Galletta's Karting Club

6/12/2016 – The 2016 Season begins with 14 karts, 3 heats and a 45-Lapper! And Kelly Miller wins it in his return!

Sunday, June 12th, 2016 –  Our 21st points-racing season was originally set to begin June 5th, 2016. However, due to a busy greenhouse season, a very rocky track that is requiring a lot of work, a fleet of twenty or so karts that did not get worked on since they were raced last October, along with rain in the forecast means the racing has been postponed a week later than usual, Sunday, June 12th, 2016. A new crop of rookies along with a handful of regular veteran drivers were eagerly awaiting the season opener, and when it went down, 15 karts were on the track at the start of the feature! That’s the good part!

Now… for the bad part. We have the YouTube video up, but if you watch it, you’ll notice there were some… um… issues. We ran into some problems with our video cameras (and operators) led to a missing heat and a difficult to score feature.

CAMERA OPERATOR HISTORY, IMPORTANCE, AND CURRENT ISSUES:

As you may (or may not) know, our club scores our races, captures pictures for this website, and posts our race videos from one thing — the race videos. We don’t have AMB scorers, or spotters, just friends and fam. This ENTIRE site that we started in 2005 — the pictures, the point scoring, the videos — all are sourced from our video recordings of the races.

– Since we first started video recording our races in the late 1990s, we have needed volunteers to run them, and the below have all contributed:

• Mary Stevens: Chris & Matt’s mom and Wes’ wife used to on-off operate camera and count laps in the 1990s and early 2000s. She stopped because in general she doesn’t like doing it, but her knees and back LONG ago didn’t allow her to even if she wanted to.
• Gene Galletta: Chris & Matt’s uncle would also occasionally also help record our races — on and off — in the late 1990s to late 2000s. However, he stopped around 2012 when he twisted his ankle a couple of times getting off wagons and standing in the back turn, and — quite honestly — he flat out got SICK of our late nights and drivers complaining about our late nights. It was making him miserable, and thus he retired from the duty. It’s too bad, because his rear turn camera angles are very much missed!
• In addition, occasional others — friends and fam, and occasionally a girlfriend or two — would chip in here and there, but stationary cameras were often an option, although bring and only a partial track can usually be seen, with no zoom-ins and rarely decent details, so their usefulness is minimal, possibly ONLY for scoring and that’s all (unless something happens directly in front of the cam).
• Rungnapha “Aou” Stevens: Chris’ then-fiancé, now wife, met online by complete and total random miracle happenstance chat online in 2002 online between two people on opposite sides of the world — USA and Thailand. They then chatted daily for nearly two years before Chris flew and vacationed with her in Thailand in early 2004, then applied for a 90-Day Fiancé Visa. She emigrated to the US when it was granted and they got married in early 2005. Ever since then, she has done our primary camera for the last decade. Around 99% of the races you see from the Tower were operated by her, and she does an amazing job… especially considering the fact that she finds racing a tad boring (dislikes the long intermissions, and HATES when karts wreck into the tower right in front of her and catch her screaming), although she likes that it brings her husband, his fam and friends enjoyment. Work, boredom, and even pregnant and having a child in 2014 didn’t stop her from recording every race that she could! Anyone (well ALMOST everyone — there is one person who actually hates her… which we’ll get to) who knows her knows she is an amazing person inside and out. (Hmm… wonder who….)
• Melissa Stevens: Matt’s then-GF, now wife, met him in 2007. She raced, often hanging out in the rear, but occasionally, if in the lead, will try to hold everyone off and win (and did collect a few wins doing so). She sometimes helped Matt with the karts and track. They married in late 2008 and she would also occasionally help video record from a 2nd or 3rd angle on top of our existing primary angle. When Gene stopped assisting in recording our races, Melissa initially stepped up as our secondary camera operator. In 2013, (in doing something she always does if anybody gets anything new in her orbit) bought a near identical camera to our newest one (a full HD Sony Handycam) after Chris and Aou got one for Christmas (after their older, analog, standard def ones broke). We assumed it would be in order to help record as a backup, and for a while, it was. Between 2012-2013, she would set up a second camera near one of the greenhouse cold frames and recorded. Occasionally, she would man it, but often she would just let the camera run on a tripod, and it saved us on a rare occasion when we had no other option. While they weren’t essential to most weekends, SOME weekends we really needed them, especially when our primary camera operator was unable to record or the camera went dead due to an error or bad SD card.

So, there’s a history lesson. But today… and at least for a few weeks this season… we have a problem.

Our primary camera operator, Chris’ wife, Rungnapha “Aou” Stevens, had to fly in an unplanned, impromptu vacation visiting her very ill parents in Thailand. Her father’s health has been slowly declining due to multiple strokes, her mother has also had health issues as well, and her sisters felt like their father was not going to make it until next winter when we usually try to visit them when a break from work allows it. She will be there for the next two weekends, and we needed our second camerawoman, Matt’s wife Melissa, to step up.

She did not step up. In fact, she flat-out completely stepped away.

For reasons that only she — and her odd-acting family — understand why, she decided that she will NO LONGER record ANY races, ESPECIALLY those where we have no primary camera option. She used to volunteer to help Matt and the club with karts and track work, but slowly, over the years, she never does anymore. She rarely helps and if you ask, you will get ignored or a cold reply, and the excuse of watching her child (when she rarely does, AND has a mother-in-law and others that always assist, since she will even go on the track for a lap to get points). And when our primary camera operator is not available, she strangely completely avoids helping at all. As a member of a club that one demands race points to be in despite no longer racing, one would think she’d be more helpful.

And thus, we have an issue with temporary and inexperienced, almost unwitting and unwanting camera operators. So, again, sorry for the video… it’s just a question of getting our regular one back and, well, just more evidence that one person who lives on the property, demands points for taking one lap, and helps nobody but herself just puts unreasonable problems on the club that means a lot to not only her husband but her husband’s immediate family and friends.

Nice.

Oh well back to the barely coverable race due to the troubles caused by this…..

HEAT #1

START:
1. Jason King (King #12J)
2. Josh Arnold (Arnold #93)
3. Keith Raymond (Galletta’s Greenhouse #0)
4. Kelly Miller (Galletta’s Greenhouse #7)
5. Melissa Stevens (Scissors n’ Fur #19)
6. Matt Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse #33)
7. Mike Patak Nicholas Roffo (Galletta’s Greenhouse #43) -DNS

FINISH:
1. Keith Raymond (Galletta’s Greenhouse #0)
2. Kelly Miller (Galletta’s Greenhouse #7)
3. Melissa Stevens (Scissors n’ Fur #19)
4. Matt Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse #33)
5. Jason King (King #12J)
6. Josh Arnold (Arnold #93) -DNF
7. Mike Patak (Galletta’s Greenhouse #9) -DNS*
8. Nicholas Roffo (Galletta’s Greenhouse #43) -DNS*

-DNS* = For some unknown reason, two rookies didn’t join the heat as scheduled. Then, joined an overloaded 2nd heat.

HEAT #2

START:
1. Mike Chrisman (Galletta’s Greenhouse #5)
2. Dave Hall Jr. (Hall #29)
3. Tony Cimilluca (Galletta’s Greenhouse #6)
4. Adam Lytle (Lytle #33)
5. Chris Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse/Chrusher.com/R&C Sushi #4)
6. Nicholas Roffo (Galletta’s Greenhouse #5)
7. Taylor Barlow (Brian Galletta #42)
8. Mike Patak Nicholas Roffo (Galletta’s Greenhouse #43)
9. Mike Patak (Galletta’s Greenhouse #9)

FINISH:
***NOT ON RECORD***

NOTE: Because the SD video card corrupted during the 2nd heat, we have no official record of it. In fact, none of it exists (despite 6 hours all night after the race trying to somehow recover it. ALL failed, and I lost around 6 hours of sleep. Thankfully I didn’t have to go to work the next day… whew!).

Because of this, we cannot officially score either heat for points unless it can be recalled by people in attendance or all the drivers in it. I was in it, and even I don’t remember who got what place, and I’m unsure what I ever got (I think possibly 4th?). We will add BOTH heats into the official points if they can ever be recalled by any of us. If not, these were just warm up practices and will not count for points. And this is why we need at least one experienced camera operator.

-Webmaster Chris Stevens

45-LAP FEATURE EVENT

Originally scheduled for 50 laps, the many snags with rookies (and the lack of lights) dropped the race to 45 laps after a late caution. With many new drivers, there’s always a few bugs and bumps to work through. Once everyone is accustomed, and provided not too many timeouts are called, a race like this can go much, much faster.

START:
1. Mike Chrisman (Galletta’s Greenhouse #5)
2. Jason King (King #12J)
3. David Hall Jr. (Hall #29)
4. Josh Arnold (Arnold #93)
5. Tony Cimilluca (Galletta’s Greenhouse #6)
6. Kelly Miller (Galletta’s Greenhouse #7)
7. Keith Raymond (Galletta’s Greenhouse #0)
8. Adam Lytle (Lytle #33c)
9. Matt Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse #33)
10. Chris Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse/Chrusher.com/OswegoSushi.com #4)
11. ® Nick Roffo (Galletta’s Greenhouse #9)
12. ® Mike Patak (Galletta’s Greenhouse #43)
13. ® Taylor Barlow (Brian Galletta #42)
14. Melissa Stevens (Scissors n’ Fur #19)

® 1st-Timer Rookies

FINISH:
1. Kelly Miller (Galletta’s Greenhouse #7)
2. Chris Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse/Chrusher.com/OswegoSushi.com #4)
3. Keith Raymond (Galletta’s Greenhouse #0)
4. Mike Chrisman (Galletta’s Greenhouse #5)
5. Adam Lytle (Lytle #33c, Galletta Bros. #28)
6. Matt Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse #33, Galletta’s #3)
7. Tony Cimilluca (Galletta’s Greenhouse #6)
8. ® Mike Patak (Galletta’s #9, Galletta’s #2)
9.  ® Nick Roffo (Galletta’s Greenhouse #43)
10. David Hall Jr. (Hall #29, Galletta’s #1)
11. Josh Arnold (Arnold #93, Galletta’s #78)
12. Jason King (King #12J)
13. ® Taylor Barlow (Brian Galletta #42)
14. Melissa Stevens (Scissors n’ Fur #19)

RETCON MAKEUP RACE POINT CREDITS:
15. Kevin Galletta (Galletta Bros. #28) – 1st in 7/17/2016 Makeup Heat
16. Lee Gleason  (Galletta’s Greenhouse #2) – 3rd in 7/17/2016 Makeup Heat
17. Noah King (Galletta’s Greenhouse #5) – 4th in 7/17/2016 Makeup Heat
18. Chad Crouse (Galletta’s Greenhouse #5) – 5th in 7/24/2016 Makeup Heat

® 1st-Timer Rookies

LAP-BY-LAP RUNDOWN

Post-Race Notes: You see, THIS is why we need at least one or two camera operators or else we cannot score it as an official race. We do not have spotters or AMB scoring. We have the video, which is reviewed and scored by myself after the event is completed. I have had people tell me, “Screw the video, just go out and race!” But that’s not how we do things. If that’s how we did it, nobody but a few friends and family (and friends of) would know we exist, we’d have no website, no nothing. Then we’d just be joy riding. That’s not how we have a website filled with pictures, videos, race descriptions and points to over a decade of our twenty-one years of racing. I personally race for points and race videos, and points are recorded with a complete video recording of each event from at least one angle (more if at all possible). I personally do not race if it’s not for points and would sit out any non-points race – that’s what I personally race for. Risking injury, it better be for something. Joy riding does nothing for me. That stopped being fun for me when I rode BMX bikes, 10 speed bikes and/or mountain bikes as a teenager. For me, racing a good race and the thrill of seeing where I am in the standings… THAT’S the fun for me. And you can look at pay tracks all over the world and be hard pressed to find ANY that record every event like we do, AND put it all online FREE of charge. Without the videos, none of it exists. And that’s how and why I do this.

Because of the short week and camera, I was unable to get the points properly scored before week 2. A makeshift, approximated handicap was used for the following weekend:

Handicap for next week:
Jason King
Josh Arnold
David Hall Jr
Mike Chrisman
Nick Roffo
Mike Patak
Kevin Galletta
Matt Stevens
Tony Cimilluca
Adam Lytle
Keith Raymond
Chris Stevens
Kelly Miller
Taylor Barlow

Spoiler Alert:
Due to an inability to get the point standings completed, we will fast forward to the 1st week they are available. Week 3’s points:

2016 World 1-WD Gas Flathead Backyard Karting Championship Point Standings

As of the 6/12/2016 – 6/26/2016 Races: