7/15/2012: Twin 30s Night - The Brian Finally Got One 60
SUNDAY, JULY 15th, 2012: Brian Galletta - one of the original members of the Galletta's Karting Club - got his first feature win in eight years by winning the 2nd 30-Lapper in his Plattitude #287 (chassis built by Randy Platt, motor by Matt Stevens). And even though Dave Spanfelner, Matt Stevens, and Chris Stevens all almost took the win in the first feature, it was Melissa Stevens who evaded several spinning and wrecking karts to take it in her Scissor's-n-Fur #19. Facebook discussion on the victory photos are here (Galletta's Karting Club Facebook) and here (Brian Galletta's Facebook). As for the race, here is MORE...
DVD Highlight YouTube Video
YouTube video to this race is currently being produced and is forthcoming. All picture captures & video clips are directly taken from our weekly DVDs, which are almost always available to buy the day after the race. It's best to pre-order them so I can have them ready on race day for you.
Above is this race's menu. For a DVD copy of this race, please e-mail or call Chris Stevens and ask for this week's race. Each disc is chock full of between 1 to 3 hours of racing in the highest-possible DVD resolution with Dolby Stereo 2.0 with Pro-Logic Surround Sound, predominantly from multiple angles and are only $5 each (discounts available for multiple copies or regular kart Galletta-Kart renters). We accept PayPal or cash, and can either ship or arrange for pickup.
Race Results
7/15/2012's 30-LAP FEATURE #1 | 6-KARTS:
Oddly, we only had SIX drivers show! Two regulars had other plans scheduled and gratefully told us that they did, while two other regulars never told us why they did make it. A handful of old buddies who want to try the racing out didn't make it, and then, a newbie keeps putting off his debut. And the twenty or so people who told us over the phone and on facebook over the past three or four months how much they can't wait to race with us.... are nowhere to be seen or heard from on race day. So, only six competitors. We'll have make-up races for the vets who missed a race, but for the 17th consecutive season, it is pretty much already clinched that nobody will ever displace Matt and Chris from the first two spots on the World Points Championship of 1-WD Gas Flathead karting series. And this is one reason why - in addition to being very experienced and talented racers with well-maintained karts under their butts, they never miss one race on any track their division races at. Period. For seventeen years. Now, usually, we will not race with so few people, but when we do, we get in some great point-getters, such as Twin-30s or 50+ lappers. We elected for more Twin-30s.
Brian Galletta has raced with Chris and Matt since the 1990s. He is the oldest active member of the club (where's Jesse Vivelemore, one of the other original club members?), but his career has been marred with close-calls and breakdowns while looking mighty fast (the 2003 Klassic was a case of him being the 2nd-fastest time trialer to Chris, but he broke down late in the race) and only one career regular feature win to date (early in the 2004 season). Here, Brian passed TWO people on the initial start of the race and charged off to a commanding lead. However, due to his messed-up tie-rods and spindles - which he's been working on for a while now - he spun out TWICE, once while in the lead (to fall to third) and then twice to put it in the pits to work on the front end for the 2nd feature. Unlike missionary-position bumper-karts, we don't buy a new chassis at the slighest hint of irregular handling or a lack of speed - we fix them and compete.
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Matt Stevens drove the Ruggio #02 (formerly the Nick Dann #68/AJ Nason #35) by request of its owner Billy Ruggio, as he could not make it for the race and he wanted Matt to hook it up on his week off of racing. Hook it up he did, as he was as fast as he usually is. Also, Chris Stevens finally was able to drive his Chrusher.com #74 kart (the former Joe Hayden #5/Dick Dann #6 kart - seen here driving it wingless due to last-minute adjustments) in a feature, as Matt finally found time to work out the handling issues that it had.
After Brian dropped out, the race was a fierce one between leader Dave Spanfelner and challengers Chris, Matt and Melissa Stevens. The three passed each other back and forth while challenging DS, but other than few close calls (one lap, Matt passed Dave, but a lil' tap from the #6 helped the #02 over), nobody could get around DS. However, late in the race, DS went a little too high in turn 1, hit a loose patch, spun and collected Chris and Matt. Guess who that left in the lead? Melissa Stevens, who was seeking to keep her record of at least one feature win person alive since she started racing in 2007. And she did, pulling away from the pack without anybody in front of her slowing her down!
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7/15/2012's 30-LAP FEATURE #2 | 6-KARTS:
As usual, when we have a twin-30, the first is handicapped via inverting the field by first (1) 2012 wins, then (2) career wins, and finally (3) 2012 points-per-race, as all of our non-Klassic races are started. Without time to add-up and calculate the points, we invert the field from the finish of the 1st, minus the inverted 2012 feature winners in the back. Our unique system has provided us many winners in our class, and prevents one man absolutely dominating. Even leading-winner Matt has not percentage-wise dominated the division as much as some drivers on the other local tracks have thanks mainly to this sytem. With a more traditional handicap system - such as Oswego's - Matt would win more (he basically starts last in almost every race he enters minus first-time rookies who need to start in the back or Klassic when he time-trials up front, while other systems would start him mid-pack and sometimes even in the front). This not only shows how close our racing is, but also how good Matt is at winning often despite starting in last almost every race.
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With inverting the initilal feature's finish (minus the 'already-4-wins-in-'12' Matt in the very back), Brian Galletta starts on the pole with his fast kart and with only 30-laps to win. Matt this time elecetd to run the #0, which plays some significance into the fact that he used it to beat Brian a few weeks earlier.
Brian again was a rocket in his #28 (built by Randy Platt in 2011 with a Galletta's rental motor), and he finally saolved the handling issue, as he was even faster and more responsive than he has been. Chris was able to move up to 2nd and began reeling him in until the throttle cable snapped and he accepted a -5pt. penalty to hop into another kart (his starter kart, the Galletta's #8) and then rocketed to third in a few laps. For the rest of the race, it was Brian hlding off Chris and Matt for the rest of the show. But this time, Brian picks up the win - his first regular feature win since 2004!
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2012 Point Standings after 7/15/2012's Event
Pos. (Last Week) |
Name (Go-Karts Piloted)
|
Total Points (Place) |
Average Points Per Feature |
2012
|
2012
|
2012
|
2012 Feature Wins |
Career Feature Wins (2000-up) |
Years Pro at GKC |
|
1st |
|
1,029.5 |
128.69 |
6 |
8 |
1/3 |
4 |
108 |
17th |
|
2nd |
|
951.0 |
118.88 |
6 |
8 |
1/3 |
0 |
58 |
17th |
|
3rd |
|
803.5 |
103.67 |
6 |
8 |
0/3 |
1 |
2 |
6th |
|
4th. |
|
747.5 |
93.44 |
6 |
8 |
1/3 |
1 |
6 |
6th |
|
5th. |
|
725.0 |
90.63 |
5 |
8 |
1/3 |
0 |
0 |
® |
|
6th. |
|
685.0 |
114.17 |
5 |
6 |
1/3 |
1 |
7 |
4th |
|
7th. |
|
675.5 |
84.44 |
5 |
8 |
0/3 |
0 |
0 |
® |
|
8th. |
|
523.0 |
104.60 |
3 |
5 |
0/1 |
1 |
2 |
2nd |
|
9th. |
|
508.0 |
84.67 |
5 |
6 |
0/4 |
0 |
0 |
® |
|
10th. |
|
503.0 |
83.83 |
5 |
6 |
0/4 |
0 |
0 |
® |
|
11th. |
|
469.5 |
93.90 |
3 |
5 |
1/2 |
0 |
1 |
2nd |
|
12th. |
 Doug Bradford(Galletta's #0, #1) |
257.0 |
85.67 |
3 |
3 |
1/2 |
0 |
0
|
®
|
|
13th. |
|
176.0 |
88.00 |
1 |
2 |
1/1 |
0 |
0 |
® |
|
14th. |
|
74.0 |
74.00 |
1 |
1 |
0/2 |
0 |
0 |
® |
|
15th. |
|
72.0 |
72.00 |
1 |
1 |
0/2 |
0 |
0 |
® |
|
16th. |
|
69.0 |
69.00 |
1 |
1 |
0/1 |
0 |
5 |
5th |
David Spanfelner
Eric Woolworth
Bill Ruggio
Eric Sereno
John Galvin
Trevor Jock
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Key: Notes: VISIT THE 2000-2011 GALLETTA'S WINS & POINTS STANDINGS, TALLIED AFTER EACH COMPLETED SEASON |
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Handicap start for next race
....is scheduled for today at 5:45pm. There will be heats (some heats will also count as make-up races for those who have missed one or more races this year), and then the feature event(s?).
Handicap for this race goes as follows – first by inverted wins, then by inverted Points-Per-Race (PPR):
Group #1: No Wins:
1st. Bill Ruggio - 83.8 ppr (0 wins/0 all-time)
2nd. Eric Woolworth – 84.4 ppr (0 wins/0 all-time)
3rd. Adam Lytle – 84.7 ppr (0 wins/0 all-time)
4th. David Spanfelner – 90.6 ppr (0 wins/0 all-time)
Group #2: Past Winners:
5th. Joe Sereno – 93.9 ppr (0 wins/1 all-time)
6th. Randy Platt – 69.0 ppr (0 wins/5 all-time)
7th. Chris Stevens - 118.9 ppr (0 wins/58 all-time)
Group #3: 2012 Winners:
8th. Melissa Stevens – 93.4 ppr (1 wins/7 all-time)
9th. Brian Galletta - 103.7 ppr (1 wins/2 all-time)
10th. Justin Galletta – 104.6 (1 wins/2 all-time)
11th. Tim Galletta – 114.1 ppr (1 wins/0 all-time)
12th. Matt Stevens – 128.7 ppr (4 wins/108 all-time)
NOW YOU CAN COMMENT ON EVERY RACE ON GALLETTA'S KARTING CLUB'S WEBSITE!
Just sign in via your Twitter, Facebook, BlogSpot, Yahoo or other Social Networking ID and post:
Galletta's Greenhouse's Karting Club Facebook Comments
Location & Sponsor
Galletta's Backyard Go-Kart Speedway is a free-to-race-on and free-to-watch 0.133887 mile dirt oval with 20-degree banked turns. It is located behind Galletta's Greenhouse in Oswego, NY, and can be seen from outer space! The single-wheel-drive gasoline-fueled flathead motor karts take the track between 15-17 seconds per lap which averages over 30 mph (approximately 45-50 mph top speed in the straights). Our speeds are comparable to alcohol/methanol-fueled karts that cost 8 times as much because we use mostly homemade or rebuilt go-karts and gas on a large track; leading to more karts, more competition, and more fun. Our class is usually the largest and most competitive in the area. Thanks to Google Earth for this Spring 2006 photo. Our karting club's home track is located in back of:
Galletta's Greenhouses
60 County Route 20
Oswego, NY 13126-6512
(315) 343-0879 or (315) 343-4281
Need directions? Here they are!
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