Galletta's Karting Club

July 10th, 2022 – 26th Annual Season Opener – “Mama, I Ran Over A Pool, and Almost Hit a Bunny, Too!” 25 & 20-Lappers!

OSWEGO, NEW YORK – July 10th, 2022 – After a lost season due to problems with Matt’s home and family, karts finally took the track for the 1st time in 22 months for our 26th annual points racing season. Travis Bartlett picked up his 1st regular Galletta’s Summer Point Feature win in his #39 kart (formerly the Platt-Num/Brian & Kevin Galletta #28), while David Hartpence Jr. also picked up his 1st regular Galletta’s Summer Point Feature win in the #2 house kart. Both drivers had won Fall non-points races in the past but had regular points wins elude them until tonight, where they both started on the front row and pulled away for the wins!

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Here is the unedited, no narration rough cut of all the footage (thanks to Mrs. Rung Stevens of R & C Sushi LLC) recorded for the opener. Keep your eyes peeled for juvenile bunnies and busted kiddie pools making their way onto the track!

Sadly we attempted a Livestream from a stationary camera from the rear corner, but while it did broadcast (to 0 viewers), something happened and it did not process, and Chris misplaced his GoPro helmet-cam, so this is all we have.

25-Lapper Starting Lineup

Season opener we handicapped via inverting 2020’s wins and points.

1. Dave Hartpence Jr. (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #2)
2. Travis Bartlett (Bartlett Racing #39*)
3. Steve Sixberry (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #7)
4. Nicolas Olivares (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #1)
5. Matt Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #74)
6. Chris Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #8)
7. Melissa Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #80)Note: * = Travis Bartlett purchased the former Randy Platt/Brian & Kevin Galletta #28 in the offseason and renumbered it #39.

The 1st race had a rather humorous beginning when the #7 of Steve Sixberry touched wheels with another kart and knocked a deflated kiddie pool onto the track. It then was struck again on lap two when the #8 of Chris Stevens ran it over, and it somehow then entangled with the #7, forcing a spin.

Travis Bartlett then took command in his newly purchased #39 ride (the former Randy Platt, late Brian Galletta, and Kevin Galletta owned/driven #28) and was never challenged for the lead as he slowly pulled away each green flag lap en route to his first Galletta’s Karting Club points race victory. The #39/28 kart’s last win came in 2019 via Zac Blanchard. The #1 broke a hub and parked Nic Olivares — who made the trip up from Pennsylvania to make it, which delayed the start a bit. Not much passing, although David Hartpence Jr. lost a few spots due to spinning early on. We seemed to run one extra lap.

25-Lapper Finish

1. Travis Bartlett (Bartlett Racing #39*)
2. Chris Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #8)
3. Matt Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #74)
4. Steve Sixberry (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #7)
5. Dave Hartpence Jr. (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #2)
6. DNF – Nicolas Olivares (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #1)
7. DNF – Melissa Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #80)DNF = Did Not Finish

20-Lapper Starting Lineup

2nd of a twin feature is handicapped via usually inverting the finish of the 1st, minus prior feature winners (who must start in the back of drivers who haven’t won yet).

1. Dave Hartpence Jr. (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #2)
2. Steve Sixberry (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #7)
3. Matt Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #74)
4. Chris Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #8)
5. Travis Bartlett (Bartlett Racing #39*)
6. DNS – Nicolas Olivares (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #1)
7. DNS – Melissa Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #80)DNS = Did Not Start

Nic Olivares decided to go home before the start of the 2nd feature due to lateness. Chris Stevens tried starting the #4, but it wouldn’t stay running, so he stuck in the #8. The #7’s frame broke at some point before the start of the 2nd feature, which greatly reduced Steve Sixberry’s speeds and chances of a victory. In fact, the only passes came at Steve’s expense, as Travis passed Chris when he failed to get Steve initially, then both passed him a few laps later.

Meanwhile, David Hartpence Jr. led the entire event in the Galletta’s #2, and held off a couple of valiant pass attempts by Matt Stevens, which was his 1st regular season feature win as well (both he and Travis’s prior track wins came in Fall post-Klassic Bonus races). This was the #2’s 1st feature win since Chris Stevens put it in victory lane for the 2013 opener! We again seemed to have gone an extra lap, so we counted both features as 25-lappers points-wise (as we went 47 green total laps and only 3 cautions).

20-Lapper Finish

1. Dave Hartpence Jr. (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #2)
2. Matt Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #74)
3. Travis Bartlett (Bartlett Racing #39*)
4. Chris Stevens (Chrusher.com/Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #8)
5. Steve Sixberry (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #7)
6. DNS – Nicolas Olivares (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #1)
7. DNS – Melissa Stevens (Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #80)

The winners were also the leading point scorers!

Galletta’s Greenhouse Speedway 2022 Point Standings

All races from 7/10/2022 – 7/10/2022:

Here is the scorecard:

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