46th. Eric Raponi
2,149.5 Points | 2 Wins (7%) | 30 Feature Races [2008 Last Active Update]
DRIVER PROFILE FOR ERIC RAPONI – #83:
Eric Raponi raced in many Galletta’s Karting Club events at Galletta’s Greenhouse Backyard Speedway & Oswego Kartway from 2004-08, winning a few.
Name:
Eric Raponi
Years Active at Galletta’s Club Racing:
2004-2008
Kart:
Team OHV Outlaw #83
(also ran Galletta’s #2 and #9 in a few events)
Motor(s) used:
6.5hp Briggs & Stratton OHV (?) (when Galletta’s ran Shaved Head stock 5hp)
Stock Gas Animal OHV (?) (when Galletta’s ran Shaved Head 5hp)
Ranking in the All-Time Points & Wins Lists:
Galletta’s Backyard Karting Speedway
Oswego Speedway Kartway (Right-Turn / Gas Stock Division)
Nicknames:
“Rammer”, “Wrecker”
Fun Facts:
- Eric raced at Galletta’s a few times in 2004 in Galletta’s Karts. He seemed to be doing well, but still got rather angry out of nowhere, saying his the karts that he rented were slower than anybody else’s (however, others — who won in said karts before and after this — disagreed).
- Then, upon bringing his own rebuilt yard kart #83 in 2005 (with an apparent 5.5hp or 6.5hp OHV motor), also seemed to do well, but inexplicably got angry and exited the track for reasons unknown (possibly over a wreck while battling for the lead?), never to return to our track.
- However, we saw him again when Eric then joined the Oswego Speedway Dirt Track (later renamed Oswego Kartway) in 2006 and entered his above mentioned kart in our mixed-motor races, where he gained most of his points and all of his wins in our dual club events. In 2006, he was a mid-pack runner until 2007 and 2008 where he suddenly had tons of horsepower, later admitted to be not just a 6.5hp OHV, but an Animal motor.
- When 1-WDs when Oswego Kartway dropped the division, and instead went on to Clone and Champ class divisions at Oswego, where he earned more victories (our site, however, only covers our club events). We of course, wish him well and glad he was able to get some wins in equal motors.
- A Final Note: Eric is a hard and passionate driver, but was nicknamed “Wrecker” and “Rammer” by some of the Galletta’s racers for his tendency to bump, dump, and spin drivers out from behind and then puzzlingly place all of the blame for the accident on the person he spun out. This confused and confounded us all, and made us wonder if it was intentional or not. Once in 2007, he took out every member of the Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team in a single race! He and his family also got quite mad at DJ Mike Howell for a wreck battling for the lead in the late stages of the 2007 Gas Stocker Classic at Oswego. We loved racing with Eric, but don’t miss getting spun out or wrecked by him.
OVERHEAD VALVE MOTOR “OUTLAWS”:Eric was a part of a group of slightly heavier drivers and far heavier karts that brought OHV motors to our races and called themselves “The Outlaws” after Galletta’s Karting Club racers (whom all had 5hp Flatheads) voted against racing against the OHV motors feeling like the OHVs had *WAY* too much power to compete with. There were multiple drivers who raced with us over the years in this style of motor (as documented in our All-Time Galletta’s Backyard Speedway Points and All-Time Oswego Kartway Points). Now while we had some some irreconcilable disagreements about motors with these drivers, we always enjoyed racing with these guys, as we felt that they were passionate racers that we thoroughly enjoyed competing against. We want serious racers to race with. We just could not agree on motors, gears and weights, and it created hard feelings where there should have been none, and it got to the point where we even felt as if the track operator was purposely trying to get us mad at each other after a while… Too Bad They Quit…Shortly later on, in late-2008 and up, we *did* create broader weight and power rules for our club so that heavier drivers could compete against lighter ones (weights on lighter drivers and some extra powered cams and gears on the heavier ones) WITHOUT using completely different motors that were impossible to truly equalize (OHVs always put out more power). It worked on equalizing the races more than ever before, as we had the largest amount of winners in a single season that we ever had after the rules were enacted (including a handful of drivers who were all way heavier than these guys!), as seen immediately in 2009, 2010, 2011 and onward! Sadly, the Kartway excluded our club and the Outlaws never came back to experience our new weight/power rules. They would have doubtlessly excelled! |
Race Videos & Pages Tagged Eric Raponi
Career Wins at Galletta’s Point Races
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 […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
6/28/2007 – Galletta’s Karting Club at Oswego Speedway Dirt Track, Outlaw Eric Raponi’s strangely powerful kart wins! +YouTube
Galletta’s Go-Karts at Oswego Speedway’s Mixed-motor Yard Kart Class on 6/28/2007: Four Galletta’s Go-Karts traveled to Oswego Speedway for the yard kart class Thursday, June 28th, 2007. Only 7 racing-adapted yard karts showed (again, we love the racing surface,…
