Galletta's Karting Club

THE 16th ANNUAL GALLETTA’S KARTING KLASSIC 200!

Posted on October 9th, 2011 by ChrusherComix Studios

Our 16th Annual Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200 –
Saturday, October 8th, 2011:

DVD Transferred YouTube Video

Posted on October 15th, 2011 by ChrusherComix Studios

1st: Matt Stevens Starter Kart: Galletta’s #33 15.96 | 15.76 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #3* 16.28 | 16.22		2nd: Randy Platt Starter Kart: Platt-Num #187 16.04 | 16.03 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #2 16.48 | 16.03
3rd: Kyle Reuter Starter Kart: Nason #35 16.04 | 16.41 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #0 16.14 | 16.46		4th: Joe Sereno Starter Kart: Galletta’s #5 16.41 | 16.05 Backup Kart: Chrusher.com #74 19.21 | –.–
5th: Chris Stevens Starter Kart: Galletta’s #8 16.17 | 16.63 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #4* 16.44 | 16.39		6th: Kelly Miller Starter Kart: Galletta’s #9 17.01 | 16.64 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #1 16.38 | 16.27
7th: Justin Galletta Starter Kart: Galletta’s #7 16.31 | 16.48 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #6 17.28 | 17.22		8th: Tim Galletta Starter Kart: Galletta #54 16.41 | 16.37 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #1 17.18 | 17.00
9th: Melissa Stevens Starter Kart: Scissors-N-Fur #19 16.46 | 16.45 Backup Kart: Scissors-n-Fur #80* 16.42 | 16.50		10th: Brian Galletta Starter Kart: Platt-Num #28 16.58 | 16.76 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #1 –.– | –.–
11th: Ken Lindsley III Starter Kart: Lindsley #14 16.71 | 16.64 Backup Kart: Galletta’s #1 17.11 | 16.82		12th: Jerry Galletta Did Not Start: Galletta #54 36.42 | 24.50 Did Not Start: Galletta’s #0 –.– | –.–
13th: RaYzor Castaldo Did Not Start: Galletta’s #6 –.– | –.– (Spins) Did Not Start: Galletta’s #2 –.– | –.–		Open Karts: Galletta’s #0Galletta’s #1 Galletta’s #2 Galletta’s #3* Galletta’s #4* Galletta’s #6 Chrusher.com #74 Scissors-n-Fur #80*

Special rules and notes for the 2011 Klassic: The following rules are added to our preexisting regular rules and specs found on our rules page. Each driver is timed for two green flag time trial laps per kart entered. When enough karts are available (this year we have 8 open karts), each driver may enter two karts (one starter and one backup) and take the best time from either kart and enter either kart. Each driver is afforded 5-minute kart-repair time-outs (3 for drivers who scored in all races during the 2011 Season, 2 for drivers who were scored with at least 2 feature races during the 2011 season, 1 for drivers who enter the Klassic with had no prior races all season, and 0 for 1st-time rookies with no prior experience or races at all). Each driver may use any time-outs they have for minor repairs to their starter kart (no point penalty). Each driver must stay with their starter kart unless a significant mechanical failure prevents it, where they have the choice of entering a backup kart if one is available. Each driver is allowed one refuel the first caution after lap 140, and must go to the rear of the pack when they do so (if all refuel, nobody loses a position). Preventative measures such as nut/bolt checking and chain lubing is allowed on track during a red-flag caution break, any other kart work is considered a pit-stop and driver will have to go to the rear of the field. If entering a backup kart, exact fuel level must be transferred from starter to backup, and driver will receive a -20 point penalty for the change. Each green lap led is +1 point, and each green flag lap in 2nd or 3rd is +0.5 point. Each lap in the top 3 under yellow will be scored +0.5 point. Drivers do not go a lap down under caution, but must go around the track and go to the rear of the field to make up for this. If a driver finishes the race using no time-outs, they will receive +10 bonus points. If a driver finishes the race without refueling, they receive +10 bonus points. If a lead lap kart puts a kart a lap down, they are scored a lap down and remain in position unless (a) they re-pass the kart(s) that lapped them (b) the kart(s) that lapped them wrecks, or (c) the kart(s) that lapped them gives the lapped driver a courtesy pass and allows them to go back to the rear of the field back in the lead lap. * = Kart owner has personal backup to use or grant permission for others to use (if you own more than one kart, it is yours to qualify and use, all others are open for anybody).

200-LAP FEATURE EVENT:

The 16th Annual Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Club Klassic 200 Championship is the longest-running, largest and most affordable kart class racing in the biggest lap total making it the ONLY true championship of karting in Central New York – don’t let pricey 3-8 kiddie-karts going 40-50 laps on an overpriced/overhyped kiddie kart track let you think you’ve won anything other than winning the track some extra money and yourself a swelled head. We did both and there is no comparison – we race for fun and race on talent, not just a few laps on an expensive track and not on the amount of bucks spent on prefabricated equipment which gives a false sense of bravado. This is racing at it’s purest form, with equalized karts making drivers skills shine, and where it is the most fun (if you don’t believe us, we dare you to try it if you have the guts. We know, however, that those who do kart locally and choose to not race with us are in it for politicking, and therefore not interested in trying pure racing like we are). The race began following a yummy “Cheeseburger Picnic” cookout on an absolutely beautiful Saturday afternoon October 8th, 2011. With sun and temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s, we couldn’t have asked for a better day for a 200-lap go-kart race.

Lady and gentlemen, start your engines! Eleven drivers start, two additional drivers qualified with time trials but elected not to run, and eight karts sat idle without drivers (three guaranteed backups and five open backups).

The starting grid of the 16th Annual Klassic, and our largest field since the 2006 edition of the event. Much like the Oswego Speedway Supermodified Classic 200 that our championship race is based after, each driver’s goal for the 1st 100-120 laps is to conserve gas while keeping the vehicle safe, operational and in position to win late. Easier said than done, and it adds drama that a regular-length race cannot do. You just can’t slap an extra ten laps to your regular race, throw a bunch of trophies in and call your dozen-or-more mini-races a “Classic” by the time of year and location. There has to be a reason to call it that. We’re not cattle to be herded on and off the track, are we they?

Off the start, 2010 Defending Klassic Champ Kyle Reuter tried to catch the front row by surprise and get into the lead, much like he did in last year’s Klassic. A good plan, but this year both Matt and Randy Platt had visions of leading, and wheels scrubbed down the front stretch with Matt storming off to a fast lead. Then, Lap 2 saw Randy spin out in turn 2.

This set up the top three for the first fifth of the race – Matt Stevens, Chris Stevens, and Kyle Reuter. Not surprisingly, Matt, Chris and Kyle are the only three active drivers who have ever won the annual event (the only other is retired and in the flag stand), and know how tough it is to get passes out there and how important positioning will be.

Chris and Kyle are trying to duplicate their strategy from last year, but Matt Stevens has completely changed his philosophy. In the first fifteen Galletta’s Klassics, Matt has taken it very easy early on, fading to either mid or rear of the field, conserving gas and saving the kart before turning it on late. Knowing how our competition is stiffer than it has ever been (our speeds closer than ever, every driver is seasoned and talented, and passes are extremely hard earned) and his need for bonus leader laps (his brother Chris beat him in the 2010 Track Championship by one half point by staying up front for the majority of the 2010 Klassic and earning so many bonus points) his strategy has now changed to trying to lead. And by the pace he’s setting, it looks like trying to lead all 200 laps, a feat never accomplished before in the event’s prior 15 year history!

Guest-star Supermodified driver “Machine Gun” Kelly Miller entered his second Galletta’s Klassic; first since 2006. Kelly raved about the improvements we’ve done in the past few years alone, especially in terms of the competitiveness, and how the karts are so close in speed, the drivers are all experienced, and thus passing is so difficult. Here he and Kenny Lindsley III, driving the (former Larry Phillips #04 renumbered) #14, get together in the early going as they battled it out in mid-pack trying to move up. Larry sadly sold his kart due to a bad back preventing him from entering regular competition, but Kenny, fresh out of the Marines, plans to race full time, which was one of the deciding factors what made Larry part with it. And although Kenny has raced with us since 2007, due to his service in the Marine Corps. preventing him, this is in his first Klassic. He was plagued with a wearing, smoking motor most of the day, however.

Chris Stevens blew his drive wheel tire and had to call a time-out for a tire change. (At Galletta’s, because we are NOT a pay spectator track and we do NOT have pit crews, we borrow something from other sports – a time-out – and allow drivers to earn them during the regular season and use them get back into the race. Something we have done since day one (they used to be unlimited, but we were forced to revise the rule to prevent everybody from stopping the race every break, we have only 3 per season for drivers who have raced all season, two for drivers who race at least a part of the season, and one for all else. Most drivers carry them over into the Klassic, as did Chris and Matt who used none all season). This breakdown changed the top three a bit and moved impressive first-season driver Justin Galletta into the top three point positions, who was then passed by his brother and equally impressive 1st-season driver Joe Sereno. The breakdown also enabled Chris to something key — conserve his fuel instead of setting a fast, fuel-burning pace trying to stay in the top 3 for the whole race.

Although Matt was setting a fast pace in the lead, close battles for 2nd and 3rd place developed between Kyle Reuter, Joe Sereno and Justin Galletta. When wheels brushed in this 3-way battle for 2nd, the field checked up, and poor Ken Lindsley caught a wheel and got airborne. With his feather-topped helmet, Kenny looked like a rooster flying! As you can see from the sparks, the drive system got bent significantly when the #14 landed, which took Kenny out of the Klassic. He appeared to be okay, albeit temporarily dazed and stunned a bit (possibly concussed), and thus did not use a time-out and fixed it during the race, but being many laps down, he kept it parked and helped in the pit garage and flag stand. [NOTE: Apparently, the accident badly scared the somewhat diminutive Kenny, as he never raced again after the incident, sold his kart at the start of the 2012 season, and was quite direct in his disdain for our resident big track guest star driver.]

Kyle Reuter was running in the top three all day long in the Nason Motorsports #35. The kart owner and usual driver AJ Nason has been in Georgia with family for most of the year, but left his kart up at Galletta’s available for renting if someone wanted to give it a shot. Matt had worked out the carb problems and all year it sat waiting to be run until Reuter climbed aboard and showed everyone just how fast it was (the kart and motor had won features with different drivers in the past couple years, but oddly nobody wanted to drive it). That was, it WAS fast until a front wheel fell off and he crashed in turn 2. “I was really upset because I had at least a top 3 out of her,” Kyle said. “It felt great all race and then that happened. It was a hard hit because the kart shot to the left hard after losing the wheel but I’m fine.” Kyle, frustrated with the kart’s breakdown, elected not to use a repair time-out or a backup kart as he had to get up early for work and run testing.

On a restart, we had an incident that almost took Matt out of his dominance of 1st place! His #33’s rear bumper became entangled with the front bumper of the #5 driven by Joe Sereno. Locked up the entire back straight, the field was checked up in the back turn.

Everyone got through without significant contact except Joe and Kelly Miller, who entangled and Joe’s spin brought out the caution. Matt was saved by barely wrenching free, but the benefactor of this was Chris Stevens, who slipped from 6th to 2nd in a half lap in the low groove while everyone was held up high, and very nearly got Matt for 1st too!

Now although 2nd place is obviously the 2nd best place to be in any given race, there has been misfortune to everybody who has spent a decent amount of time in it. For the 2nd time in the race, Chris was on Matt’s tail and making him earn those lead lap points, pressuring him lap by lap.

But bad luck stuck Chris again, as he drifted a tad too high in turn 2 and smashed the outside tire wall, spinning him back into the track. Chris, a little shaken up from the wallop and pissed off at the fact that every time he gets in range to win a Klassic, something unfortunate happens. When is the bad luck streak going to end?

Melissa Stevens had an unfortunate break early on. In the first half of the race, the motor on her Scissors-n-Fur #19 blew, and she was forced to drive her backup, the Scissors-n-Fur #80, seen in the above picture. Unfortunately, here she got tangled into the rear of Randy Platt and got out of shape. Then while correcting, the #80 was hit from behind by Tim Galletta. The wreck took poor Tim out of the Klassic with a seriously bent up front end alignment/broken axle. Tim has been a strong regular season competitor with six feature wins in his first three seasons, but has had nothing but bad luck in the Klassic, unable to finish all 200 laps in one yet. Joe and Chris were able to escape the wreck without incident.

Justin Galletta then had command of 2nd place and started pressuring Matt. But the bad luck of 2nd place continued, as he started to slow badly, likely having feul pickup problems, enabling Randy and Chris to get by him. After slowing to the point of going a lap down, he pulled it into the pits and decided to rest his back.

Randy Platt was then in 2nd and bad luck was calling for the spot again. Every bit as fast as Matt and pressured by an equally fast Chris, the Great Bobandi slipped a bit too high in turns 3 & 4, enabling Chris to get under him to get into 2nd place for the 3rd time during the race. Then, a caution brought us to the first yellow flag after 140 lap point. With Chris’ gas conservation in the early portion of the race, he had far more than the rest of the field. Joe Sereno, Melissa Stevens, Randy Platt all decided to refuel, setting up the gamble for Matt – stay in the lead with a low tank or refuel and challenge Chris into running dry. He elected to refuel, putting Chris in the lead as the only person on the track who did not refuel.

After the #187 and #33 refueled, Matt challenged Chris for the remainder of the way, showing him a few wheels With a new motor block and Chris’ experience, he held Matt off and in fact pulled a way from him a couple of times. But some fuel pickup problems eventually did develop, and when Joe Sereno dropped out when he wrecked trying to pick up his cigarettes, it set up one final restart with a handful of laps to go.

But the Galletta’s #8 and driver could not be denied, and the dry spell finally ran out for Chris! A decade-long “close but no cigar” bad luck streak: Broken drive wheel axle and ripped pull-cord while leading in 2002, foot slipped off the gas pedal while leading late in 2003, top time-trialer dropped by a faulty valve guide in 2004, caught in an accident and then lost a chain while competing for the win in2005, sputtering carb while leading in 2006, leaking head gasket up front but unable to challenge for the lead in both 2007 and 2008(while also getting a flat drive wheel and then being off-balance for most of the show with terrible stagger), losing a clutch bolt while in 2nd to sputtering leader in 2009, and finally being taken out from behind while in 2nd behind a sputtering leader by his own brother in 2010). Chris Stevens held on to win his first Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Klassic since a three win streak from 1999, 2000 and 2001!

Chris said, “The #8 was loose in the time trials. The rear kept kicking out from me, and we (Randy Platt and himself) did a tire pressure adjustment seconds before pulling the kart on the track for the start. After that, it was hooked all day and went wherever I wanted it to. It probably hasn’t felt that good since the 2007 Oswego Speedway Dirt Classic when I was absolutely hooked as well – but that setup was even harder because the track is so small and almost no banking, which means you need low-end power and bite more than anything, where here you need more top-end speed to go high, power low if you need to get a pass, and handling. That #8 is a strange kart, where it is real easy to miss the setup, and we got it today. The motor block we just got to replace the other one on it is a beast, now I want to just save that for big shows, haha. And while I wanted to stay up front in the top-three, that flat drive tire saved me a ton of gas when I coasted for a good chunk of the race. That right there was a blessing in disguise and why I was the only one who went the distance without a refill. I’d like to thank Matt for his hard work on all the karts, including mine, and Randy Platt who worked his butt off alongside Matt getting all those karts all ready and all so close in speed. It was not easy moving up and I needed a lot of luck and good choices to get out of wrecks to get up there three times. Of course, as always I thank God for His protection for all of the drivers out there, and speaking of them, I’d like to thank all the guys who came out and raced – this is the premiere dirt karting race in probably the State–as I know of none that run 200 laps, especially not on a track this big–so winning it is an accomplishment that only four people have done in it’s 16 year history, and I love and respect all the people who race it with us. We don’t race for stickers, trophies, or a little spending money, we race for the prestige. It was a great day all around! The #8 was built in 2004 and it finally broke that decade-long curse for me, wahoo!”

Matt was happy with a great show and a good run, but he still wasn’t totally thrilled. “I think I could’ve made it the distance with one tank. I was almost willing to gamble, and although I may have started sputtering I bet that I would’ve been able to make it. But I played it safe. If I ran out with a couple laps to go, I would’ve lost more than one spot. Refueling made it so I only lost one spot.” Matt added that he was, “also thinking of the points for the track title and not just the Klassic win.” And he won it… by TWO POINTS, barely preventing a clean season title sweep by his brother!

GALLETTA’S GREENHOUSE ANNUAL KARTING KLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY:

Year / Laps Rule Changes	Page	Klassic Winner / Kart / Track Champion
1996: 1st Annual Klassic 70 (Box Stock 5hp motors: 1996-2005)		Winner: Matt Stevens (1st) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #3 (1st) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (1st)
1997: 2nd Annual Klassic 75		Winner: Matt Stevens (2nd) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #3 (2nd) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (2nd)
1998: 3rd Annual Klassic 80		Winner: Matt Stevens (3rd) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #3 (3rd) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (3rd)
1999: 4th Annual Klassic 80		Winner: Chris Stevens (1st) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #2 (1st) Track Champion: Chris Stevens (1st)
2000: 7th Annual Klassic 80		Winner: Chris Stevens (2nd) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #2 (2nd) Track Champion: Chris Stevens (2nd)
2001: 6th Annual Klassic 80		Winner: Chris Stevens (3rd) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #5 (1st) Track Champion: Chris Stevens (3rd)
2002: 7th Annual Klassic 80		Winner: Matt Stevens (4th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #3 (4th) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (4th)
2003: 8th Annual Klassic 100		Winner: Matt Stevens (5th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #3 (5th) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (5th)
2004: 9th Annual Klassic 100 (125 w/cautions) (5.5hps allowed for heavies; none showed for Klassic)		Winner: Matt Stevens (6th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #3 (6th) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (6th)
2005: 10th Annual Klassic 135 (Shaved Heads instituted, 5.5hps barred before Klassic due to illegally using 6.5hps)		Winner: Matt Stevens (7th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #3 (7th) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (7th)
2006: 11th Annual Klassic 150		Winner: Wesley Stevens (1st) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #4 (1st) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (8th)
2007: 12th Annual Klassic 175 (200 w/cautions; Race cams for heavier drivers instituted)		Winner: Matt Stevens (8th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #33 (1st) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (9th)
2008:  13th Annual Klassic 200 (Race cams for all drivers instituted due to Oswego’s operator forcing us to [then barring us]. Slicks instituted)		Winner: Matt Stevens (9th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #33 (2nd) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (10th)
2009: 14th Annual Klassic 200 (Minimum weight & superior cam gearing for heavies rules instituted)		Winner: Matt Stevens (10th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #33 (3rd) Track Champion: Chris Stevens (4th)
2010:  15th Annual Klassic 200		Winner: Kyle Reuter (1st) Kart(s): Galletta’s #1 [start]/Galletta’s #0 [finish] (1st) Track Champion: Chris Stevens (5th)
2011: 16th Annual Klassic 200		Winner: Chris Stevens (4th) Kart: Galletta’s Greenhouse #8 (1st) Track Champion: Matt Stevens (11th)

2011 Point Standings after 10/8/2011’s KLASSIC Event

For the Galletta’s Karting Club’s World Championship of 1WD Gas Flatheads held on Galletta’s Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway for the 2011 season to date. Our complete All-Time Points Standings from 2000-to-‘the-last-completed-season’ are found on this webpage, our division’s complete 2006-08 standings on Oswego Speedway’s lil’ Kartway on this page, and our 2000-to-‘the-last-completed-season’ wins are on this page. At season’s end, the current totals will be added into the All-Time points.

Pos.	Name (Go-Karts Piloted) [Most drivers have clickable Driver Profiles]	Total Points (Place)	Average Points Per Feature	2011 Events	2011 Features	2011 Heat Wins	2011 Feature Wins	Career Feature Wins (2000-up)	Years Pro at GKC
1st	Master Matt Stevens (Galletta’s #33, 3, 80) 2011 Track Champion	2,963.0	141.10	16	21	1	6	104	16th
2nd	Chris “Chrusher” Stevens (Galletta’s #4, 8) 2011 Klassic Champion	2,961.0	141.00	16	21	0	4*	58	16th
3rd	Tim Galletta (Galletta #54, Galletta’s #6, 9)	2,644.5	125.93	16	21	1	3	6	3rd
4th	Melissa Stevens (Scissors ‘n Fur #19, 80, Galletta’s #7)	2,576.5	122.69	16	21	0	2	6	5th
5th	Justin Galletta (Galletta’s #7, 6, 9) @@@	2,574.0	122.57	13	21	0	1	1	1st
6th	Joe Sereno (Galletta’s #5, 1, 2, 9)	2,569.5	122.36	16	21	2	1	1	1st
7th	Randy “Bobandi” Platt (Platt-num #187, 28, Galletta’s #2, 0) @@@@	1,851.5	132.25	8	14	4	2	5	3rd
8th	Brian Galletta (Platt-num 28, 187, Galletta’s #1, 7, 9) @@@@@@	1,294.5	99.58	7	13	1	0	2	5th
9th	Jeff Tetro (Galletta’s #9, 0) @@@@	941.5	94.15	4	10	2	2	3	3rd
10th	Kenny Lindsley III (Lindsley #14, Galletta’s #0, 2) @@@	752.0	78.20	2	5	0	0	0	3rd
11th	Kyle Reuter (Nason #35, Galletta’s #1, 0) @	602.0	200.67	2	3	0	0	4	4th
12th	Kelly Miller (Galletta’s #9, 1)	414.0	414.00	1	1	0	0	0	4th
13th	Jason Platt (Galletta’s #2) @	367.5	91.88	3	4	2	0	0	(R)
14th	Chris Doviak (Galletta’s #1, 9) @@	328.0	65.60	1	3	0	0	0	(R)
15th	Jerry Galletta (Galletta #54)	320.0	320.00	1	1	0	0	0	(R)
16th	RaYzor Castaldo (Galletta’s #6, 1)	300.0	300.00	1	1	0	0	0	2nd
17th	Arnold “AJ” Nason (Nason #35, Galletta’s #1)	283.0	94.33	2	3	1	0	1	2nd
18th	Chase Sereno (Galletta’s #6, 9) @	283.0	94.33	2	3	0	0	0	(R)
19th	Mike “mc” Howell (Galletta’s #6) @	199.5	99.75	1	2	1	0	0	2nd
20th	Rob Clarke (Galletta’s #2) @	194.0	97.00	1	2	0	0	0	2nd
21st	Harold “Hal” Borland (Galletta’s #6) @	177.0	59.00	1	3	0	0	0	(R)
22nd	Ken Lindsley Jr. (Galletta’s #1) @@	143.0	71.50	1	2	0	0	0	3rd
23rd	Nicholas Kazmierski (Galletta’s #2) @	125.0	62.50	1	2	0	0	0	(R)
24th	Josh Hartley (Galletta’s #9) @	120.0	60.00	1	2	0	0	0	(R)
25th	Andrew Pullen (Galletta’s #1) @	80.0	80.00	1	1	0	0	0	(R)

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