Galletta's Go-Karts
60 County Route 20 Oswego, NY, USA
13126-6512
Telephone:
(315) 343-0879 or
(315) 343-4281
Directions:
Complete Index of the Original, Longest-Running and Largest Dirt Karting Class in Oswego, NY (1996-current):
Racer and website designer Chris ChrusherComix's other websites:
Chris' Graphic Novel:
Chris' Comic Book:
Chris' Comic Strip:
Chris' Children's Book:
Our Greenhouse:
Other racing websites:
Oswego Speedway
Where we've attended countless races and race dirt go-karts weekly Fridays:
VOTE FOR CHRIS' SITE:
Chris & Au's MySpace
Matt's MySpace
Ten Galletta's Go-Karts made the journey to the Oswego Speedway Classic WeekendDirt Oval show on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 and 9 Galletta's Club drivers raced in the (formerly known as Supermodified Yard Karts, now known as) Clockwise Gas Stocker Kart Classic!
Oswego Speedway 2007 Stocker Kart Classic 50: On August 30th, 2007, Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens won the Oswego Speedway Classic Weekend's Dirt Gas Stocker Kart Classic 50, his 1st Feature at Oswego since 2006, and his 3rd overall feature of 2007 in his Galletta's #8. His father Wesley Ogre Stevens took 2nd in the Galletta's #4, and his brother - and head mechanic of all 10 Galletta Go-Karts - Matt Stevens got 3rd in his Galletta's #33. In fact, the entire 15-kart field was involved in accidents at one time or another, which made this race a war of experience and attrition.
2007 Volume #14 DVD - The Oswego Dirt Kart Classic from Oswego Speedway:
Contains both angles of the August 30th, 2007 races from Oswego Speedway's Dirt track on Classic Weekend to decide the Oswego Gas Stock Kart Champion! Also contains most of the methanol events (as much as we could fit on our tapes) 1 hour & 47 minutes!
Great shot of the opening of heat race #1 by "Pinner!" Now for a preview of this disc's contents:
All pictures and video clips are low-resolution captures from the Galletta's Go-Karts 2007 Season Volume #14 DVD. 2 widescreen camera angles! Buy yours today. Only $3 for Regular Galletta's Club Drivers that raced in the event, and $5 for everybody else. Contact me. We also got some of the methanol classes on the disc as well.
Here is the start of the 1st Supermodified Yard Kart Heat won by Chris Stevens in the Galletta's #8, who was followed closely by 5-time '07 Oswego Kartway Feature Winner Matt Stevens. Rounding out the field were Mike Howell, Kenny Lindsley Jr. (who came back from erupting into flames during practice), Oscar Berry, Melissa Gabel, a rookie (whose name I don't know, but his last name was Parkhurst), and The Five O'Clock Shadow Shadoe Russell.
Here is the start of the 2nd Supermodified Yard Kart Heat. Eric Raponi was leading on the last lap, but spun out in turn 4, enabling Wesley "Ogre" Stevens to take the win, followed closely by Buddy Cottom. Joe Hayden, Another 1st-time rookie (whose name I didn't get either, but he was another Parkhurst), Ryan Coleman, Eric Raponi, and Lee Bartlett rounded out the field. Kyle Reuter was also scheduled to run (and the Galletta's #5 was ready for him), but he had no time due to working on his methanol kart; which he piloted to a 4th place finish in the Sr. Methanol Classic! Great job Kyle!
Under the lights for the first time ever at Oswego Kartway! Here is the start of the 1st Annual Super Yard Kart Classic, which couldn't get started because the pole-sitting Shadow Russell inexplicably started in the rear of the field, and Melissa Gabel had to move the entire inside row up one spot. After a few small mishaps, the race finally got underway and Chris Stevens stormed out to an early lead, getting methanol kart times with his gas stock flathead Briggs 5hp Galletta's #8 tuned by his brother Matt.
Leader Chris Stevens survived a pileup in turn 1 when the lapped karts of Shadow Russell and Oscar Berry wrecked together, collecting Eric Raponi and Matt Stevens who were battling back and forth for 2nd, along with a handful of others. This wreck took Buddy Cottom, Melissa Gabel and a Team Parkhurst rookie out of the race, as they all were too damaged by the accident to continue.
Chris Stevens pulled away from the crowd and was putting as many lapped karts between himself and 2nd place as possible, being extra careful of a few erratic ones. However, the lapped kart of Shadoe Russell panicked and spun out of a 4th groove into the 1st and right into Chris, who crashed him out of the way. Though Chris didn't stop, he still had to go to the rear of the non-lapped field. But what was confusing after this is that then-2nd place Joe Hayden avoided the accident completely and then-3rd-place Mike Howell spun to avoid it, but they both placed themselves in the rear, as did Kenny Lindsley Jr.! They should have restarted 1st, 2nd, and possibly 3rd. 3-time '07 Oswego Kartway feature winner, Eric Raponi then inherited the lead to setup the final stages of the event, which made no sense either. The repeated accidents that Shadoe was directly involved in led some drivers to vow never to race against him again and the track operator was unsure if he ever wanted him back on his track again.
Eric Raponi was then using his large kart and low groove to hold off a storming Mike "MC" Howell, Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens, and Wesley Stevens, who were all furiously battling back and forth for spots 2-5 behind him.
However, late in the race, Raponi and Howell crashed together after both hitting a bump in turns 3 & 4. The bump sent the #6 flying into #83 and taking them both out of a potential 1-2 finish. Wes Stevens then inherited the lead, but was passed by his son Chris Stevens with a couple of laps to go, even though the announcer kept humorously announcing Wesley "Ogre" Stevens.
Here is Chris taking the checker, followed by his dad Wes and his brother Matt, who had to feverously battle by two drivers late to get a top 3. A bit of a shocker for Matt, as he had been dominating the Oswego Super Yard Kart class for the last few prior shows, but Matt was just thrilled that three of his Galletta's Karts got the top three positions and all won Classic Weekend Tickets, which means that he won anyway. Chris again thanks his brother Matt and Melissa Gabel for their diligent work changing the tires on the karts during the week, and Oswego Dirt Track Operator Jim Losurdo for organizing the event.
"I was running away with it early until I got caught up with one of our own lapped karts when he spun out right in front of me," Chris said. "But I just battled back into the top 3, stuck it out and the accidents evened back out for me in the end, thank God, goodness, luck, the odds, and whatever else. My kart was hooked, and Matt has to be thanked for that." Joe Hayden and Kenny Lindsley Jr. rounded out the top 5 and also got trophies. Eric Raponi left the track, furious that he got caught in an accident while leading, and therefore took himself out of a potential trophy position and cost himself points in the final point standings: found below. Pictures of the trophy ceremony are available on the message board here.
Chris and his wife Au after the win. Chris wanted Matt - the 2007 Oswego Speedway Yard Kart Points Champion, head mechanic of all Galletta's Go-Karts, and little brother - to pose as well, but he was nowhere to be found. Picture courtesy of LocalTrax.com and XtremeFotoz.com, thanks to both!
Now here is the...
Oswego Speedway Clockwise Gas Stocker Kart Classic 50 (8/30/2007) Final Order Of Finish:
Position
Name (Go-Karts Piloted)
1st
Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens (Galletta's #8 Flathead 5hp+)
2nd
Wes "Ogre" Stevens (Galletta's #4 Flathead 5hp+)
3rd
Matt "The Whole F'n' Show" Stevens (Galletta's #33 Flathead 5hp+)
4th
Joe Hayden (Hayden #5 OHV 6.5hp+)
5th
® Kenny Lindsley Jr. (Galletta's #2 Flathead 5hp+)
6th
Mike "MC" Howell (Galletta's #6 Flathead 5hp+)
7th
® Ryan Coleman (Galletta's #0 Flathead 5hp+)
8th
Eric Raponi (Raponi #83 OHV 6.5hp+)
9th
Lee Bartlett (Lee #924 OHV 6.5hp?)
10th
Oscar Berry (Berry #11 Flathead 5hp+)
11th
® Anonymous Team Parkhurst Blue Kart (Unknown #???)
12th
® Shadow Russell (Galletta's #7 Flathead 5hp+)
13th
® Buddy Cottom (Galletta's #1 Flathead 5hp+) DNF
14th
® Melissa Gabel (Galletta's #3 Flathead 5hp+) DNF
15th
® Anonymous Team Parkhurst Red Kart (Unknown #???) DNF
16th
Kyle X. Reuter (Galletta's #G5 Flathead 5hp+) Did Not Start - ran in Methanol class
Key: DNF = Did Not Finish, ® = Rookie/Newbie/1st-timer. Now here are the...
Oswego Speedway Dirt Oval FINAL "Gas Stock Kart" Points Standings after 10 events between 6/15/2007 and 8/30/2007:
Rank
Name (Motor type & Go-Karts Piloted)
Total Points (Place)
Average Points Per Event
Events
Feature Wins
1
2007 Oswego Speedway Gas Stocker Kart Champion:
Matt "Furlong" Stevens (5hp FH Galletta's #33)
2007 Volume #14 DVD - The Oswego Kart Classic from Oswego Speedway's Dirt Oval:
Contains both angles of the August 30th, 2007 races from Oswego Speedway's Dirt track on Classic Weekend to decide the Oswego Gas Stock Kart Champion! 1 hour & 47 minutes! Also contains most of the methanol events (as much as we could fit on our tapes) .
Front cover of Galletta's Go-Karts 2007 Volume #14 DVD. Click for printable version (rotate 90 degrees).
Back cover of Galletta's Go-Karts 2007 Volume #14 DVD. Click for printable version.
Team Galletta's thank Oswego Kartway for all the fun during the year, and look forward to more racers joining us in 2008. What's amazing is although the methanol karts - which cost thousands of dollars each, aren't even much faster than the the fastest Clockwise Gas Stockers (which only cost a few hundred dollars each and run on gas) at Oswego Kartway. They got around the track with similar times (and some even quicker than some of the methanol karts), and sported a 16 kart field, while each methanol class only had a handful per class (usually bump and grind to pass, and often string out into a distantly spread out single file line with very little excitement). Our karting division, (formerly known as the "Yard Kart" and now known as) the Clockwise Gas Stockers put on one of the best features of the entire Classic weekend, with the most leader changes and debatably the closest racing! Sorry to toot our own horn, but our class always puts the best show and gets the most bang for your buck, while also the least respect! Yet, because we are so affordable, anybody can join, and if you weigh 200 lbs. or less, you can compete to win! This isn't a knock on the methanol classes, but we think they'd have fun if they tried one of our rental karts or built some for themselves too! Join us! We're always looking for more experienced drivers to race on a weekly basis!
Although this was the final clay karting event at Oswego Speedway for the 2007 season, the Galletta's Karting season goes for a month or two more, weather permitting. Now to last and/or next week's action:
Our racing club and home track is located in back of: Galletta's Greenhouses
60 County Route 20
Oswego, NY 13126-6512
(315) 343-0879 or (315) 343-4281 Need directions? Here's:
Please visit Galletta's Speedway racer/co-founder/co-owner Chris "Crusher Comics" Stevens' other websites that include my cartoons, comic books, children's book, and family greenhouse: