7/26/2007 – Galletta’s Karting Club at Oswego Speedway/Kartway: Eric Raponi take 6-Kart/20-Lap CASH WIN in 6.5hp Outlaw #83! +YouTube Videos
Oswego Speedway’s Kartway – Gas Stocker Division – July 26th, 2007:
Four of the Galletta’s 5hp Go-Kart Crew (Matt, Chris, and Wes Stevens, along with Dick Dann) decided to take a shot at the “Super-Yard-Kart” money race at Oswego Speedway’s dirt track on Thursday, July 26th, 2007. Here is the opening lineup of the heat. The fields have been small because the flathead 5hps feel it is unfair to race against 6.5hps with racing parts. But Matt is a trooper who loves racing no matter the odds, and his racing spirit gets others of the Galletta’s Racing Club to join him.
Here are some great pics of this race by XTREME PHOTOGRAPHY below! Please buy their prints!
The opening lineup of the Feature event (Wes Stevens #4; Eric Raponi #83; Matt Stevens #33; Chris Stevens #8; Dick Dann #86; Joe Hayden #5 [off-cam]).
Xtreme Photos pics look darker than the rest because they used flash. The pics that appear to be daytime are not photographs, they are captures from the race video from DVD.
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios.)
Wes Stevens (Galletta’s Flathead #4); Eric Raponi (OHV Outlaw #83); Matt Stevens (Galletta’s Flathead #33); Chris Stevens (Galletta’s Flathead #8); Dick Dann (Dann Flathead #86); Joe Hayden (OHV Outlaw #5).
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
Matt Stevens (here in the Galletta’s Greenhouse #33) has been clocked getting faster times in a gas stock flathead motor than some methanol raptor motors on the Oswego Speedway Dirt’s racing surface! That’s embarrassing! Good job methanol kart drivers! Way to win the game! This picture was taken in the heat, as Matt was unable to pull alongside of Eric in the feature, as Raponi started front row and took off before Matt was able to get into 2nd.
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
Chris Stevens (Galletta’s Flathead #8), pre-wings/side-panels.
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
Wes Stevens (Galletta’s Flathead #4) gets stuck in the slower upper groove, where Eric Raponi (OHV Outlaw #83)’s lower groove has the advantage.
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
Dick Dann (Dann flathead #86) and Joe Hayden (OHV Outlaw #5) battle it out. Dick was plagued by terrible handling, while Joe’s motor did not yet receive the same “stock Animal” makeover that Raponi’s had, and thus they battled in the back of the pack this race, getting lapped by Raponi, Matt, Chris and Wes Stevens.
Eric Raponi, in the extremely powerful OHV Outlaw #83 kart!
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
Raponi clearly has the most powerful kart in the OHV Outlaw #83 in this mixed-motor event. But Matt’s 17 years experience driving these karts makes up for the power differential, as he tries to hunt him down in his Galletta’s #33. Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
Matt was making ground on Raponi, but with only twenty laps on a tiny track, it favors the drivers that are in the top row inside, where the #83 started.
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
Raponi pumps his fist in victory, as he barely held off the all-time winningest master of Oswego karting, Matt Stevens.
Picture by Xtreme Photos. (Picture edited and posted by ChrusherComix Studios)
RAPONI WINS! RAPONI WINS!
The race was won by Eric Raponi in his 6.5hp, pumping his fist like he won the International Classic 200! Clearly a simple 6-man, 20-lap, $1 per lap race was exciting to him. Even so, it was too bad that the race was rain-shortened, as both of the smaller horsepowered Matt and Chris Stevens were gaining on him and licking their chops at the oncoming traffic, which would have made things more interesting. (Yes, I am being biased, but sometimes this running against bigger motor things – as forced to by the supposedly impartial gool ol’ boy track operator Jimmy Losurdo – is tough to swallow. The website can be impartial when the track operator is.)
Oswego Speedway’s “Gas Stocker Kart” Points as of July 26th, 2007:
|
Rank |
Total Points (Place) |
Average Points Per Event |
Events |
Feature Wins |
Name (Motor type & Go-Karts Piloted) |
|
1 |
573.00 |
95.50 |
6 |
2 |
Matt “Mush” Stevens (5hp FH Galletta’s #33) |
|
2 |
536.00 |
89.33 |
6 |
3 |
Eric “Rammer” Raponi (6.5hp OHV Raponi #83) |
|
3 |
494.00 |
82.33 |
6 |
0 |
Wesley “Ogre” Stevens (5hp FH Galletta’s #4) |
|
4 |
449.00 |
74.83 |
6 |
1 |
Joe Hayden (6.5hp OHV Hayden #5) |
|
5 |
407.00 |
81.40 |
5 |
0 |
Chris “Chrusher” Stevens (5hp FH Galletta’s #8, #G5) |
|
6 |
355.00 |
88.75 |
4 |
0 |
Kyle Reuter (5hp FH Galletta’s #0, #G5) |
|
7 |
218.00 |
72.67 |
3 |
0 |
Lee Bartlett (6.5hp OHV Bartlett #924) |
|
8 |
192.00 |
96.00 |
2 |
0 |
Mike Billion (6.5hp OHV Billion #57) |
|
9 |
169.00 |
84.50 |
2 |
0 |
Mark Miller (6.5hp OHV M-Miller #00) |
|
10 |
138.00 |
69.00 |
2 |
0 |
Dick Dann (5hp FH Dann #86) |
|
11 |
80.00 |
80.00 |
1 |
0 |
Oscar “Flyin’ Oz” Berry (5hp FH Oz #11) |
|
12 |
76.00 |
76.00 |
1 |
0 |
Gary Miller Sr. (5hp FH G-Miller #24) |
|
13 |
63.00 |
63.00 |
1 |
0 |
Nick Dann (5hp FH Dann #68) |
HANDICAPPING FOR NEXT RACE (If used and not drawn):
Average Points/Total Points/Events/Feature Wins/Name (Motor/Go-Karts):
63.00 63.00 1 0 Nick Dann (5hp FH Dann #68)
69.00 138.00 2 0 Dick Dann (5hp FH Dann #86)
72.67 218.00 3 0 Lee Bartlett (6.5hp OHV Bartlett #924)
76.00 76.00 1 0 Gary Miller Sr. (5hp FH G-Miller #24)
80.00 80.00 1 0 Oscar “Flyin’ Oz” Berry (5hp FH Oz #11)
81.40 407.00 5 0 Chris “Chrusher” Stevens (5hp FH Galletta’s #8, #G5)
82.33 494.00 6 0 Wesley “Ogre” Stevens (5hp FH Galletta’s #4)
84.50 169.00 2 0 Mark Miller (6.5hp OHV M-Miller #00)
88.75 355.00 4 0 Kyle Reuter (5hp FH Galletta’s #0, #G5)
96.00 192.00 2 0 Mike Billion (6.5hp OHV Billion #57)
74.83 449.00 6 1 Joe Hayden (6.5hp OHV Hayden #5)
95.50 573.00 6 2 Matt “Mush” Stevens (5hp FH Galletta’s #33)
89.33 536.00 6 3 Eric “Rammer” Raponi (6.5hp OHV Raponi #83)
All pictures and video clips are from the DVD. Contact me if you’d like to buy a copy. This week is 2 hours & 21 minutes and the full week of racing all inside from 2 different widescreen camera angles and great stereo surround sound! Only $3. Can’t beat that (I’m crazy to sell them that cheap, but I want people to see ’em! Unlike other local classes that suffer from poor attendance and/or unequal competition, we always put on a great show!)
2007 Volume #9 DVD:
Contains the July 26th, 2007 races from Oswego Speedway, and the July 29th, 2007 races at Galletta’s. 2 hours & 21 minutes.
The next Galletta’s Points race is set for Sunday, August 5th, 2007. We were able to take a grate to it so it is much smoother than it has been all year, but still awaiting the clay (we may side against clay at all unless it comes quicker). Qualifying events (Rookie/Novice Qualifier Race and/or Veteran Heats) will begin at 6:00pm if enough competitors arrive by then, and the final heat &/or Feature will begin shortly after 7pm (two Galletta’s regulars cannot arrive before then). The grill will be fired up if enough spectators arrive, so come on out! Bring your own stock 5hp kart or rent one of our Galletta’s backup/rentals.
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