CHRIS "CHRUSHERCOMIX" STEVENS - DRIVER PROFILE (1992-Current)

Chris Stevens wins the 7/18/2008 show at Galletta's (With wife, Au)
Chris with his wife Rungnapha "Au" Stevens after a 10-kart, 45-lap race win at Galletta's on 7/18/2008.

Name:
Christopher Galletta Stevens

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Recent Career Highlights:


17th Annual Galletta's Klassic 200 WINNOR! 2012 Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200: SATURDAY,OCTOBER 6th, 2012: For the first time in the 17-year history of the event, our 200 lapper saw controversy deflate the championship. Matt and Chris Stevens battled yjtough the field during the second half of the race, and back and forth in 1st and 2nd for the stretch run. Chris Stevens passed the finish line in first place, although Matt protested because he put himself in the back of the pack from icidental contact with a lapped kart (and he was not instructed to)! Matt did wind up being awarded a tie and by doing so, also the track championship. More...->
SATURDAY,OCTOBER 8th, 2011: A grueling 200 laps. But yours truly - webmaster Chris Stevens - broke a 10-year dry-spell and won his first Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic since 2001! It was not easy, as he time trialed 5th, and had to come from the back of the field twice when he blew a tire in 2nd early, then clobbered a tree in 2nd late. But everything fell his way when the leader of almost the entire race, Matt Stevens, decided to refuel, putting Chris in the lead with barely enough fumes to get him the win. Several competitors didn't finish the marathon event, and the closeness of competition made this the HARDEST Klassic to date, with tough competition form first to last, including 2010 defending Klassic Champ Kyle Reuter (who lost a tire in 2nd himself). Now I need some sleep, son, so be back LATAH'! Complete race videos on DVD only $5 each disc and will be ready shortly. 2011 Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200: SATURDAY,OCTOBER 8th, 2011: A grueling 200 laps saw Chris Stevens break a 10-year dry-spell by winning his first Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic since 2001 (while running almost on fumes)! It was not easy, as he time trialed 5th, and had to come from the back of the field twice and then held off his brother Matt to take the win. More...->
Chris (and his lovely wife, Au) posing after the Oswego Classic win!

2007 Oswego Speedway Classic 50 (Gas Stock Dirt Kartway Division): Chris Stevens and his wife "Au" Rungnapha after the Oswego Speedway Dirt Kartway's 2007 Classic, where Chris scored the 5hp/6.5hp Gas Stocker Division's Classic win in the 5hp Galletta's Greenhouse #8 Kart. The race is generally known as the biggest and most exciting race in the history of that track judging by the on-track kart count (15), laps (50), the racing, a few funny crashes, and the "oohs & aahs" from the crowd. Chris wanted his brother Matt to pose as well - as he is the master mechanic of all Galletta's karts AND the 2006-08 Track Champion of that track - but they hurried us off. View more on this race here. More->

Page last updated 1/2013

All-Time Point Standings Placement:


Chris has been racing karts since the early 1990s, and has amassed a points and wins total that is second only to his brother Matt. Both Chris and his brother also garnered a lot of those wins between 2005-2008 against competitors that drove larger, more powerful motors, someting that not many racers anywhere can attest to.

Galletta's Karting Club Website

Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Club
(and Backyard Speedway):

Chris' Positioning in the
Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Speedway All-Time Points & Wins List
from 2000-2012, the only class in the history of the track.

Chris Stevens

Unpaid logo - The Oswego Kartway used these logos and banners on their website and printed materials for the 2008 season, and never paid ChrusherComix Studios for them! Oswego Speedway / Oswego Kartway
(Gas Stock Dirt Kartway Division):

Chris' Positioning in the
Oswego Speedway Kartway 1-WD Gas All-Time Points & Wins List
from 2006-2008, the largest class in the history of the track.

Chris Stevens at the Oswego Speedway Kartway Classic (before the track operator booted our class because he's an ass!)

 

Recent Victories & Profile Pictures:


Chris loves to drive any kart and is capable of winning in many different karts, proven by many of these victory lane pictures. He has won features in the Galletta's Greenhouse #2, #4, #5, #8, #0 and the de-commissioned #01 karts between 1996-up:

2012:


Chris Stevens before the 17th Annual Oswego Karting 200 Lapper at Galletta's!

Chris posing with the Chrusher.Com/Galletta's Greenhouse #8 kart before the 17th Annual Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200. Chris had one the better years in his career, accomplishing 6 feature wins, including a share of the 200-Lap Karting Klassic of Oswego at Galletta's. He would have swept both first place in the points and the Klassic if not for Matt Stevens and Mary Stevens over-ruling Matt's very own decision to go to from the lead to the rear of the pack late in the 200 due to contact with a lapped kart causing a wreck, effectively putting Matt in for a tie of the Klassic and putting him as Track Champion.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26th, 2012: Winners of the Sunday, August 26th, 2012 "Anything Joe Can Do, Chris Can Do Better 60" race - also known as the "JUSTIN IS MAD THAT SOME ON THE SHOCK ARE SELLIN' ASS ALTHOUGH HE'S SELLIN' ASS ON US! 60" - Joe Sereno won the 1st 30-Lapper in the Galletta's Greenhouse #5, and then Chris Stevens won the 2nd one in the very same Galletta's Greenhouse #5. That means that kart has won three of the last races it was in with two different drivers! Definitely a HOT kart right now a month away from our 17th Annual Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200 Championship - and a kart that won two Klassics (2000 and 2001 with Chris Stevens behind the wheel and placed well with several other drivers at the helm)! MORE...

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19th, 2012: We witnessed a tremendous race that saw the lead change six times, and had several battles and wrecks to make things interesting for drivers, spectators, and the video alike. In fact, three 1st-year rookies battled back and forth for the lead most of the feature! But at the end of the day, it was Chris Stevens who emerged in first at the end, winning his fourth feature win in four race events! READ AND SEE MORE HERE!

8/19/2012 - 10-Kart/45-Lapper
MONDAY, AUGUST 13th, 2012: Sunday saw, for the second week in a row, a monsoon-like downpour turn turn 2 into a small lake--but this time DURING the race--and again was postponed for Monday. The first feature saw Randy Platt break in the lead which set up Chris and Matt Stevens battling for the win (with Chris Stevens getting him by a wheel). The 2nd feature saw Randy Platt extract sweet revenge on all with a win, but not before his "hip bar" broke (the left side of our seats, which is essentially what you ride in a 1-WD Galletta-kart) which led to an exciting close race! READ BELOW...

8/13/2012 - 11-Kart/45-Lapper


WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8th, 2012: To make up for a couple rain-dates we've lost and the fact that one of our regular racers is moving south for a while and may miss most of if not the rest of the year, we held a special mid-week Twin 30s night. Joe Sereno FINALLY did not break while leading the race to win the first 30-lapper. The second one saw the returning Randy Platt dominate most of the race until Matt Stevens caught him in traffic late. Now... Matt usually is unbeatable once he takes the lead, but with two laps to go, his brother Chris Stevens caught him sleeping on a restart to take his own 2nd feature win in three nights, and keeping hope alive in terms of keeping Matt within distance in the points race! As for the race descriptions, READ MORE...

8/8/2012 in Oswego Dirt Karting (THE Original, most talented, and largest division in the County)


MONDAY, AUGUST 6th, 2012: A monsoon-like downpour turned turn 2 into a small lake, so Sunday's race was postponed for Monday, when that crafty lil' Matt Stevens pulled out another win by trapping his fellow competitors behind early-leader Dave Spanfelner and not looking back. The 2nd feature saw Chris Stevens and Joe Sereno battle back and forth, with Joe taking for the lead around the half-way point before breaking down. Chris Stevens took the rest of the laps for his first feature win since the 2011 Klassic 200-Lapper. And when the victory photos were being taken... a long-lost karter decided to call... and announce his return for the next race! READ MORE...

8/6/2012 Oswego Dirt Karting Club (The original and STILL the largest, most talented from top to bottom. Period.


SUNDAY, JUNE 10TH, 2012: For 17 years, our season usually starts the first Sunday in June annually. The founders of the club, Matt and Chris Stevens - work at Galletta's Greenhouse and can't get the karts and track ready until then. Chris took the opening week's last lap, or, at least part one of the opener. Here is the story....

17th Annual Opener - 6/10/2012

2011:


Chris broke a long dry spell with Track Championships in 2009, but he finally broke his even longer streak of Galletta's Klassic Championships, winning his first one in ten years! Although, his brother Matt did lead enough laps in the Klassic to clinch the track title (Matt's 1st since 2008), Chris gladly would make the trade off in this case if he were to choose, after winning the last two track titles but having that dry spell (although winning the Oswego Speedway Dirt Gas Classic was one win in tha era, but not a 200-lapper like this one).
SATURDAY,OCTOBER 8th, 2011: A grueling 200 laps. But yours truly - webmaster Chris Stevens - broke a 10-year dry-spell and won his first Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic since 2001! It was not easy, as he time trialed 5th, and had to come from the back of the field twice when he blew a tire in 2nd early, then clobbered a tree in 2nd late. But everything fell his way when the leader of almost the entire race, Matt Stevens, decided to refuel, putting Chris in the lead with barely enough fumes to get him the win. Several competitors didn't finish the marathon event, and the closeness of competition made this the HARDEST Klassic to date, with tough competition form first to last, including 2010 defending Klassic Champ Kyle Reuter (who lost a tire in 2nd himself). Now I need some sleep, son, so be back LATAH'! Complete race videos on DVD only $5 each disc and will be ready shortly.
Chris won his first Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic CHampionship Race since 2001 - a TEN YEAR drought snapped!

Click to enlarge Chris' picture!

Chris posing with the Chrusher.com / Galletta's Greenhouse #8 kart before piloting it for 200 green flag laps en route to winning it in the 16th Annual Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic on 10/8/2011, his first since 2001!!! <-More...

16th Annual Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200 Start
SATURDAY,OCTOBER 8th, 2011: A grueling 200 laps saw Chris Stevens break a 10-year dry-spell by winning his first Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic since 2001 (while running almost on fumes... maybe could've lasted another 10 or so)! It was not easy, as he time trialed 5th, and had to come from the back of the field once... twice... three times, and then hold off his brother Matt - who led the entire race before refueling, and came on charging at the end witha full tank - to take the win. More...->
SATURDAY,OCTOBER 8th, 2011: A grueling 200 laps. But yours truly - webmaster Chris Stevens - broke a 10-year dry-spell and won his first Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic since 2001! It was not easy, as he time trialed 5th, and had to come from the back of the field twice when he blew a tire in 2nd early, then clobbered a tree in 2nd late. But everything fell his way when the leader of almost the entire race, Matt Stevens, decided to refuel, putting Chris in the lead with barely enough fumes to get him the win. Several competitors didn't finish the marathon event, and the closeness of competition made this the HARDEST Klassic to date, with tough competition form first to last, including 2010 defending Klassic Champ Kyle Reuter (who lost a tire in 2nd himself). Now I need some sleep, son, so be back LATAH'! Complete race videos on DVD only $5 each disc and will be ready shortly.
SATURDAY,OCTOBER 8th, 2011: A grueling 200 laps saw Chris Stevens break a 10-year dry-spell by winning his first Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Klassic since 2001 (while running almost on fumes... maybe could've lasted another 10 or so)! It was not easy, as he time trialed 5th, and had to come from the back of the field once... twice... three times, and then hold off his brother Matt - who led the entire race before refueling, and came on charging at the end witha full tank - to take the win. More...->

A fiery race was won by Chris Stevens on the 9/11 memorial race of 2011

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, 2011: On the 10th anniversary of the worst attack in America's history, we had a good race that included a fiery crash, and Chris Stevens picking up the win in the Galletta's Greenhouse #4.
<- More

Chris Stevens wins the 8/29/2011 feature at Galletta's
MONDAY, AUGUST 29th, 2011: 10 competitors raced karts raced on a Monday due to Hurricane Irene's leftover winds and rain preventing us from racing Sunday and Chris Stevens spoiled Randy Platt's plan of putting his freshly reinstated "Murder 187" kart back in victory lane, catching him snoozing on a restart in the Galletta's Greenhouse #8 for his 2nd feature win of the year. More...->

Chris and Matt STevens win the Twin-30s at the original, longest-running, and largest dirt karting division in NY State on 7/3/2011

SUNDAY, JULY 3RD, 2011: Tim Galletta had an accident in lapped traffic while leading the 1st 35-Lapper, enabling Chris Stevens to take the win, with Matt pressuring him. Tim also was leading late in the 2nd 35-Lapper, but a bump knocked his foot off the gas, which enabled Matt Stevens (this time pressured by Chris) to sneak by him for the win of the 2nd Feature, as fireworks cracked downtown in Oswego. <-More....

2010:


2010 was by far the most diverse year in our club's history - at least in terms of our victory lane. More different drivers won features in 2010 than any other year before or since. Even Matt only won 3 features, Chris only won 1, and someone other than Chris, Matt and Wes (the club founders) won a Klassic (Kyle Reuter became the 1st non-founder/visiting driver to win the 200-lap Championship). And despite only winning only one feature, he still won the track championship due to the sheer amount of top-3 performances all year.

CLICK TO ENLARGE Chris Stevens w/Galletta's #4
Chris Stevens posing with the Galletta's Greenhouse #4 before the 2010 Galletta's Klassic (10/2/2010).
CLICK TO ENLARGE

2010 Season, Event #18 - Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 - A 14-competitor 200-lapper was in store for the 15th Annual Galletta's Karting Klassic 200-Lap Championship, which also doubles as the season Points Finale (points will be tallied during the week) and again did not disappoint as a close, competitive, fiery race with a lot of drama. At the end, however, it was the intrepid- Kyle Reuter, racing his 1st Feature at Galletta's since the 2007 Klassic, emerged from the marathon race on top in the Galletta's Greenhouse #0 kart. He became 1st visiting driver to ever win a Galletta's Go-Kart Klassic (Matt Stevens won 10, Chris won 3, and Wes won 1)! Point-leaders Chris and Matt -- while  running 2nd and 3rd late -- tangled together and had to  go to the rear, and then-leader Gary Miller Sr. started slowing down, which led Kyle - who did lead over 100 laps early before having to change karts due to a sputtering motor - to take the lead late and not look back. Chris, staying strong in the top-3 all race (minus after getting wrecked by his brother with 20-to-go), clinched the '10 Track Points Title.

Kyle Reuter, Matt Stevens, Jeff Tetro, Chris Stevens, and Melissa Stevens took the Top-5 in the 2010 Galletta's Klassic 200!

The only man to ever defeat the undisputed winningest karter in Oswego Karting History - his brother Matt - Chris Stevens after winning the Oswego Karting Championship Feature on 8/24/2010 <-- At the 2010 Season's 12th Event on  Tuesday, August 24th, 2010, Chris Stevens took the lead on the 2nd lap and led the rest of the way en route to a dominant win, his 1st of the 2010 season at Galletta's. Oddly, it wound up being his ONLY time with the lead all year, and his ONLY win, although he did take the track championship via winning only one feature all year. This one, with so many lead lap bonus points, certainly helped put him over the top for the title - and showed that if he ever gets the lead, he... is... GONE! More...

However, Doe's #26 slipped just enough on the 4th turn on 2nd circuit for Chris Stevens (Galletta's #4), Russell Bartlett (Galletta's #9), and Tim Galletta (Sid Harvey #54) to all get the pass on the outside.

2009:


Chris Stevens ran a perfect strategy all season and broke his brother Matt's 11 track titles-in-a-row/7-year-in-a-row Track Champion streak (which is 11 track titles on two tracks - Galletta's 2002-2008 and Oswego Speedway / Kartway Gas Stocker 2006-2008 - in that span) by staying with his brother and most often racing and finishing in the top-3 all season.

Chris Stevens #4 at Galletta's '09 Klassic
Chris Stevens posing with the Galletta's Greenhouse #4 before the 2009 Galletta's Klassic (10/3/2009).
Starting grid of the 14th Annual Galletta's Klassic 200! The 14th Annual Galletta's Go-Kart Klassic 200: Our Annual 200 lapper began with, Russ Hockey scoring the pole and dominating the vast majority of the race, holding off challenges by Jesse Vivlemore, George Russell, and Chris Stevens. Until late in the race Matt Stevens took the lead in his #33 on lap 162 and then held off his brother Chris--who had to come back from the rear after being in the top-3 all race and losing a drive-wheel nut late--to take the win, his 10th Klassic victory. However, Chris did break Matt's 7-year-straight Track Championship winning streak by racing and finishing consistently in the top-3 all year long, despite Matt having more total wins. The top three karts did not pit and went all 200+ laps on one tank of pump gasoline!

The 14th Annual Galletta's Klassic 200 (10/3/2009)


8/16/2009,Winner,Chris Stevens,Galletta's #8,Larry Phillips,Melissa Stevens,Matt Stevens,Ken Lindsley III
Points-leader Chris Stevens survives The Night of a Thousand Cautions, AKA The Accidental Winner 45 on August 16th, 2009 and took a win that fell right into his lap! 12 drivers using 15 karts, 15 cautions, and only 5 made it to the end in this war of attrition.-> 8/16/2009 Heat 3
Chris Stevens wins on 8/9/2009!

<-What is it with having the flu and winning? For the 2nd straight week, someone with a stomach bug won the feature at Galletta's. On August 9th, 2009, Chris Stevens took the checker in the Galletta's #4, his 2nd of the season, and padded his lead in the points standings - the first time Matt has not had command of the standings in around 8 years. More....
Matt Stevens, Russ Hockey, and Ken Lindsley tie for 3rd!
7/5/2009,Chris Stevens,Buddy Cottom,Winners,Galletta's,Galletta's #8,Galletta's #6,Twin-30s,go-karts,gasflathead,Karting championship series,gas,flathead,1wd
Our SUNDAY, JULY 5th, 2009 Independence Day Twin-30s was a bonanza. First, we had an entertaining Rookie Powder-puff race, then a Rookie-&-Refresher heat featuring two returning vets and three rookies. Then, the night was wrapped up with two 10-kart 30-Lap Features as Fireworks sounded off over Oswego. Buddy Cottom took the 1st one in the Galletta's #6, and Chris Stevens took the 2nd one in the Galletta's #8, holding off his hard-charging brother Matt by a bumper. This makes FIVE different winners in SIX FEATURES so far, with most of the races coming down literally to the wire! More.... 7/5/2009 Twin 30s!

2008:


2008 again was a year of two-track duty, as every Thursday the club raced at Oswego Kartway, and every Sunday at their home track of Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Speedway. Chris scored 2nd in total points at Oswego and Galletta's, and navigated loose karts to 3rd in both Oswego's Classic 50 and Galletta's Klassic 200.

Chris Stevens #8 at Galletta's '08 Klassic
Chris - looking abnormally pasty and nerded-up - at the 2008 Galletta's Klassic 200 Lapper in the Galletta's Greenhouse #8!
Matt Stevens, Buddy Cottom, Chris Stevens & Russ Hockey took the top 4 at the 2008 Galletta's Klassic 200! GALLETTA'S: Sunday, September 21st, 2008. The 13th Annual Galletta's Kart Klassic went 200 laps, and although Chris Stevens didn't win, he considers this one of his finer driving moments. Despite getting wrecked out of the front row on lap one by the inconsistantly wreck-prone Gary Miller Jr., blowing a tire in the first fourth of the race forcing him to do a tire change early on, and facing stagger that was so terrible that he could barely keep the kart on the track (using an extremely unorthadox groove to navigate the turns), he still pulled off a third place finish to the only two drivers who had the lead all day, second place Buddy Cottom and winner Matt Stevens.

Snapshot from the 13th Annual 200-Lap GALLETTA'S KLASSIC!

Chris Stevens and his Galletta's #5 Gas Stocker Kart on 10/24/2008!
GALLETTA'S: On a chilly Friday, October 24th, 2008 night, Chris Stevens won the first of two 30-lap feature races in his trusty ol' Galletta's #5, which he won the 2000 & 2001 Galletta's Klassics & Track Championships piloting.->

'08 Fall Karting Series Action!

Chris, Wes, and Matt Stevens sweep the top 3 at the Oswego Kartway 2008 Gas Stocker Classic (again)!

Chris, his dad Wesley, and bro Matt after again sweeping the top-3 positions in the 2008 Oswego Kartway Classic, the final race there before the belligerent, easily-angered, irrational and quite possibly rather insane track operator there barred our highly affordable and competitive Galletta's class from competition the following year for personal reasons in addition to trying to make room for a more expensive, yet supposedly "highly affordable" class, the OHV clones.


Chris, Wes, and Matt Stevens sweep top 3 spots 2 years in a row at Oswego Kartway Classic!

OSWEGO: Thursday, September 4th, 2008: 2nd ANNUAL OSWEGO SPEEDWAY DIRT TRACK CLASSIC!!! Winners: Top three trophy spots go to Wes, Matt, and Chris Stevens! Chris Stevens suffered through loose handling to lead part of the show (before getting loose and passed by his brother Matt), have second for most of the race, and slipped up (to get passed by his dad Wes), but still holding firm for third. Getting a pedastal position is good enough for the trio, and the club goes out in style by again sporting the largest field (and most dramatic race) at the track in our final time there.

2008 Oswego Kartway Classic DVD set!

chris_and_au after Oswego Speedway Dirt Classic '08!
Chris and his wife after another trophy won the 2008 Oswego Kartway Classic.

8/17/2008 Galletta's Twin-30's Winners - Chris Stevens & Buddy Cottom
<-On Sunday August 17th, 2008, We didn't have ahell of a lot of competitors show, so we ran the 1st (and only) twin-30s with different karts - and motor cams- in each race. Buddy Cottom (in the all Dyno Race-cam race) and Chris Stevens (in the all Box Briggs Stock-cam race) won the Twin 30 Features.

Twin 30 #2!

Oswego SWD Gas Stocker Karting 2008 DVD Volume #12
<-OSWEGO: Thursday, August 7th, 2008: 30-Lap/Two-classes-in-one race - the last one before the Outlaws booted us out of their races (because we refused to accept being defeated by a bigger motor was cool and they realized how humilating it was to be beat by guys with much smaller motors). Joe Hayden finished first in the 6.5hp class (1st overall) and Chris Stevens finished 1st in the 5hp class (2nd overall). It was also THURSDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN AT THE BULLSHIT RING! KIDS AND ADULTS AND WRASSLIN' AND PUSHIN' AND SWINGIN' AND YEEE-HAAA! More...

Example of our DVDs produced for all at the track - next week's Oswego Dirt Karting 2008 DVD

Chris Stevens wins the 7/18/2008 show at Galletta's (With wife, Au)
Chris with his wife Rungnapha "Au" Stevens after a 10-kart, 45-lap race win at Galletta's on 7/18/2008.
Galletta's 7/18/2008 & Oswego 7/10/2008 (Camera B) DVD GALLETTA'S: Friday, July 18th, 2008: Though Nick Dann led half the race, and John "JP" Stepien and Matt Stevens swapped the lead, it was Chris "Chrusher" Stevens that took the 45-lap, 10 kart race win for his 1st race of the year at Galletta's, and his 2nd overall of 2008. The race was close and competitive throughout, with bumper-to-bumper action, close back-and-forth passes, and nobody blowing anybody away.

Beginning of 7/10/2008 feature OSWEGO: Thursday, July 10th, 2008: Regular gas flathead-only race at Oswego Speedway's Kartway - Chris and Matt swapped the lead multiple times in the heat via slingshotting each other almost every lap, and the feature saw Chris Stevens bide his time until his dad Wes "Ogre" Stevens slipped up, where he took the lead and an easy win, his first at the track since the 2007 Classic.

2008/07/10 Heat start

2007:


Chris had an up-and-down year in 2007. His Galletta's #8 was fast all year, and he secured four feature wins (three features at Galletta's and the 2007 Oswego Speedway [Dirt Kartway; Gas Stock Division] Classic 50). But at other times he struggled, particularly so at Oswego before the Classic Weekend, as one drive in the OHV Outlaw division seemed to target him and wrecked him out of contention a few times, forcing Chris to almost stay away from the Kartway for good... until he decided to return (triumphantly) on Classic weekend...

Chris ChrusherComix Stevens and the Galletta's #8 at the 2007 Klassic Championship <- 2007: Chris "Chrusher" Stevens with the Galletta's Greenhouse #8 at the ONLY 200-Lap Oswego Karting Klassic - the 12th Annual one at Galletta's (on 9/23/2007). This season, and Klassic race had more pure young driver talent in it than any other class could even dream of claiming - Kyle Reuter, Ryan Coleman, Buddy Cottom, Michael "mc" Howell, along with the usual founding club drivers of Matt, Chris, and Wes Stevens! And the racing was indeed as great as it should've been with those guys.... but scarred by an accident that retired Wes "Ogre" Stevens from full time racing, as he broke a handful of ribs and shoulder blade.

Chris Chrusher wins the 11/4/2007 event! <-Chris "The Cerebral Chrusher" Stevens won his fourth overall feature of the 2007 Oswego Karting season (three at Galletta's and one at Oswego), The Gary Miller/Ogre Retirement 45-Lapper on 11/4/2007. Chris won in the Galletta's #4, which used to be his regular kart in 1996 until he started using the Galletta's #2, the same time that Wes "Ogre" Stevens switched to the #4 permanently. However, Ogre is now retired due to his bone-crushing accident during the Klassic, and Chris's sore back needed the #4's soft cushy seat. First win for Chris in the #4 since the 1990s. 
Oswego Speedway Classic Weekend - Dirt Yard Kart Division Top 3

Chris (and his lovely wife, Au) posing after the Oswego Classic win!On August 30th, 2007, Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens won the Oswego Speedway Classic Weekend's Dirt Supermodified Yard 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 Matt Stevens got 3rd in his Galletta's #33. This makes the three originators of Oswego-area Yard Kart racing taking 1-2-3 in the first ever Oswego Speedway "Gas Single Cylinder Supermodified 1-WD Yard Kart" Classic!


Oswego Speedway Classic - 8/30/2007
More-> 8/30/2007 - Oswego Speedway Classic: Chris and his wife "Au" Rungnapha after the Oswego Speedway Dirt Kartway's 2007 Classic, where Chris scored the 5hp/6.5hp Gas Stocker Division's Classic win in the 5hp Galletta's Greenhouse #8 Kart. The race is generally known as the biggest and most exciting race in the history of that track judging by the kart count (15), laps (50), the racing, a few funny crashes, and the "oohs & aahs" from the crowd. Chris wanted his brother Matt to pose as well - as he is the master mechanic of all Galletta's karts AND the 2006-08 Track Champion of that track - but they hurried us off. View more on this race here. More->
Chris ChrusherComix Stevens wins his 2nd feature of 2007! On August 26th, 2007, Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens wins his 2nd feature of the year in his Galletta's #8, a 45-lap, 12-kart event. But the motor won 3 straight races, as the previous week Kyle Reuter won with it when it was on Chris' own backup, the Galletta's #5, and the following week, Chris won the Oswego Speedway Gas Kart Classic with it! Chris thanks his brother Matt and Melissa Gabel for their diligent work on the track and karts during the week, as he could not have done it without them. This race was overshadowed by a horrific crash between Matt Stevens, Kyle Reuter, and Fred Collins - the worst one we've ever cauught o tape, and it became our most-seen (and most infamously HATED) YouTube video.
Chris ChrusherComix wins and shows people who don't like him something! Chris and his wife Au after the 2007 Classic win. Chris wanted Matt to pose as well, but he was nowhere to be found. Picture courtesy of Mike "MC" Howell, LocalTrax.com and XtremeFotoz.com! View more on this race here.
Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens (posing with his #1 fan & wife, the lovely Thai tower camerawoman Rungnapha "Au" Phengpataew Stevens) after he won an exciting 50-Lap, 14-kart Feature event on June 10th, 2007. (Sorry we had to Mosaic out Chris's #1 sign, as he accidentally used the wrong finger!)
Galletta's - 6/10/2007 On 6/10/2007, Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens (posing with his #1 fan & wife, tower camerawoman Rungnapha "Au" Stevens) wins an exciting 50-Lap Feature event. (Sorry we had to Mosaic out Chris's #1 sign, as he accidentally used the wrong finger!) Fourteen drivers were on hand and eleven qualified for the feature. Chris was followed by Gary Miller, Matt Stevens, Wesley "Ogre" Stevens, and Nick Dann. The race finished at 9:33pm and will finish earlier next week (I know some of you get a little cranky when we get out late, so we're making timing improvements every week). Here are some lo-res snapshots from the DVD (left).

2006:


During the 2006 season, Chris again compiled a handful of wins (3 at Galletta's and 1 at Oswego Speedway) in addition to getting 2nd overall in not only the Galletta's Speedway Point Standings, but also at the Oswego Speedway Dirt Track. Of course, both only second to his brother, as usual.

Chris ChrusherComix @ Galletta's Klassic 2006 Chris before the 2006 Galletta's Greenhouse Klassic - 2006/09/23 - Photo by Gene Galletta, Remastered by Chris Stevens.
Chris "Chrusher" Stevens with the Galletta's Greenhouse #8 before the Galletta's 2006 Klassic (9/23/2006).
12th Annual 150-Lap Classic of Oswego Karting! Saturday, September 23rd, 2006 (150-Lap Event; 2006 Feature Event #16): SIXTEEN karts started the 150-lapper, and it was legendary for being one of the most competitive Klassics to date. In fact, it was possibly THE closest, as no less than four drivers had a shot on the final lap, but it was Wes Stevens who held off Matt, Chris, and Rob Jimenez on the very lasp lap for the triumphant win! When the #8 developed motor problems for the THIRD Klassic in a row, he hopped into his brother's back-up #3 to take a 2nd place finish, passing Matt in his brand-new #33 on the last lap.

12th Annual 150-Lap Classic of Oswego Karting!

August 27th, 2006 had some excellent races, but unfortunately the action was overshadowed by a lot of bickering by - NOT the racers, rather - some of the spectators. Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens (#8) leading Matt Stevens (#3), and Ogre Stevens (#4). Easrlier, Chris barely survived evaded wrecks and passed Bill Kuykendell (#6) on a mid-race restart. Bill protested art and also when he fell off of the track late, but the videotape showed no misconduct (watch the DVD to see - the tape don't lie). This combined with the tie earlier in the month, the Kuykendell's never came back. Nor paid for the gas/kart usage rental donation. Gee, your welcome!

CHRIS WINS! CHRIS WINS!

On August 6th, 2006 at Galletta's, the infamous "tie" race occured, where impressive, but raw rookie Billy Kuykendell had the lead on the white flag, mistook the white for checker, let up just for a split second, and Chris Stevens -- side-by-side -- nipped him at the finish line for the win. However, the Kuykendell family was so utterly upset, so conviced that they saw the checker on lap 39 (even though the tape showed it to be white), and that it was a purposeful screw-job, that Chris stepped down from his win and acknowledged it a tie to make them feel better.

Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens wins at Oswego Speedway! A childhood dream (though on a different part of the speedway, haha)!
Chris after his 1st Feature Victory at the Oswego Speedway's BRAND-NEW Dirt Track, later re-named Oswego Kartway, Gas Stock 1-WD division, one of the seminal classes at the track, which had just a small fraction of karts that it does now (and our class was far and away the biggest every year we were there; until it was barred to make room for "Gas Clones", lamely referred to as "Pro Stocks"). Considering the track operator allowing higher powered-motors to run in the same class as Galletta's, a feature win against karts with more horsepower is greater than a win with equal-horsepower karts, as all methanol and the current Clone classes are.

At Oswego Speedway's brand-new Dirt Track on August 4th, 2006, Chris Stevens (#8) lived a childhood dream, winning a feature race on the premises of the legernadry Big O. He was followed by Matt Stevens (#3) and Nick Dann (#02). Matt started on the pole, but Chris and Nick came up through the field - and Chris passed both Mark Miller and Matt Stevens - the two top-guns in the mixed 5hp and 6.5hp classes on the track - for the win. Though 15 karts started the race, several expired before the race's end. This race did not count towards Galletta's points, as it was just for fun.

Chris Stevens defeats Mark Miller, Howard Seabrook, Derek Woodworth, Jason Mills and Mike Billion at Oswego Speedway's Super-Yard Kart Division

ChrisChrusher blows them all out of the water! At the June 25th, 2006 races at Galletta's, 16 karts battled for 45 laps, but the first 13 took forever because a bunch of guys called "Howard Seabrook & The The Woodland Trailer Park Racing Gang" crashed and smashed every lap or so. Once they wrecked-out, the true racing began. And at the end, it was Chris "ChrusherComix" Stevens who dominantly pulled away from the two other top-guns of Ed Maynes and Matt Stevens to get an impressive victory and take a slim lead in the '06 point standings early on.

Chris Chrusher Comix Stevens wins & says hi to his wife, Au!

2005:


During the 2005 season, Chris had one of his most frustrating seasons as a racer. His brother Matt is always tough to beat, but this season we had new invaders... OHV Outlaws that utilized motors with superior horsepower to defeat drivers with FAR more racing experience - just using sheer motor to cover up for countless rookie mistakes. Even so, Chris did manage to put together 2 wins, but it wasn't until most of the season was gone (and having to try out a few karts, motors, and utilizing shaved heads for the 1st time in club history to combat the larger motors). The OHV gang left because everyone unamiously voted that they should either get flatheads or race their own division on the same track.

The starting grid of the 2005 Galletta's Klassic

9/24/2005's 10th Annual Galletta's Kart Klassic 125 was another very good entry into our Annual Championship event. Chris ran a good race in 2005, and was in position to possibly get a win, but was unable to overcome a mid-race pile-up that enabled his brother go from last to 2nd in caution by missing the giant incident that all fell to place in front of him. Even so, Chris - furious that everyone was blaming him watering the track during an intermission for the pile-up and the allowing Fred Collins to try to get his lap back (who caused the chain reaction) - went from last to 3rd and almost caught and trapped Matt who was struggling to pass Jason Mills, but a dry 3rd turn prevented it, and Matt wound up passing Jason for the win. For the 2nd year in a row, he got 3rd to his brother and Mills in the Klassic, again, and 2nd in the points to his bro. Again.

2005 Klassic 125 Race Start!
On 8/28/2005 - in the most-attended race in Galletta's Speedway history up to this point - Chris 'Crusher Comics' Stevens (in his Darth Sidious/San Antonio Spurs/New York Jets/ChrusherComix/Towner Comics/Galletta's Greenhouse #8) survived the war of attrition as he was able to take the lead on lap twenty after a fast rookie (in a motor WAY too strong for him to handle) lost control and flipped off between turns one and two.
Chris Stevens 2005 - Galletta's #8 Chris Stevens (in his Galletta's #8 kart) took the lead on 8/14/2005's mixed motor feature race and never looked back to end his winless dry spell that dated back to the post-Klassic Fall 2004 race, which he utterly dominated Ed Maynes - and all else who doubted his ability and mocked his misfortune on the 2004 Klassic tape. It was an end to a long, frustrating half-season streak of bad luck dating almost back to the 2004 Klassic's motor problem debacle, flipped and erupted into flames in the final Fall 2004 race, lost several races to less experienced drivers with larger motors, and the first since he got married in the offseason.

2000-2004:


During the first four years of the modern era for the Galletta's Greenhouse Go-Kart League (as we called it back then), our website did not cover every single event (like it has since mid-2005), but we have a few videos and pictures here and there to show. But during this period, Chris amassed many wins, including za three-year sweep of the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Track Championships and Klassics.

9th Annual Galletta's Klassic 150 - 9/26/2004

2004:
Our 9th Annual Klassic 100
was held on 9/26/2004. Chris Stevens, fresh home from living in Thailand a month with his then-fiance, Rungnapha, time-trialed into the coveted outside pole position in his Galletta's #8, but then a mysterious motor problem sidelined the #8 for the day (and the motor on it for good). Chris then made himself a bit of an enemy, by hopping into his back-up the Galletta's #5, which was driven by a rookie already down two laps in the first fourth of the race. Chris showed them how it was done, picking off drivers one by one and recovering for 3rd on track with some steady, clean racing in a kart that was left for dead by all other people at the track. Chris also won seven features and scored 2nd overall in the '04 points once again.

The green flag drops on the 2004 Galletta's Klassic 100!
The 1st of 100-laps for the 8th annual 2003 Galletta's Go-Kart Klassic! 2003:
Chris Stevens started on the pole of the 2003 Klassic 100, executed a perfect game plan to pass Matt in traffic around mid-race and was leading late, but his foot slipped off the gas twice - once to get passed by Matt, and again to get passed by Wes - to get 3rd in a heartbreaking loss. He won 4 features en route to getting 2nd place in the '03 season point standings.
2002:
Chris started 2nd to his brother Matt, led a chunk of the race, broke and recovered to finish 2nd to Matt in the 2002 Klassic, and won 5 features en route to scoring 2nd in the Track Point Title... to his brother Matt as well as Matt snapped his older bro's three-year domination. *Sigh*
Chris, THRILLED after his 2001 Galletta's Klassic win in the Galletta's #5!
Chris, THRILLED after his 2001 Galletta's Klassic win in the Galletta's #5!
Snapshot from the 2001 Galletta's Box Stock Karting Season! 2001:
In 2001, Chris won 8 feature events and 1st place overall in the '01 Point Standings. Chris proceeded to win the 2000 and 2001 Galletta's Karting Klassics in the Galletta's #5.
Snapshot from the 2001 Galletta's Box Stock Karting Season!
Snapshot from 2000 2000:
In 2000, Chris won 16 feature events (including one tie) - including a victory in the 2000 Galletta's Go-Kart Classic - for 1st place overall in the '00 Point Standings. When the Galletta's #5 was first built, it was unstoppable... not even Matt could hold off the Chris in the orange #5, as Chris went on a huge win streak to sweep the 2000 Title and Klassic.
Snapshot from 2000
 

1990s:



Galletta's Greenhouse hosted box stock gas flathead Briggs and Stratton 5hp karting races from 1990-2004, until visitors began making racing enhancements to their karts in 2005 (we've allowed some since, as seen in our rules page). Back in the early days, founding brothers Matt and Chris (and occasionally their dad Wes) used to battle it out in fierce back-and-forth battles with many a swear word and dirty wreck. They cut their teeth in those formative days, which is why they are such clean, calm, cool, collected, and formidable drivers nowadays.
Chris posing with the Galletta's #2 at 1999 Klassic before winning the muthafu##@h! 1999:
In 1999, Chris utilized a victory in the '99 Galletta's Go-Kart Classic to propel himself to 1st place overall in the '99 Point Standings. The Galletta's #2's finest hour, as Chris used it as the primary weapon in defeating Matt and his trusty ol' #3. (Left) Here is Chris before winning the 1999 Klassic in the Galletta's #2 - ending his brother's 3-year reign as Galletta's Klassic Champion. However, he didn't just break his brother's Klassic/Track Championship winning streak in 1999, he also started his own...
Chris in the #2 before the 1998 Classic! 1998:
In 1998, Chris scored several wins and a 2nd place in the '98 Galletta's Go-Kart Classic to score 2nd place overall in the '98 Point Standings, frustrated in his inability to beat his crafty little brother.
Chris... dejected after losing to his brother for the 3rd straight year in our Points and Classic Title races!

1996-97:
In the early-to-mid 1990s, Chris primarily drove "Black Bart" - a former Thunder Island kart known as the ORIGINAL Galletta's #1 (now known as the #01 - the black and yellow frame sitting and rusting on the side of the Greenhouse for over a decade, awaiting to be cleaned-up and re-commissioned). Since it was so heavy, Matt would win on his lighter driver/kart comboIt's parts were used to the #2 was the first "Galletta's Kart" built from scratch, as the others were two rebuilt yard karts and one rebuilt amusement park kart.

1980s:


Chris as his favorite driver back then, Doug Heveron! Matt as Jimmy Shampine

"Galletta's Boys" Matt and Chris got their starts rather early. Almost at embryonic stage here! Peddle-power!

Galletta's Boys racing (early years)
Galletta's Karting Club started in the early 1980s with pedal-powered carts! Chris and Matt were not satisfied with such slow speeds from pedal power... and so they jumped outside of them and pushed them around the track quicker. This original track was in their front yard. In the winter, the bros also raced sleds down the steep hills on each side of Galletta's Greenhouse as well.
Chris & Matt Stevens -- always racing.

Occupation, Track Championships & Extras:


Occupation:

Christopher is an award-winning cartoonist, a web-designer, a graphic novelist. But, being a freelance artist does not often net huge finacial gains ("Although I'm trying, haha! Ugh..."), so he supplements his income with various other jobs, including being a lifelong assistant grower & live planter florist for Galletta's Greenhouse, and co-owner/assistant sushi chef of the R&C Sushi Bar located in Oswego, NYs Price Chopper, where he helps make sushi daily with his wife.

His websites featuring his artwork and web designs are as follows:

Chris' Artist profile - ChrusherComix Studios:
CHRUSHER.COM! The Art Studio of Christopher Galletta Stevens

Chris' 2007 Graphic Novel, a drama; Chrusher - End Cycle:

PUBLISHED COMICS ARE ON SALE THERE NOW!

Chris' kid-friendly/family-friendly comic strip named Towner (with over 10 years of comics):

PUBLISHED COMICS ARE ON SALE THERE NOW!

Please buy Chris's new children's book (co-created and written by Robert Buchanan)
named, Tee and Wee: Health and Nutrition for Young Earthlings, ON SALE NOW:
TEE AND WEE CHILDREN'S BOOK

Buy it or get a sneak-preview.
Chris's 1988-1999 teen-to-adult-humor comic book named "ChrusherComix" (with over 20 years of comics):


Cartoonist/Graphic Artist, Chris Galletta Stevens

Note: Those that don't like his comics are subject to sore defeat in them and on the track. Noty to mention, those who demean/betray/badmouth/undermine the Galletta's Greenhouse Karting Club are also subject to complete humilation in the comics.

Track Championships:

Track Championship History:

Year

Track Raced

Track Points Championship Place (# of drivers)

"Classic" / Klassic Race Place (# of drivers)

1996 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 5?) 2nd Place (of 3)
1997 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 6?) 2nd Place (of 3)
1998 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 7?) 2nd Place (of 4)
1999 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 1st overall (of 7?) 1st Place (of 5)
2000 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 1st overall (of 8) 1st Place (of 5)
2001 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 1st overall (of 15) 1st Place (of 8)
2002 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 14) 2nd Place (of 8)
2003 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 29) 3rd Place (of 8)
2004 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 48) 3rd Place (of 10)
2005 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 50) 3rd Place (of 13)
2006 Oswego Speedway Dirt (1-WD Gas Stock Division) Tied 2nd overall (of 18) None held
2006 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 35) 2nd Place (of 16)
2007 Oswego Speedway Dirt (1-WD Gas Stock Division) 5th overall (of 22; 3rd in 5hp flathead) 1st Place (of 15)
2007 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 49) 3rd Place (of 11)
2008 Oswego Kartway (1-WD Gas Stock Division) 2nd overall (of 24) 3rd Place (of 13)
2008 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 21) 3rd Place (of 10)
2009 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 47) 2nd Place (of 9)
2010 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 1st overall (of 29) 2nd Place (of 14)
2011 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 1st overall (of 25) 1st Place (of 13)
2012 Galletta's Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway 2nd overall (of 39) 1st Place/Tied 6th Place (of 14)
 

Galletta's Greenhouse Speedway & Oswego Speedway Kartway Track Points Championship History:

  • 1996 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 1997 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 1998 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 1999 - 1st overall Galletta's Points*
  • 1999 - Galletta's Klassic Champion
  • 2000 - 1st overall Galletta's Points*
  • 2000 - Galletta's Klassic Champion
  • 2001 - 1st overall Galletta's Points*
  • 2001 - Galletta's Klassic Champion
  • 2002 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 2003 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 2004 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 2005 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 2006 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 2006 - 2nd overall Oswego Speedway Points
    (Dirt Gas Stock)
  • 2007 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points**
  • 2007 - 5th Overall Oswego Speedway Points
    (Dirt Gas Stock#)
  • 2007 - Oswego Speedway Classic Champion (Dirt Gas Stock#)
  • 2008 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points
  • 2008 - 2nd overall Oswego Kartway Points
    (Gas Stock)
  • 2009 - 1st overall Galletta's Points
  • 2010 - 1st overall Galletta's Points
  • 2011 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points*
  • 2011 - Galletta's Klassic Champ
  • 2012 - 2nd overall Galletta's Points*
  • 2012 - Galletta's Klassic Champ - tie

* = Includes Galletta's Speedway Klassic Championship Race Victory

** = Includes Oswego Speedway / Dirt Kartway Classic Victory (in 1WD Gas Stock Kart Division)

# = Incomplete season due to protesting 1/2 the season over unpunished purposeful wrecks and unfair motors.

DOB:
5/1974

Nicknames:
"Chris", "Crusher"; "Chrusher"; "Chrusher Comix"; "Chrush"; "Triple C"; "ChrisChrusher"; "Galletta's Boy"; "Somkid" (wife's name for him); "The Cerebral Chrusher"; "Smooth Chrusher"; Pen name of "Chris Galletta"; "The kid that draws comics"; "'Disgruntled''s Owner & Master"

Hometown:
Oswego, NY, US of A.

Social Networking:
The Author's facebook (Like my comic? Add me!)
ChrusherComix YouTube VideosChrusherComix TwitterChrusherComix Blog
The author's MYSPACE!Author's hi5 (Like MySpace but less gay, and my hot babe wife's friends love it!)
ChrusherComix at Comic Space

Marital Status:
Chris & Au (and Au's profile)
Married; wife Rungnapha, or Aou (pronounced "Ooh?"). [Damn, she's hot!]

 

Occupation:
Galletta's Greenhouse Florist, freelance graphic artist, cartoonist (his mature-teen-and-up Chrusher comic book/graphic novel & Towner his family-friendly comic strip), illustrator (his children's book named
Tee & Wee) & website builder and webmaster (Galletta's Greenhouse, Galletta's Go-Karts & above cartooning sites). Chris is also the producer and narrator of the Galletta's Karting Club DVDs and their Highlight Reels on his YouTube Channel.
 

Years Racing Go-karts at Galletta's:
1991-current.

Interview (From 2005-2008 Profile):

Chris Chrusher posing with the Galletta's #2 before winning the 1999 Klassic!
Old school Chris with the Galletta's Greenhouse #2 before piloting it to a win of the 1999 Galletta's Greenhouse Go-Kart League Classic!

Karts: Co-owner all of the Galletta's Go-Karts with Matt Stevens
(driven the #8 from 2004-up, driven the #2 and #5 to championships; all Ogre Chassis. Has raced most of the Galletta's Team Karts and won feature races in the Galletta's #2, 4, 5, 8, 01, and 0, and came close to winning in the Galletta's #1, 3, and 7. Chris and Matt often like to hop into karts that some drivers reject as slow and win in them. Has driven the #4 from mid-2009 on as his main kart, with #8 as his backup.). 

Career highlights:
Track Championships in 1999, 2000 & 2001 (2nd place to his brother every other year - nobody has finished higher than Chris and his brother in any year of point standings, a record that many local kart drivers in other divisions hate and fear us for.).
"Klassic" Championship Race Victories in 1999, 2000 & 2001. Oswego Speedway's 1st Annual Dirt Gas Stocker/Supermodified Yard Kart Classic in 2007. 2006, 2007 and 2008 Feature victories at Oswego Speedway's mixed-class dirt go-kart track. 2nd overall in points at both Galletta's Greenhouse Speedway and Oswego Kartway's (1-WD Gas division). 2nd overall in wins on both Galletta's and Oswego's (1-WD gas kart) tracks wins lists. Won countless races in several different karts throughout career on two local tracks.

Favorite drivers (from big race divisions):
Chris and his lovely wife, Rungnapha with their favorite driver, Doug Didero, after his 2008 Oswego Speedway Classic win!Himself; his brother (to beat - HA!); Oswego Supermodified drivers Doug Didero, Bentley Warren, Doug Heveron, Joe Gosek, anybody who races for the Syrell team, Kelly Miller*, and Randy Ritskes* among others. Other past/present Oswego drivers who raced with us and I cheer for when they race are Cameron & Fran Rowe*, Buddy Cottom*, Russ Bartlett*, Kyle Reuter* and Ryan Coleman*. Everybody who regularly races Go-Karts with us, has a great time, respects what we do, doesn't whine is also in this list! I can't name you all, thanks!
* = Oswego Supermodified and SBS drivers that have raced with us at Galletta's!


Chris Stevens at the Oswego Speedway Kartway Classic (before the track operator booted our class because he's an ass!)Least-Favorite Drivers:
Drivers that can't race clean. Drivers who bump, ram, and/or dump other drivers. Drivers who lose their temper too easily. Drivers who think that a bigger motor means a better racer. Overly boastful winners. People who will only race with bigger motors than you. Guys that race with us a few times, lose badly, then accuse us of cheating (some of whom also copy all of our ideas and build & race their own tracks). But the worst are drivers in other more expensive classes who think that our affordable brand of karting that we invented and built from scratch is "retarded" or inferior to them, look down on us, and think they're the $#it. Please. Enter our class at any time and see if you got what it takes. You'll either respect what we do and have a ton of fun, or get really annoyed that you get your weak-@$$ talent beat. ;-)

Hobbies & interests:
Being with family & friends; His graphic art and cartooning websites (Chrusher and Towner); his Children's book (Tee and Wee) Judeo-Christian apologetics (favorites are Dr. Ravi Zacharias and KGOV's Bob Enyart Live); Fan/collector of composer John Williams' film scores with over 400 CDs and DVDs with his music; favorite movies include the Star Wars saga , Indiana Jones movies, and along with countless other films and collects collectibles related to them; fan of San Antonio Spurs basketball (when the refs aren't screwing them) and NY Jets football; loves visiting Thailand (his wife's native country); Collector of 1980s Transformers "G1" collectibles, comics & animation and 1980s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, as he grew up on both. Crushing people who cross him in his comics (and occasionally his go-kart site), hence his nickname, "ChrusherComix" - which is short for, "Chris' Crusher Comics." Pet lover who owns countless pets, including cats, turtles, toads, frogs, and fish. Loves computers, and home theatre systems, and debating outspoken whiney atheist/leftist-liberal/progressive/pro-death/pro-big-government/anti-Christian types (but he also admits that it's difficult to debate intellectually dishonest people who allow their hearts to cloud their minds with hate, lie to try and prove a point, don't admit it when they are refuted with empirical evidence, don't believe in truth, reject absolutes and don't believe in the law of non-contradiction). And, of course, karting (as long as it doesn't mean spending every waking moment and every free cent on the karts)!

 

More of Chris & Matt's complete racing history is found here:

Early Pictures

More Q&A with Chris:

Chassis: Galletta's #8 and #5 are both Ogre Chassis. Driven the other Galletta Karts too. When my father "Wesley Ogre" retired from weekly competition (mainly because his wife, my mom, will not let him anymore), I have also re-taken the Galletta's #4 as my backup, as it was originally mine when we bought it new out of the box for the club.
Engine: Stock Briggs & Stratton 5hp flatheads tuned "Galletta's style" by Matt Stevens. I would have nobody else work on my motor. Nobody could top him without flat-out cheating. He's just that good.
Crew Chief: Matt Stevens and myself.
Pit Crew: Matt Stevens, Wesley Ogre Stevens, Randy Platt, Melissa (Gabel) Stevens, myself.
Sponsors: Galletta's Greenhouse, ChrusherComix Inc., Emperor Sidious Palpatine - AKA Darth Sidious, yo' mama.

How and where did you become involved in racing?
As the history section shows, my brother and I have been watching Supermodifieds at Oswego Speedway since early childhood, and used to play race with pedal karts and matchbox cars as toddlers. In our teens, we bought a couple of yard karts, raced them in our backyard with friends and family and then it slowly it took off from there by modifying them into hybrid racing karts - half yard kart, half race kart. Oddly, I am incredibly bored by other classes and forms of racing other than wingless Supermodifieds at Oswego Speedway and our own brand of incredibly affordable and competitive karting. [But even so, after the way the Speedway management treated us and our favorite driver in recent years, I've even lost my love of that track. Good thing we still have our own backyard racing, or I'd be done with the sport or motorsport altogether.]


Chris's lovely wife, Rungnapha "Aoo" StevensWhy do you race at Galletta's Greenhouse Go-Kart Speedway?
Because it is my home track in my back yard. Duh! What a dumb question. Idiot. But seriously, we created our own class because not only we made a karting track in our backyard, but to keep costs down. To build a WKA kart, you're talking about thousands of dollars for a competitive machine. Similar for Champs. Other racing vehicles are the same, but even more costly. Our karting is regulated in order to be able to make a competitive machine that can win races for just a few hundred dollars. $200-500 and you got yourself a kart that can race with us. People always tell us to jump into other classes, change our rules to allow methanol or expensive racing parts, but they just don't get it. We do our class to keep an exciting race with 10-15 karts on a track bumper-to-bumper close with one mistake being the difference between a win and last. Try that in today's economy on any other track in the local area. We almost always have the closest and biggest shows, mainly thanks to my brother's diligence in making every motor as close to equal as he can make it, and our friends for sticking to it and developing into good racers. We're always looking for more, so if you're reading this and like the idea of weekly racing for just a few hundred dollars, then please join us. No other class is more affordable and competitive from first to last place.

Why do you race at Oswego Kartway?
We grew up watching the races at Oswego Speedway (the Kartway's parent track and behind where the track is located), so it's fun to race where we saw so many great races through the years. Not to mention it is a vastly different track to Galletta's and it makes for a fun change up. Our track has long straights and narrow, highly banked corners; Oswego has almost no straights, nice clay (veeerrrry expensive, or so I've heard), and very little banking in their turns, so it is a different racing experience - almost completely opposite in terms of handling, top speed, and the fastest racing lines to our home track. Plus, we have friends who race there, volunteer, and have a good time as long as we can keep our kart counts up, and as long as we aren't forced to race people who only race us if they can use different, bigger horsepowered, and much more expensive motors than us (which for some stubborn and irrational reason, the track operator forces us to do). They've been called cheaters by some, but I'd rather just say that it is just poor sportsmanship when the playing field isn't equal.

(NOTE: This was written before the Galletta's Karting Club's 2008-09 offseason banishment from the Oswego Kartway, in addition to their hate-filled insults and written threats of violence aimed at all of Galletta's, but even more so specifically and maliciously towards Chris. The entire story is found on this webpage.)

What do you do when you are not racing and/or in the off-season?
I'm a graphic artist and I publish my own books. I create, illustrate, color, and self-publish graphic novels, comic books, comic strips, and children's books while I'm not doing freelance projects. (Note: This is something that apparently shovel-wielding stalkers from the Oswego Kartway do not like, which is odd, but oh well.) In the last couple of years, I've taught myself how to build and maintain websites in order to help get my comics and our go-karting noticed. It worked, however, I get more insults and personal attacks aimed at me (from cowards who hide behind internet names, I might add, and never to my face) than success. Primarily, I'm a florist for my family's small business, and the Greenhouse work pays the bills, but it's more Matt's passion than mine. The rest of the time, I just spend with my wife, brother, mom and dad. 

Comments / Is there anything else you would like the fans to know about you, the team, or your sponsors?
My sponsors are Galletta's Greenhouse (my family's greenhouse) and pimping my own graphic artwork projects (ChrusherComix, Towner Comics, and Tee & Wee Children's Book ). And Emperor Palpatine, because he's my idol. (Um, that IS a joke... some readers of this site are dumb enough for me to actually need to put that!) So, that means I have no sponsors. Haha... don't need any for gas stocker kart racing! That's the fun of it, because it's low cost (a couple of hundred dollars a year) and high return of fun provided that everybody plays by the rules (Too bad that some don't). We love racing go-karts and we love racing good drivers. Over the last fifteen or so years, we lost track of the hundreds of people who have raced with us and then stopped. Of the hundreds we've raced with, I can think of anywhere around twenty really good drivers that just gave up and stopped racing us. We always hoped that all the guys that raced with us for a year or two and stopped would come back, and we'd have some highly competitive 20 kart races. We would put on the best kart races anywhere, bar none - and as it is, our 10-15 kart races are already the most competitive and exciting in the local area. But either they get bigger motors, jump divisions, race elsewhere or they stop racing entirely. That kind of stinks, but hopefully from here on out we can gain more drivers than we lose. We usually have a trade-off and stay around 10-15 karts. But... in closing... we know that the guys who give up just admit that they can't beat us. Ha!

Interview Form was Updated on: 8/2009.


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Welcome to The Galletta's Karting Club!

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Galletta's Karting Club, located in Oswego, NY, is a go-kart racing club that specializes on racing as professionally as we can for as economically as possible. We developed a style of kart racing that is different, but no less competitive than any national karting organization. Our biggest difference is affordability. Our club is free to join and race in, and the only thing anybody pays for is gas and parts. We are the largest and longest-running dirt karting class in the local area, as we were founded in the early 1990s and our average feature is 45-Laps usually consisting of 10-15 karts, with a 200-Lap "Klassic" Championship at Summer's end deciding an Annual Points Champion. We race homemade 1-Wheel-Drive racing karts that can race on professional karting tracks and backyard speedways alike. We have karts rebuilt from used racing chassis, used yard karts and some built from scratch. We have ONE class to ensure a true overall track champion, and not have several smaller classes of divisional champions with no clear winner. We race used 5hp Briggs Flathead motors fueled by pump gas, sped-up by hand-shaved heads, and regulated by stock Fun Power-type carburetors instead of expensive prefabricated 2-WD chassis powered by high-priced methanol-fueled motors. On our own backyard oval speedway, we turn clockwise with our top speeds approximately 45-50MPH. Although we all run in the same division, in addition to a minimum weight requirement, we have something unique to our inclusive class -- a weight-to-power-allowance scale to allow heavier drivers more horsepower via stronger racing cams and more powerful gear ratios, a system proven to be successful as we have the tightest competition and most varied winner's circle locally over the last few years. This way our one class is bigger, almost as fast, and more competitive than the higher-priced karting classes, because heavier and lighter drivers can race equally and having the same chance of winning as the next guy. Racing experience, starting position, and a little bit of luck usually decides the outcome, and money and kart price play no role. To ensure this, we have an expert motor builder -- club cofounder Matt Stevens - who oversees that all of the motors are legal, equalized, and competitive, and does so for no cost - just to have people to race with! Join us and find out what many people, including semipro drivers from local racetracks say - we have the most fun and spend the least money of likely any competitive motorsport class in the world! Just because the track is not located behind a famous race track, and the karts don't cost over a grand doesn't mean this isn't real racing with talented drivers and excellent competition. Earn your karting "street cred" at Galletta's. Enjoy!

Location & Sponsor

John J. Galletta Memorial KartwayGalletta's Backyard Go-Kart Speedway is a 0.133887 mile dirt oval with 20-degree banked turns. It is located behind Galletta's Greenhouse in Oswego, NY, and can be seen from outer space! The single-wheel-drive gasoline-fueled flathead motor karts take the track between 15-17 seconds per lap which is approximately 45-50 mph top speed in the straights and averiging around 30 mph overall. Our speeds are comparable to alcohol/methanol-fueled karts that cost 8 times as much because we use mostly stock parts and gas on a large track; leading to more karts, more competition, and more fun. Our class is usually the largest and most competitive in the area. Thanks to Google Earth for this Spring 2006 photo. Our karting club's home track is located in back of:
Galletta's Greenhouse of Oswego NY (Official website)

Galletta's Greenhouses
60 County Route 20
Oswego, NY 13126-6512
(315) 343-0879 or (315) 343-4281

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