Racing stock 5hp Briggs & Stratton Yard Karts for annual points championship racing at Galletta's Greenhouse's Go-Kart Speedway since 1995!
Adults race for points every Sunday from June-August & every Saturday from September-October. Adults & kids may race exhibitions with us on Summer Thursdays at Oswego Speedway. We race "yard carts" clockwise exclusively with limited modified 5hp Briggs and Stratton flat-head motors. Expensive racing parts & modifications are illegal here, so anyone may join us affordably and without cheaters!
 

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Galletta's Go-Karts
@ Galletta's Greenhouse
60 County Route 20
Oswego, NY, USA
13126-6512
Telephone:
 (315) 343-0879
or
(315) 343-4281
Directions:









Comics by Chris Galletta Stevens (Racer/cartoonist/florist/website author/statistician/prankster):

Chris & Au's MySpace

Matt's MySpace

All text and images on Galletta's Go-Karts are (c) copyright Chris ChrusherComix Stevens.

RULES & REGULATIONS FOR GALLETTA'S GO-KARTS & SPEEDWAY:

Our points races take place at:

...and named (after Chris and Matt's late grandfather) John J. Galletta Memorial Go-Kart Speedway, as it was his idea to race go-karts on the property over forty years ago. Now for the rules.

That was a shot of us racing in 2007 at Galletta's.

The Galletta's Go-Kart Speedway, our "Home Track" from outer space sometime in Spring 2006! Thanks to Google Earth!

The rules for racing at Galletta's are quite simple. Most basic racing etiquette and rules are followed here as every track that we know of. Most racing rules and flag signals are the same on this track as every other and should be evident to most people who have spent any time watching racing on television or in person. But if a driver does not understand them, they MUST ask track officials or other drivers and cannot complain against a rule just because they didn't know what it meant. However, first off, we are a non-profit, recreational track only. It is simply for friends and family for FUN, and everyone who races on our track understands this and has signed the following waiver, witnessed by at least one of the owners, and often times several drivers and track officials. The waiver is reprinted here for anybody to view, and it is the very same waiver that every single driver here at Galletta's has read and signed:

Galletta’s Go-Kart Club & Speedway Racing Contract:
We cannot allow anyone to race at our track until you have read, understand, and sign the following:

This track is a ride-at-your-own-risk, non-profit racetrack for recreational purposes only. By signing this contract, it re-affirms that we (the property/track owners/officials) are not responsible or liable for any injuries sustained on the track that may occur while racing go-karts on our residence. You will obey all laws, rules, and regulations instituted by the track officials, and drive as carefully as you can in order to not cause (or get into) accidents that could be otherwise avoided. The first and most important rule on this racetrack is to never intentionally hit another driver and do your very best to avoid contact that may cause an accident that may cause an injury or damage machinery. If a driver is vulnerable to be struck and injured by you and/or your vehicle, your #1 goal is to avoid hurting that person, even if it means driving off of the track or coming to a complete stop (you will not be penalized track position if this occurs unless you collide with a kart or other obstacle). If the track officials believe that you intentionally caused a wreck, the track officials reserve the right to disqualify you for that race, and possibly remove you from the racetrack and ban you from the property temporarily, indefinitely and/or permanently if you continue to rebel against the rules or break any laws. You cannot ever attempt to bring a lawsuit against the property owners or fellow racers no matter what kind of injury you may obtain on our track. We cannot and will not pay any hospital or doctor bills that you might obtain if you were to become injured. No one that you know can sue us in place of you because you agree that you are racing at your own risk, for recreational purposes only. All drivers should be over 18, and if you are not, this signature also affirms that a parent or legal guardian has granted you permission to race on this track and that said person also understands the ride-at-your-own-risk policy at this racetrack. This contract (that may exceed this page) also affirms that you will obey and respect all rules, regulations, and instructions set forth by the property owners/track officials (Matthew Joseph Stevens, Christopher John Stevens, Wesley James Stevens, Mary Ann Stevens, and Rungnapha Phengpataew Stevens). [Contract then says: Please legibly sign and print your name below, and the contract has been read, agreed to, and signed by every driver who has ever raced at our racetrack, as witnessed by all people there.]

Racing at Oswego Speedway's Dirt Track in 2007.

POINTS SCORING SYSTEM FOR GALLETTA'S GO-KARTS RACES:
 

Pos.	10-laps	20-laps	25-laps	30-laps	35-laps	40-laps	45-laps	50-laps	70-laps	130-laps	150-laps
1	20	54	68	82	96	110	124	140	192	362	420
2	18	51	65	78	91	105	118	134	182	346	402
3	16	48	62	74	87	100	113	128	174	330	384
4	14	45	59	70	83	95	108	122	166	314	366
5	12	43	56	66	79	90	103	116	158	298	348
6	10	41	53	62	75	85	98	111	150	284	333
7	9	39	50	59	71	81	93	106	142	271	318
8	8	36	47	56	68	77	88	101	136	258	303
9	7	33	44	53	65	73	83	95	130	243	285
10	6	31	41	50	61	69	78	90	122	230	270
11	5	29	38	47	57	65	73	85	115	217	255
12	4	26	34	44	53	61	68	80	110	204	240
13	3	23	31	41	49	57	63	75	105	191	225
14	2	20	28	38	45	53	58	70	100	178	210
15	1	17	25	35	41	49	53	65	95	165	195
16	1	14	22	31	37	45	48	59	90	149	177
17	1	11	19	27	33	40	44	53	85	133	159
18	1	9	16	23	30	35	40	47	80	117	141
19	1	7	13	19	25	30	35	41	75	110	123
20	1	5	10	15	20	25	30	35	70	100	105

10-lap race is heat. All others are "Feature Events". Classic is 130-laps (as of 2005).
In Feature events, bonus points are awarded as follows:
1st place = 1.0 point per lap
2nd place = 0.5 point per lap
3rd place = 0.5 point per lap
(3rd place awarded points with 11+ karts only. More will be rewarded if over 20 karts.)
Classic had never had awarded points for laps-led until 2006-and-up.
Regular season races start in handicapped order (Usually inverted from points per race, with experienced low point-earners in front, high-points earners/race winners in back and beginners in the very back until they both earn enough points to register in the PPR standings and also prove they can race without wrecking).
 

Basic, fundamental rules for our track & property:
NOTE: Any and all rules are subject to change, but only with approval of all of the owners and preferably a majority of the visiting drivers. All drivers and spectators at Galletta's should read and understand these rules, as it would cut down the amount of arguments. Do not cheat to win (cheating means breaking any or all of the below rules).

 

RACING RULES:
1. NO FIGHTING/INTENTIONAL WRECKING AT ALL: You MUST be respectful to every driver, spectator, and/or track official at all times and not lose your temper, argue, or fight with anybody, driver, spectator, or official. If you have a dispute, settle it calmly, logically, and rationally without raising your voice, using excessive profanity, threatening to fight, or threatening to leave. If you argue with anybody on the track, you may be asked to leave unless you calm down and stop arguing. If you rebel against the race rules and the track officials that enforce them, you may lose your ride. If you irrationally argue, use excessive profanity, challenge to fight or actually fight anybody on the premises, whether it be owner, official, driver, or spectator; you will be asked to leave, and the police may be called if you fail to do so in a timely manner. The police WILL be called if you fight and/or destroy property on our premises, and you are not allowed to intentionally hit, throw, or damage the karts and/or property. Do not throw your helmet or anything, especially in the direction of another driver, spectator, or property. Also, be respectful and a good sportsman, especially with an audience present. If you win, do not celebrate excessively (that can be misconstrued as taunting - act like you know you can win and like you've done it before, with respect to your fellow competitors) and if you lose or feel that you've been screwed by another driver or decision; do not argue excessively, just protest sensibly and logically, but the lead officials (Matt and Chris) will have the final say, and they always insist that they will judge fairly and impartially by the rules. Matt and Chris occasionally delegate authority to other veteran drivers (vets get seniority as they know the ropes a little more), lap-counters, camera persons and flag people, but none have authority over Matt and Chris (Stevens, not Kris Pitsley, who is only a lap-counter/helper and no longer a rule enforcer - a privilege that she lost with continued screaming matches, fights and attempts at bending the scoring/restart rules to help her family or friends).

2. Do not wreck/spinout yourself or another driver: Do not wreck other yourself or other karts, intentionally or unintentionally. If you are driving recklessly, spin out, or cause an accident via overly-aggressively driving and creating any kind of contact that brings out the yellow flag, you will be placed at the rear of the field. Period. If you continue to drive in a manner that can potentially hurt yourself, other drivers, the racing surface, or the karts, you may lose your ride. Even if a wreck involving you is not necessarily your fault, if you are involved via contact of any kind that causes an accident, you must go to the rear. EXCEPTIONS: If you come to a complete stop and hit nothing to avoid a wreck, or drive off of the track and hit nothing to avoid a wreck, you will not be penalized and regain your position on the last completed lap. With open-wheel racing, even light wheel-to-wheel contact can cause an accident, and any accident can potentially damage the karts, the racing surface, and most importantly, injure you or other drivers. Hence, any risky activity is forbidden, and you must obey if found guilty of wrecking (tape will be reviewed if official is contested). You must give other drivers room, and you should only attempt a pass where you know you have enough room to make the pass without a collision, and where the driver you are passing SEES YOU AND KNOWS THAT YOU ARE THERE (usually when you show that driver a tire or a scream or you know he knows that you're there). In most cases, unless the driver ahead is not holding a line and respecting a competing driver, an accident's cause usually is the fault of the driver behind running into or spinning the driver in front or beside them, unless it is a spin or wreck that collects a driver behind because they had nowhere to go. Therefore, you must HOLD YOUR LINE. This means drive in a straight line around the track and do not cut off other competitors or push them off of the track; Do not zig-zag across the track, ESPECIALLY when you are close to another competitor. This can cause a dangerous accident and you can be removed from the track if officials or owners catch you doing it once. If you are a lapped kart, you MUST stay to the extreme high or low groove of the track and do not impede the lead-lap karts from passing you. If you do, you will be disqualified and possibly either black-flagged or banned.

If you rebel against this (these) rule(s) or continue to wreck other karts (intentionally or unintentionally), and/or refuse to go to the back, you will be (in addition to a warning) (A) asked to go to the back, (B) penalized in points, (C) may be asked to leave, (D) may be banned from the track indefinitely, and/or (E) any combination based upon warnings, number of incidents, and severity of accidents. If you believe that you should not go to the rear, then the race will pause and track officials will discuss and/or review the tape to decide whether or not you go to the back or stay in your position. If the track officials miss what appears to be an intentional wreck or spin that causes a caution or damage to the karts and it goes unnoticed at the time but is caught on tape, you may be penalized points post-race when points are being tallied. Light, straight bumper-to-bumper contact is allowed, ONLY if it does not cause a wreck. Light contact that does not force another kart off the track and that does no damage will not be penalized. However, if that contact causes a spin or wreck, both drivers must go to the back, with the kart that caused the wreck in back of the other. If it continues, you disqualify yourself from the race and especially if you are unrepentant for your actions, you must leave the racing surface indefinitely.

The opening lap of our 2007 Klassic Championship. For many more video clips, click here.
 

3. Excessive wrecking/spinout/caution rule: If you spinout or wreck more than two times per race, you may be penalized and/or banned/disqualified from the race or indefinitely. If you cause at least two cautions via wreck or spin, run at least 10 racing laps, and/or break any part on a go-kart, you will not be granted a refund, so do not ask. The fees cover gas, track, and kart maintenance, and most importantly, kart parts (if you own your own kart, then you know how expensive this can be). Allowed exception; A stalling kart that (1) simply does not run, (2) has absolutely no broken parts and (3) does not run for even the experienced owners, does not count under this rule. Under this exception, if (1) your kart does not run, (2) you complete less than 10 laps (this is counting completed green laps and ALSO cautions that YOU caused), and (3) there is absolutely no damage to the karts, then you may be partially refunded a fair amount after the race with a meeting with track officials and owners.

3b. Specialized Rookie & Novice wreck/spinout/caution rule: Due to continuous problems with rookie/novice drivers spinning out and wrecking at a ratio around 10-to-1 more than veterans, rookie drivers (most notably, those with under 10 races of experience) will be held to a strict law as follows:
  1 spinout or wreck = Rear of field.
  2 spinouts or wrecks = Sit in infield for 10 green laps & allowed to return at rear of field. No refunds unless you race less than 10 laps and cause no damage to the karts or track. Also, if you are driving a rental kart and have completed more than 10 laps, you must give up your ride if a top-10 point veteran driver requests it (but ONLY IF this driver owns it, has paid for it, or qualified it. This driver will then split the points with you).
  3 spinouts or wrecks = Lose your ride with absolutely no refund unless the owners allow you to continue (and they can remove you at any time after your third incident). Also, if you are driving a rental kart and have completed more than 10 laps, you must give up your ride if a veteran driver in the top 10 of the points race requests it (but ONLY IF this driver owns it, has paid for it, or qualified it. This driver will then split the points with you).
  Spinout/wreck/stall to avoid being lapped = Lose at least 1 lap and/or banned from the rest of the race.
  Racing in a hazardous manner = If you can't hold a line and keep up to speed (in other words, your driving causes anther driver to wreck), and/or obey any and all racing rules, then you can also be disqualified and/or removed from the race.

Please understand that it is better to drive in a slow but steady line for 40-100 laps then wreck/spin/stall yourself out in 10. Let off the gas and don't be afraid to use the brake. The owners and multi-time champions (Matt and Chris) let off the gas and brake going into the turns, especially in traffic and in the 1st turn, so don't think that flooring it through the turns and/or spinning/drifting your back end like a dirt modified will get you a win. It will slow you, potentially flip you, or get you a broken kart (usually your sprocket or chain), potentially collecting other karts in your accident, and everybody rolling their eyes (or worse) at you for wasting everybody's gas and time. You cannot win and you will NOT get your money back if you do this, so don't ask.

3b2. Reckless rookies wanting their money back rule: If you wreck your kart, or cause other people to wreck and lose your ride due to broken parts or being a hazard in general (spinning out multiple times, negligence, not braking properly, ect.), and whether you leave on your own accord or lose your ride due to hazardous driving, you cannot request your money back just because you didn't fully complete the race. These karts cost a lot of money to maintain, and we rent them out VERY cheap to anybody. The broken parts and the gas almost always add up to more than the rental fees that are given, and we almost never break even, and always wind up putting our own funds into the karts in just maintenance and gas alone. Good, experienced, careful-minded drivers usually can drive a kart for a whole season with very little in repair/maintenance costs; bad drivers demolish karts in less than one race and cause more damage and repair fees than a good driver will in a whole season, which makes it costly to rent. Therefore, if you only completed 10 laps out of a 40 lap race, but caused 80-90% of the cautions and accidents in that race putting yourself at risk in addition to others (gas, parks, and potentially health), why should you get your money back? The exceptions are if you run less than 10 laps AND a kart malfunctions completely due to no accidents or, and nobody else can drive it without a timely fix-it job.

 3b3. Rookie/Novice Qualifier Race: New in 2007, Rookies with 0-10 races under their belts must compete in a rookie/novice qualifying event until they can prove that they can race safely under the green light conditions and not cause cautions. If you are involved with 2 cautions then you will be watched closely by veterans and track officials, and if you are involved with 3 cautions then you are disqualified and cannot enter the feature race. This is the only thing we can do to keep the races going smoothly and in a safe and timely manner. If you got less than 10 racing laps in and you did not break a kart, then you may get some practice racing in AFTER the feature if Matt and/or Chris allow it. Otherwise, no.

3c. Points system: The track officials record your position and have a points system that rewards drivers points for final position in heats, final positions in features, feature laps led, and feature laps in 2nd/3rd place. The more laps a race is, the more final points are rewarded (chart on the page). At the end of the season, a season champion is declared. Signing on the signing sheet means that you agree to all of the rules, including allowing your name in the point standings on the website. If drivers wish to enter a points fund for cash prizes, they must be up on all rental fees, come to a clear majority of the events, and pay into the points fund. 50/50 tickets also go into the points fund, but when renters don't pay, repair fees come out of the points fund, so don't screw yourself and pay up your rental fees.

3d. Starting order rules: Each race is handicapped as inverted by points-per-event and features won. This means that low-points-per-race veterans (includes experienced rookies) in the front, high-points-per-race & feature-winning veterans in the back, and inexperienced rookies (AKA rookies with generally under 5-10 features experience in the kart or a tendency to spin or wreck into other karts) in the very back behind them all until they prove themselves stable enough drivers to warrant starting in the front (meaning that they have proven that they can race in traffic and not wreck into other karts with the entire field coming, which can at least be highly annoying and at worst... exceedingly dangerous).

3e. RACE START/RESTART RULES: Each race starts single-file (again, based on inverted points-per-race handicapping), as do restarts (based on last-completed-lap). [Exceptions are the Classic, where time-trails decide the starting lineup, and the opening lap is traditionally 2-wide (on our track; outside is pole, inside is 2nd), though all restarts to any race are single-file]. The race begins with the lineup in-order on the front or back stretch. The field stays in single file via caution until the leaders round the 4th turn and come down the front stretch. The flagman/woman then gives the green when all of the karts are in line and the leader passes the garden zone. However, NO PASSING IS ALLOWED until the leader leaves corner 4 and enters the front straightaway, The Start/Finish Line, our old "can't pass until" line, is parallel to the flagman and lap counter next to the 1st Willow tree. If anybody passes any contending (lead lap) kart before the leader crosses the start/finish line, the caution must be thrown and they will be sent to the back. Under certain circumstances, a driver is allowed his position back with a warning, but in general this is ONLY for rookie drivers who didn't actually know the rule or the starter set an unusually slow pace.

A snapshot from our 12th Annual Galletta's Go-Kart Klassic Championship in 2007!

3f. Restart rules: The restart positions must go to the last completed lap (the last lap under green that the non-wrecked drivers completed) with the wrecked/spun karts in the rear (unless the position on the last completed lap was a tie, then they may start side-by-side as they were on the said completed lap). The karts that actually caused the accident will go to the very back, the karts that got caught in their aftermath ahead, and karts that got through unscathed (touched no wrecked/spun kart or come to a complete stop without hitting a wrecked/spun kart) in front. The last completed lap rule is sometimes (and rarely) overridden to the start/finish line in occasional cases where a single, inexperienced rookie driver in last place spins out in a turn and the track is clear TO the start/finish line, and the caution will occur the second you cross it. However, if the accident/spin is ahead of any kart, and the potential of hitting that spun-out/wrecked kart exists, then the caution is final, the restart order is the same as the last completed lap (LCL), and you cannot advance a position gained on the caution lap, unless the passed driver concedes that he was clearly slower and passed before the caution came out (which is a courtesy pass; but the passed driver has the right to ask for his LCL position back). In most instances, the order is the last completed lap unless a flag man explicitly signals that it is clear to the start/finish line (this occasionally happens when there are too many silly and unforced cautions [AKA; usually rookie spinouts] in an event). On restarts, lapped traffic should go to the very rear, except Classic, where for the 1st 100 laps, they will be kept in line and after lap 100, they will be again placed in the rear.

3gV1. Breakdown/Courtesy repair/Change karts rule (2007 Version): From now on, we no longer halt the racing to fix one man's kart. If your kart is broken and takes more than a few minutes to fix (around 1-4 courtesy minutes), then you cannot halt the racing action to fix your kart unless you call a timeout. Each driver in the weekly action has a limited amount of timeouts PER YEAR (3 per year) and once they are used, then you cannot stop the race to wait for you to be fixed. If your kart breaks and a backup is available, you may use it (only if you own it or paid for it), otherwise we will not stop the race for you. You may fix your kart and re-enter the race blending safely with traffic after you are fixed, but you will be laps down (however many completed  green flag laps you were out).

As of 7/2007, we used to dock points when drivers change karts. The penalty was as follows: 10 lap race = -3 pts.; Every 5 laps, 1 more point is docked. For example, 35 laps = -7pts.; 40 laps = -8 pts.; 50 laps = -10 pts., and so on. Klassic Kart Change penalty is 30 points as of 2007. Also, if you are a 1st-year driver and cause more than 3 cautions in a race, you will be docked either 10 laps, and/or 10 pts. depending on how many you cause.

3gV0. Breakdown/Courtesy repair/Change karts rule (1990-2006 Version) This rule has been changed for 2007 (read the above): Here at Galletta's Speedway, we have allowed courtesy time for repairs when a driver has a mechanical breakdown, especially those who (1) rent a kart (2) don't break down/wreck/spin on a regular basis, and (3) are battling for the points title. We will no longer be fixing karts that do not follow this category due to constant arguing about lateness. Upon a mechanical failure or wreck that causes mechanical damage, we allow drivers that are in the thick of the points race (top ten or twelve or so) to have approximately 5-15 minutes of repair time (this time is flexible, tentative and based on the collective patience of the visiting drivers and the lateness of the event). They are also allowed to waive this time if they so choose and allow the race to continue without them. Time is also reserved for drivers not in the points race, especially drivers that have rented a Galletta's House Kart and are competitive in the race (so, if you are constantly a hazard to yourself, the karts, and other drivers; it is better to call it a day before you do any more damage). If a kart is not easily/quickly fixable, and there is a a backup kart open, you are allowed to change karts (veteran drivers in the thick of the points race have priority over rookie drivers; seniority goes upon races run and total points). However, once an event goes past 10pm, several visiting drivers have voted in a "if your kart breaks past 10pm, you can't fix your kart in less than a minute or two, and there are no backups available, then you're out" rule. We haven't always enforced this, but we should due to many people having a severe problem with the lateness of some of our events (oddly, when those very people don't attend, the races get done quicker; hmm... makes you think, huh?). Again, this rule is tentative and based on the collective vote of the drivers on any particular night. Since it is legal to jump into a backup kart (provided your starting kart is broken or malfunctioning) visiting drivers are allowed to bring more than one kart, and it is recommended for those who are in the top ten of the points race. Rookies who have wrecked their karts several times (and have caused damage) waive their repair time due to wasting our time and breaking our machinery. If you want to be repaired, then race regularly and don't demolish your kart at all. It is better to learn the ropes and drive carefully to a finish (many times, just finishing the race in last puts you ahead of drivers who did not finish [DNF] and are laps down) than to think you can win your first race, spinout or wreck a million times, piss everyone off and cost the owners money in repairs and wasted gas. Again, repair time is based on lateness of event, how much money you paid in to renting/entering, and how much damage you have caused to your kart. There is a threshold of patience with the drivers, but the spectators have no right to complain, as they are watching for free and are allowed to leave at anytime.

3g2: The "Jump Into Another Kart After My Starting Kart Broke" Rule: At Galletta's, we have always tried to keep as many drivers in our events as possible. So, in addition to allowing some break repair time, if there are extra karts available then a driver may hop into an unused kart. If two people dispute over an unused kart, it is determined via: (1) Kart Ownership, (2) rental money paid to kart owner, (3) Driver's place in the Points Standings, (4) Heat Qualification or Time-Trial Speed.

As of 7/2007, we now dock points when drivers change karts. The penalty is as follows.
10 lap race = -3 pts.. Every 5 laps, 1 more point is docked. For example, 35 laps = -7pts.; 40 laps = -8 pts.; 50 laps = -10 pts., and so on. Also, if you are a 1st-year driver and cause more than 3 cautions in a race, you will be docked either 10 laps, and/or 10 pts. depending on how many you cause.

As of 2008, we are planning to place a driver who uses another kart (than the one he started the race in) 1-lap down. In order to have a chance to win, he must return to the lead lap by passing everybody on the lead lap to return to the lead lap. Every time one changes a kart, they will lose 1 lap. This will now be done instead of docking points. Since this is a trial rule, it may change in the future, and Klassic Championship Races sometimes has slightly different rules than regular season races.

3g3: The "Kick a rookie rental driver out and take his kart" Rule: Strange rule huh? Not really, because it is rarely used and is more than fair if you read it carefully. It is: If a top-ten points driver breaks down and so wishes to, and a renting rookie driver driving a Galletta's House Kart with (a) less than one completed event in, and/or (b) has brought out several cautions and/or (c) is either in last place, or a lap or more down; then the top-ten driver may relieve the rookie of his rented kart, provided that the rookie gets his a fair portion of his rental money back. This is to reward people who attend every week and score well and also keep the karts from being destroyed, as most rookies, on average, quit racing after their first race and often cause significant damage to the karts (a 1st time driver will often put more costly damage on a kart in one race than an experienced deriver will for an entire season!). If you are a regular attendee, you cannot have a kart revoked from you no matter your points placement. This is only for rookie renters (renting a Galletta's rental kart) with low points and who are not competing very well in the event (usually a lap or two down and in several accidents). if you bring your own kart, or you are competing, or are a regular competitor, you cannot have your ride revoked, and if you bring more than one kart, you can hop into your backup if your starting kart is heavily damaged or seriously malfunctioning. Besides, the rookie driver kicked out will get the benefit of splitting the earned points with the veteran who kicks him out, so it isn't that bad.

3h. Safety: All people wishing to race MUST wear (1) a helmet [preferably with full-face protection and a clear shield or protective goggles; motorcycle helmets, ATV dirt motocross helmets, race car helmets are all acceptable], (2) Long sleeves, long pant legs, and gloves (preferably jeans, a jacket, thick sweatshirt made of a tough material, or racing fire suit, ect. - no muscle shirts, shorts, or t-shirts with too much exposed skin). That much is absolutely mandatory. If zero skin is exposed, then this is ideal fro safety purposes. Also, highly recommended is (3) a neck brace. Additionally recommended is (4) extra protective padding, such as knee or shin pads, a cup, elbow pads, ect.. Most accidents can cause small scrapes a bruises, and with these said materials and safe/smart driving, the said injuries will be kept minimal to non-existent. Keep in mind that intentional or negligent driving is utterly illegal, and if you purposefully wreck another kart, or drive so terribly that your negligence causes potentially hazardous wrecks, then you will either be asked to sit out a few laps, or the entire race. This is to keep injuries to a minimum.

2008 Safety Upgrade: More safety shall be considered due to Wesley Stevens's accident in the 2007 Galletta's Klassic in which he broke ribs and his shoulder blade. We are considering side nerf bars (to prevent careless and naive rookies from zigzagging and tire-hooking that usually cause dangerous airborne karts and flips), lowering all karts that have not already been lowered, strongly suggested (if not mandatory) protective padding on chest, elbows, and knees in addition to the already mandatory neck braces, helmets, and full body coverage (no visible skin during a race - no t-shirts or shorts, must have long sleeves and pants covering all skin, must have gloves). These rules will be enforced through the season.

4. No alcohol or illegal drugs: No driver will be allowed to drink an alcoholic beverage before or during the race. If you are intoxicated, you will not be allowed to race and may also be asked to leave. If you are noticeably and publicly drunk or high at any time (driver or spectator), you will be asked to leave, so please do not drink or get stoned on our property. Absolutely NO illegal substances are allowed on our property at any time for any reason, and if found, we will (A) not be held responsible, (B) you will be asked to leave the premises, (C) you will be banned from ever returning, AND (D) the police will be contacted. Galletta's is first and foremost, a respected Greenhouse, and we cannot have any illegal drugs on our property. The racing is just for fun amongst friends and hopefully make some new friends while we're at it. Its not for partying, money, fighting, and all this other garbage that some people think it is. If you break any laws on our property, you will be asked to leave and/or reported to the proper authorities and will be banned from the property and our racing forever (unless the owners invite you back upon repentance and swearing that it will never happen again). The owners do not drink and do not use drugs (and don't have to tolerate it on their property), and nor should the visiting drivers.

5. Rental/usage/gas and entrance fees: Every driver must pay an entrance fee, and if renting a kart, they must pay a rental/entrance fee. The fee is a non-profit one... it simply covers your entrance in the race, go-kart maintenance, a tip for track maintenance, and go-kart part replacement and entrance/registration in the points fund and website. If you do not own a kart, then you probably have no idea how expensive it is to maintain over 10 karts like we do at Galletta's. If you do own your own kart, you realize that we are insanely affordable in our rental fees, and that more often than not, we cover the cost and lose money every year offering rental karts to everyone. A standard race fee is as follows:
  No heats & 40-lap feature = $15 rental and $5 if you have your own kart.
  10-lap heat & 40-lap feature = $17 rental and $5 if you have your own kart.
  10-lap heat & 45-lap feature = $17 rental and $6 if you have your own kart.
  10-lap heat & 50-lap feature = $20 rental and $7 if you have your own kart.
  The "Classic (or Klassic) Championship race" is 2 time-trails and has been between 80-150 laps and held every late-September (usually the 3rd Saturday in September with Sunday as a rain date. Every year has added more laps.). The fees will be posted at a later date based on amount of laps we are scheduled to run, but Matthew makes them in proportion to the laps run. The Klassic also has special refueling rules (One is only allowed to refuel after a certain stage of the race depending on laps ran, and varies year to year until we find the best possible way to do it). This fee covers parts, gas, maintenance of karts and track, and your entry into the points standings and a year-end purse. At year's end, the top 10 drivers will get a purse to be determined after the Klassic in late September (which is the final points standings race of the year. All races after that will be dependant on the drivers, as we always have trouble keeping up a good supply of racers in this period and the weather almost always deteriorates the track conditions).

2008 Update: As of 2008, we are no longer instituting mandatory fees for people who bring their own gas stock 5hp karts to our track to race. Our track is not a business, it is a  racing hobby kart club. We want people to race with, we don't want experienced drivers leaving because they can't afford to race on a regular basis. However, an optional suggested $3 donation to Matt for all of his work on the track will be honored, though it is not mandatory. Galletta's House Karts (the backups of Matt, Chris, and Wes) will still need to be rented in order to be driven. A rental fee covers gas, parts, and repairs, and anybody owning their own kart will tell you that Matt is making no money with the rental money, as the karts constantly need maintenance (especially those driven by lesser experienced drivers who wreck and damage them), and often times it can be expensive. If someone brings their own kart, and brings a friend to rent an available Galletta's House Kart; help Matt work on the track during the week; donate clay, kart parts, motor parts, tires, gas, or anything that helps out with the track and/or karts; or buys plants at the greenhouse, then they won't have to pay an entrance donation at all. We want to stress that the track is not a money-making venture, nor has ever been. Matt and Chris LOVE racing karts with as many friends and family members as humanly possible. We race for the fun of the sport and the competition, not for profit.

Refunds (and why they are rare): The fee is non-refundable under most conditions. You pay to rent that kart, and the money goes directly back into the kart; the wear and tear, the damage, the gas, and the maintenance time. Discounts can be arranged with Matt if you help do work on the track or karts for a suitable amount of time (which is up to Matt, Chris, Wes and Mary) or simply you didn't get to race (under 10 green flag laps, which includes practice, heats, features, and cautions/damage that you caused). However, the amount will depend entirely upon how much work you did, how many laps you completed, how little damage you caused, and only Matt can say how much, backed by Chris, Wes, Mary and/or Au; nobody else. No refunds unless (1) you race less than 10 laps - which includes practice laps, heat laps, feature laps, and your cautions [that you caused] included, (2) cause absolutely no damage to the karts or track, (3) caused less than 2 cautions (0 or 1), AND (4) were at absolutely zero fault for the kart not running properly (Meaning: Kart does not run, will not run for even Matt or Chris, and the reason that it won't run is absolutely not your fault; this usually is not the case, as most of the time a cold kart will stall only on the inexperienced drivers who stomp on the gas and let off it too hard; solve this by babying the gas gently, keep it slightly gassed when idle, and don't stomp too fast. Stalling usually subsides when the engine is warm and usually only occurs with a combination of cold engines and lead feet who get on it and get off it too fast, though rare exceptions exist [clogged carb, faulty kill switch, loose throttle, ect. - mostly corrected by Matt before or during the race]. These karts are more delicate than most people realize, especially rookie renters who usually trash them). So, when you pay your entrance/rental fees, you pay it mostly as an entrance and usage fee, and it cannot be refunded under most conditions once you set foot on the kart and take it on the track. Period.

5b. Why are we charged rent/entrance donation fees at all? If you cannot afford these fees, you will not be allowed to race. If you can only afford a partial fee, you may only run a heat or a partial feature. We are now forced to be stricter with the fees due to drivers not paying full, not paying back dues, and yet arguing that the track conditions and rental karts were sub par. In 2005 and 2006, the “Driver Points Fund” had been taxed in replacement parts in order to fix karts because the drivers continuously ask for reduced rentals or owe and never pay. The rent has not been covering the cost of replacement parts, and nobody makes any even one cent of profit from the rental fees, so please stop asking for reduced rentals unless you are doing work on the track or paying for replacement parts and/or gas. If you cannot afford to race, then just watch and allow the ride to someone who can pay to race. In both 2005 and 2006, the top 5 visiting drivers in the points race have all owed more money than the points fund pays out, so at least for the 1st two seasons of having the points pot, it has only been an expenses buffer. We do this for fun, and there is no fun when nobody pays for the parts they broke and the gas they burn.

6. Age and physical strength limits: Although we are a recreational track, but we do not allow drivers under a certain weight/strength/age to participate because we are running a points race and a friendly points wager amongst friends and family members AND in the past, people have been hurt (though none seriously; the worst is someone's hand needed surgery because he was not wearing gloves in a worst-case scenario accident). The karts are fast, the track is physically demanding, the actual racing is grueling, and children and women have been accident-prone and have been hurt on our track in the past. It is much more physically taxing than it looks, and if you can get hurt, especially if you flip your kart. Women and children are especially vulnerable to injury, and property owners ONLY allow only co-rides from a qualified, experienced driver, ONLY with expressed approval FROM the owners. If you cannot lift more than at least 30-50lbs, or are too short to reach the pedals, and can't afford rental fees, then you cannot drive our karts. As a general rule, we tend to allow mostly men 18-and-over, though we do allow some teenage boys can race if they prove that they can AND their parents attend, approve of the racing, and sign the waiver sheet for them (and even then, if they prove to not be physically and mentally competent to race, and are a hazard to themselves or others, they will not be allowed to race any more). Women have been hurt trying to race at the speeds that we race at, and we have frowned upon them racing since we had a few scary accidents involving women, but in 2007, we now allow women to enter the rookie/novice race. If they prove they can handle the kart, they can qualify in. It is more physically demanding than it looks. Children and younger teens absolutely CANNOT race under no circumstances, and, again, teens can only race if they have their parent/legal guardian's ABSOLUTE approval.

Want to know why kids shouldn't race? Do you want this to happen to your kid?

 Visually, the worst wreck at Galletta's..

Now you want to let your kid race? I don't think so. Serious adult racers with safety equipment ONLY.

6b. Rookie/novice/teenager/incompetent/reckless/incompetent/inexperienced driver rule: At the end of the 2006 season, we have noticed a continuous problem with a small amount of people every year coming to rent karts once or twice, demolishing them (or their negligence leading to damaging others), and demanding their money back and never race again. We will no longer be renting our rental karts to anybody under 18 unless their parent has watched, inspected, signed the waiver sheet and agreed to allow them to race, and people who are (well... for lack of a better term,) generally incompetent and cannot keep a kart running, cannot keep it going on the track, or spinout/wreck continuously, will lose their ride and will not get a refund. We've let too many people demolish our own karts on our own property and then request that we pay for the parts they demolished. No more. This track is race at your own risk, and if you cannot race without being a hazard to yourself, the karts, and to others, you cannot be allowed to race at all because of the money, time, and potential health and legal repercussions from this. The racing is generally safe until and incompetent driver makes a mess wrecking and arguing. Also, you can't leave the race on your own accord and request a refund the next day unless you raced less than 10 laps (total, not just green feature laps) and caused absolutely no damage to any kart. And one last thing that seems very simple, but it fails to be grasped by certain people... DO NOT ask for your money back after causing wrecks that cost people a lot of time and money. When you ask for a $15-17 rental fee back when you demolished a $50 rim, blew a $30 tire, wrenched a $5 axle, and/or burnt $10-20 of gas on top of that... you look like an ass, ok? Thank you. I mean, this is really simple, and some people seem really dumb because they ask anyway. In particular are the two nimrods that forced us to call the sheriff. Those two suck at racing and are also unsmarty.

7. Videotaping: Almost every race has been videotaped since 2005 (and many since 1999 before that), and a DVD is available of any race (and all DVDs have 1-4 races per DVD, and often more than one camera perspective) for $5 each disc per set ($3 per disc for Galletta's 5hp drivers or for people who order many at once). I can also make covers for any DVD (since my profession and hobby is graphic artist), so ask me if you'd like some. If you want professionally printed covers and disc trays, it will be slightly more, though I can make them available for downloading and printing yourself. Discounts are available if you buy more than one DVD.

7b. You are allowed to take photos or videotape the races at Galletta's if you provide Chris with copies (for trade with our personal copies that we make ourselves). You will not be allowed to videotape the racing unless you provide Chris with a copy of the race unless you provide a copy of your tape to Chris. You are allowed to arrange a trade your copies for his copies of the race, but always ask first. We are also looking for copies to our Galletta's and Oswego Speedway events, and will gladly trade copies of our Galletta's home races for them (inquire). Failure to do so will mean that you will no longer be allowed to tape and you may be asked to leave. This is a new rule due to the fact that Chris makes high quality DVDs from at least two different camera angles and very few of them ever sell. We reserve the right to copyright videos of the races on our property.

ENGINE & KART SETUP RULES:

8. Engine & kart setup rules: All Galletta's "house karts" (owner and owner backup/rental karts) are set up equally with extremely similar stagger and engines. We call them "limited modification yard karts" or "Super Yard Karts" because all of our karts are simple yard karts that have been setup for racing on our track, and are setup up to race clockwise (turning right instead of left). They all have Briggs and Stratton 5 horsepower flathead 4-cycle engines with stock parts, and run on gas only. No methanol motors (and why? We get the same speed for a fraction of the cost!). All of our karts also use stock carburetors (preferably updated 1990s-and-up style). We do not allow most "Raptor" racing parts or racing modifications (such as porting for example), or in order to keep costs affordable to all who want to race, not just rich racing enthusiasts owning one or two racing karts and nobody to race with. This includes stock cams, springs, piston head, and all internal parts unless otherwise noted (Some allowances are made for heavier competitors, but they must be approved by Matt and Chris and must make you equal in speed to others, not faster than everybody else. If this is the case, you over-did it). Matt is an expert at tuning a stock 5hp Briggs to maximum potential with little more than sandpaper and some free time, so you can have your kart and engine set up by him for a small fee, or ask him what the essentials are and do it yourself. We use stock cams, stock carburetors. Our stock karts have defeated both Raptor motors and bigger horse-powered OHV karts (5.5hp--8hp, Animal-type, ect.) in exhibitions, but this is not the point for our points races. Essentially, this rule is strictly to keep the pricing and competition as equal as we possibly can and to keep arguments over "well you got a bigger motor than me" or "why are those guys allowed bigger motors than us? That's not fair!" arguments squashed. Inquire with Matt about the details. We have allowed factory-acceptable bored cylinders from .10, .20, and .30 in our handicapped rental karts, but our fastest, race-winning main karts all have standard bore maintained by Matt. We often try things on a trial basis, such as allowing racing headers and/or other racing modifications ONLY FOR HEAVIER PEOPLE WEIGHING OVER 200 lbs. AND MATT'S PERMISSION, so ask us first before pulling up with some kind of freakish motor and tires on your kart (most of the time they don't beat us anyways, so join us with our style; we've been doing it for over 15 years!). In 2007, we have found a different gear setup that will help heavier drivers, and make someone weighing over 200 lbs. equally as fast as someone 150lbs., so ask Matt for details. Observe...

Allowed Motors: 5 horsepower Briggs and Stratton Flathead Motors with 100% stock parts.
1990s-updated carb-style preferred; shaved heads and nylon dippers allowed. Sample Pictures:


Note: These are three 100% stock motors (one was brand new out of the box, the others was rarely used and/or refurbished) and both were extremely fast after Matt gave them a tune-up. They all time-trialed fast and won races. The lesson is, the excuse that "Briggs discontinued these motors so I can't buy them anymore" is nonsense, as you can get them used easily. And used motors can be just as fast as new ones, often faster. Just come to Matt and he'll set it up for a small fee (he will shave the head and tune them exactly the same as all 11 of our karts). The small fee will be worth the fun. If you don't already have one, Chris will buy a motor for you off of ebay (if you give him at least a down payment in advance). We can usually get them in the $20-200 range depending on the condition, often averaging around $100-130. Matt will then do the modifications for an additional fee (varies on amount of work done).

8b. Newly allowed rules & Setup Clarifications:
(1) Since 2005 we allowed shaved heads, which we only allowed due to several visitors bringing 5.5hp-6.5hp-and-up OHV engines (and unknown modifications) and beating the vast majority of the rental/visiting racers with them. Shaving the heads equalized this, shaved a second off all of the karts, and costs nothing to do yourself, and so we allowed it. Hence visitors are allowed to shave a standard stock head as they see fit, but we have no ported valves or any other work done, otherwise it adds more pricing and work into the 10+ Galletta's House Karts and various visitors who bring their own. Matt has hand-shaved all the Galletta's house hart heads by hand and sandpaper.

(2) Oil Dippers: In 2005, we discovered that standard/stock metal dippers occasionally break and cause damage in the engines when they bend/break under the stress of racing. So, in 2006, we discovered and allowed affordable nylon dippers (or Raptor rods with integrated dippers; as Matt sees no difference between them in weight or performance) to prevent further damage.

Allowed non-stock parts: Nylon oil dippers like these prevent internal damage, as stock ones bend and break easily.
 

(3) Bore Rules: Older engines we allow to be bored ten, twenty, and thirty over for renewed performance, but we insist that this must only be done with older motors, as it greatly reduces the life of your motor and only speeds the motor up if your motor is old and worn. In fact, though we have some, we don't use our bored motors, as they are backups because they aren't as fast as the newer motors with standard bore that we have. They either sit on Matt's shelf, or are on a slightly slower rental kart. We strongly suggest standard bore stock.

(4) Muffler/header rules. At Galletta's, we've always used standard, stock Briggs and Stratton "Fun Power" style mufflers (see photos of the Fun Power motor above). Drivers that weigh more than 200 lbs. may use a racing header, though we occasionally make exceptions for drivers weighing in excess of 190 lbs., so the best thing to do is ask Matt. Lighter drivers, including Galletta's house driver/owners have never used them. So, when you see a Galletta's Go-Kart race, you will notice that the vast majority of drivers will have stock Briggs mufflers, and some of the heavier competitors are allowed headers. We are considering experimenting with different style headers in the 2007 season to see what our final ruling will be. Our reasons for experimentation is finding easy and inexpensive ways for heavier competitors to match speeds with the top drivers, who all weigh in the 120-160 lbs range.

(5) Frame rules: Our Karts are all extremely simple yard kart frames. You can see below, the typical Galletta's kart, as this below picture shows multi-time Galletta's Champion and head mechanic Matt Stevens's two main go-karts. The old red #3 is a rebuilt Manco kart, and the silver #33 is a Galletta's style Ogre chassis, built from scratch in 2006. We don't use any racing kart setups, just the direct chain-driven drivewheel on the left side, hence the reason we race clockwise instead of counter-clockwise. This is the Galletta's Go-Karts standard for over a decade. We use regular steel tubing, mandatory for drivers under 200 lbs., but for drivers roughly around and over 200 lbs., we will allow lighter tubing to be used on an experimental basis. What we want to do is balance out the weight as much as we can. Matt will offer the final ruling on all cases. We do not allow shocks and only one-wheel-drive is permitted (because anything else cannot manage our turns and are terrible on our track).

Multi-time Track Champion, Time-Trial Champion, and Klassic Champion Matt Stevens, posing next to his newest kart. Note that the setup, a simple one, is clearly visible. The Briggs 5hp flathead motor is, standard bore, and all parts are 100% factory stock (with the exception of a hand-shaved head and a nylon oil dipper; a safety precaution). And Matt is the man to beat at Galletta's, as he set the track record with this kart and setup and has won a majority of the Points Championships and Annual Klassic Races. If you observe Matt's kart above, this should be the template for your kart if you plan to race in the Galletta's Go-Karts class. We do not allow anything different unless approved by Matt, Chris, and Wes. And if you are caught racing us with illegal parts, you will get a warning and disqualification for your first offense, and permanent disqualification and banishment from the Galletta's racing league if you are caught with unapproved racing setup and/or parts a second time.

All other parts must be stock unless otherwise noted. No Raptor carbs, or other parts and racing modifications allowed unless observed and approved by all three of the owners (Matt, Chris, and Wes) AND a majority of the visiting drivers ONLY. This is to prevent pricing drivers out of the competition, keeping all of the karts roughly the same speed as the Galletta's house karts, which Matt tirelessly maintains on a daily basis to do so and keeping everybody as equal as possible. We never have and never want to start tearing everybody's motors down. We race honestly and expect all of our visiting drivers to race honestly as well. This rule has been in place since day one, and no exceptions will be made. Why? Again, this rule is to keep the racing affordable and fair, so don't come to us with a $2,000-$5,000 racing kart and whine that we won't let you race. If we catch you cheating (for example, if you are a rookie driver clearly faster than our veterans who weigh under 160 lbs. and have racing for anywhere between 4-15 years racing experience), you can't race with us. This is simply the class of racing that we made and everybody who races and/or has raced with us in the last 10+ years likes it that way. Consider that our karts (in the $500 range per kart) reach nearly identical times as methanol raptor karts (that cost $1,000-$5,000 per kart). That is why we do not allow aftermarket racing parts. Stock only. 

What happens if I race you guys with racing parts and racing work?: You can if you have your own class, but not in our Galletta's class. If we see you with a racing motor trying to race us, you will be instantly disqualified. Again, if you are caught racing us with illegal parts (cheater parts, raptor racing parts, stock-appearing parts, porting, so on and so forth), you will get a warning and disqualification for your first offense. You are welcome at any time to see Matt's internal parts. They are all stock. We do make some allowances for heavier people, but they must be approved by Matt and Chris. We do believe that the better answer is gearing. See Matt for details.

Rules are subject to change or be added (though the basics are essentially unchanged since 1995 - just additions and small changes as issues come up). Some unwritten rules, evident to most racing tracks, including basic flag rules, are not listed here, but may be added later if not understood or requested. Check from time to time for updates.

 
Our "Away" track, Oswego Speedway. This Spring 2006 Google Earth picture, however, was taken when the dirt track was in its beginning stages. Oswego Kartway has different rules than our Galletta's track, though gas, stock motors (6.5hp max, 5hp preferred for anybody under 200 lbs.), and slicks are the basics for our division. They also have T1 or WKA-style methanol karts, including champ karts.

 

Race Index:
2007 #16
(Klassic '07)
2007 #15
2007 #14
Oswego Classic
2007 #13
2007 #12
2007 #11
2007 #10
2007 #9
2007 #8
2007 #7
2007 #6
2007 #5
2007 #4
2007 #3
2007 #2
2007 #1
2006 #18-23
2006 #17
(Classic)
2006 #16
2006 #15
2006 #14
2006 #13
2006 #12
2006 #11
2006 #10
2006 #9
2006 #8
2006 #7
2006 #6
2006 #5
2006 #4
2006 #3
2006 #2
2006 #1
2005 Final
2005 #21
2005 #20
2005 #19
2005 #18
(2005 Klassic)
2005 #17
2005 #16
2005 #15
2005 #14
2005 #13
2005 #12
2005 #11
2005 #10
2005 #9
2005 #8
2005 #7
2005 #6
2005 #5
2005 #4
2005 #3
2005 #2
2005 #1
2004 Klassic
2004 Final
'96-03 Klassics
1900s-2006 History

Other racing websites:

Howard Seabrook Racing!

Where you need to go to get your local racing news!

Oswego Speedway

Where we've attended countless races and race dirt go-karts all summer. 

Rules last updated:
2007/10/02

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