associations that race with karts costing thousands of dollars instead
of hundreds. Join them. We have more fun fielding 15-20 inexpensive
karts instead of 2-5 expensive ones that only go a few miles-per-hour
faster yet cost thousands more to build and maintain.
Matt's
messy garage: 11 Galletta's Go-Karts! 3 main karts and 8 rental/backup
karts. All with evenly-matched Briggs and Stratton stock 5hp motors!
Well, we've cleaned it up and got more since then. :)
Do you race anywhere other than Galletta's Greenhouse
Backyard Speedway?: We also raced 5hp karts in exhibitions at
the dirt track in back of the Home of the Supermodifieds, Oswego
Speedway until banished (I guess we're we showed them up with cheaper
karts and better racers? A few of them maybe felt that way - especially
the most vocal ones.) and we consider racing on other local go-kart
tracks if we are allowed to race our brand of clockwise modified stock
5hp racing yard karts. This website in particular is currently devoted
to the racing stock 5hps on our originating track at Galletta's, but
this may change depending on our points system and schedule (meaning,
if we are allowed to use our rules, we'll count points races on other
tracks too). You can contact
us with offers and ideas, and join our web
board but if we go to other tracks and they don't adhere to rules
and force us to race with different types of motors, we won't be back
and we'll be happy racing on our own track where we have rules and regulations.
Want
to learn how to race professionally on a yard kart budget? You can rent
or buy a kart and race at Galletta's, where it costs little but you
can gain a wealth of skills racing racing against highly experienced
karters who will help you get better instead of going for your throat
in order to win. Or, you can buy our videos and learn how to race for
pennies on the dollar. Multiple angles to watch the races. DVDs
available for purchase for $5 each. Sample of a DVD menu. Most races
available for $3-7 per DVD depending on how many you order. VIEW THE DVDs! Special High-Quality Klassic 2-DVD sets are available
for $7 (most also include bonus races). The compressed-quality 2-in-1
Klassic DVD is available for $5. DVDs of all regular races are available
for $3-$5 per disc (Please pre-order; Pre-ordered racers get further
discounts).
All
pics are internet-reduced, low-resolution screenshots from the DVD.
Every race in the 2006 season is available upon request! DVDs are $5
each, but if you pre-order and buy multiple discs we can discount to
$3 (or less) depending on how many one orders. On average of 2-3 hours
of action on every disc, two camera angles, and packed with tight racing
and spectacular flips and crashes right in front of the cameras! Cameras
operated by Uncle Gene Galletta, Rungnapha "Au" Stevens, and
captures are all optimized for the website by Chris "ChrusherComix"
Stevens for free, so please give your thanks and buy a DVD! That
means that not only our karts, but our DVDs are affordably cheap, so
buy one for yourself and as thanks to Chris, Au, and Gene!
Can I email the track owners?:: Yes. You can
contact Matt
or Chris,
brothers/owners/racers. Matt is the head mechanic, so inquire with him
for questions go-kart specifications. We can also be reached at our
old message board, and our
new message board.
Matt
Stevens (red kart; 1995-1998, 2002-2005 champion) and Chris "Crusher"
Stevens (white kart; 1999-2001 champion), co-owners/drivers/multi-time
champions. Think you can beat them? Nobody has... yet. 1-2 in points
every year of karting to date, though the competition gets better every
year. Rent a kart or bring your own and go for it! But please use stock,
or you can't race in the Galletta's Go-Cart class.
Can I get updates and communicate with all of the
drivers?: To receive updates about the races, and communicate
with us about the karts, the racing, or the website, or just to e-mail
fellow drivers and friends at our track, just join our free Galletta's
Go-Karts e-mail group, with any email account and you'll be connected
to Chris, Matt and all of the other drivers, friends and spectators
who have joined! It's moderated & 100% Spam free! Or, better yet,
if you don't want to clog your email, then try our
old message board, and our new
message board.
Please
visit Galletta's Speedway racer/co-founder/webmaster Chris "Crusher
Comics" Stevens' other websites that include his graphic novels,
cartoons, comic books, children's book, and family greenhouse:
Chris can create affordable websites, logos, and more
for you: