Race Video Archive
Welcome to the Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Club & Backyard Speedway!
Want to race go-karts? Without the cutthroat cheats? And affordably?
Then why spend $2,000-$5,000 to race when you can race like this for $200-$600?
Please watch some of our 100 newest race video uploads on YouTube. We have over a decade of complete races and seasons including 1,600 video clips & complete videos up on 
Welcome to the Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Club & Backyard Speedway’s website!
23 arrive-and-drive Karts are available. All time trialed less than 1 second apart. Drivers needed to fill them in 45-60 lap point races every weekend between June through all Summer, culminating with our season finale in late-September – the 200-Lap Galletta’s Karting Klassic!
Founded in the early 1990s, Galletta’s Karting Club & Backyard Speedway was created to race go-karts as competitively as we can for as purposefully affordable as we can (via rules), using karts that are hybrid – something between a prefabricated racing kart and a yard kart that can race fast and safe on both pay tracks and backyard tracks alike, all the while having drivers that are highly talented and experienced racers. You may think you are good on pay tracks, but in reality, you didn’t prove much unless you raced and competed for wins at Galletta’s! The original, longest-running, and largest karting class in the area, we are also the easiest to join – we often have several unused, fast, feature-winning, arrive-and-drive karts to join into the races immediately, and if you like it, build or buy your own for a few hundred dollars to join and compete instead of a few thousand like most classes take to join and compete. And, the experience and talent levels of the more experienced drivers at Galletta’s equal or better than can be found on any pay track – they’ve been racing more than a decade before ANY of the local pay tracks were built and have hundreds of more races under their belts. Read on to see our twenty year history of weekly points racing (with videos and complete rundowns of each season since 1995 – and race from 2005) every June through October in Oswego, NY! Enjoy!
Our COMPLETE Race Archives:
Scroll up and down to see YouTube videos, complete detailed race rundowns, point standings, rosters and profiles to over two decades of racing and hundreds of racers!
COMPLETE GALLETTA’S CLUB SEASON RACE AND COMPLETE VIDEO COLLECTION APPENDIX:
Enjoy each of over two decades worth of our competitive point-racing seasons with these over 200 race pages by clicking on the picture to each season. Each season will have its own list of pictured race descriptions, point standings, driver profiles and complete races on embedded YouTube videos to each race (as early as the 2002 Klassic and complete season videos dating back to mid-2005). This is exhaustively done, and I really hope you appreciate the work we put into the site and the hundreds of races we show you for no charge, just… all I ask is please don’t use adblockers!
2019 Season
24rd Season – 2019: Is currently going! Join us!
We race every Summer Sunday and Fall Saturday unless we do not have enough drivers or uncooperative weather. Minimum is 6 to race!
(Our minimum is usually 6–and since 3 drivers live in their respective houses on the property, therefore we only need 3 or more drivers to have a race. Do not be concerned of too many people, as we have around 20 arrive-and-drive karts on site to race and have never had more than 16 karts on track in our 23 year history. The best racing is usually 10-15 karts, which used to be commonplace in the mid-2000s until adults started getting delusions of grandeur and have no problem paying more to race less on the local pay tracks that popped up since. That’s fine, but don’t put us down… why not try racing with us?)
2018 Season
23rd Season – 2018: Was highly competitive. Unfortunately, due to a lack of weekly drivers, it was sadly the worst attended and shortest season in over a decade-and-a-half! We only had enough weekly drivers to race 8 features, and had a few makeup races to pad the stats, but really sad. Where are all the supposedly huge-sacked racers, people?) The final order of this year’s Klassic could not have been more cut and dried, as it was also the final order of the point standings as well, with Matt Stevens sweeping, Chris barely falling short scoring 2nd and impressive rookie Steve Sixberry being a strong 3rd all year long. Too bad nobody else showed! More.
2017 Season Index
22nd Season – 2017: Lasted from June 17th through October 13th, 2017, and was one of ups and downs. It started slowly due in part to weather and inability to get the track ready for our usual opener. After that, we had great difficulty keeping enough drivers on the track on a weekly basis. Half of the season was cancelled due to nothing other than not enough butts in kart seats. In the end, we did have 34 drivers racing in 17 features, but this number was inflated by both double-feature nights and many one-race-and-done racers. Only 4 of 34 drivers raced in every event, 21 of 34 drivers were rookies (most raced only once let alone even half the season), all 14 year record lows. And our 22nd Annual Galletta’s Go-Karts 200-Lap Klassic Championship was postponed after nearly a month of poor driver attendance & lousy weather. But the racing itself–when it happened– was exceptional. The story of the competition was the top 3 in points AND the Klassic as well: Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens, and Josh Arnold 1-2-3 DOMINATED the season, and because several regular veterans quit halfway into the season, 4th place wasn’t even close in either. Of the three who traded wins all year, Chris Stevens–despite not being the fastest kart at any point all season–benefitted by not wrecking a single time and staying in the top-3 all year, holding on to sweep both the Points Title and the Klassic by outlasting every other racer on a single tank of gas during the 200, a feat that he has somewhat made his specialty of late. Every race, with rundowns, points, and complete race ideos found here!]
2016 Season Index
21st Season – 2016: From from Sunday, June 12th, 2016 through Saturday, September 24th, 2016, 30 drivers racing in 14 feature events won by 7 competitors (Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens, Kelly Miller, Josh Arnold, Keith Raymond, Kevin Galletta and Adam Lytle) for our 21st Points Season at Galletta’s Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway. And for the 1st time in history, a driver challenged Chris and Matt Stevens’ vice-grip stranglehold on 1st and 2nd the point standings! Kelly Miller was lap for lap, pass for pass, point for point, win for win dead even with the brothers all season long, and the three leap-frogged each other every week leading up to our 21st Klassic to decide it all. Would Kelly become the 1st visiting driver to ever sweep the Points and Klassic titles? Or would the class-founding brothers retain 1st and 2nd for the 21st straight year? Well, why not see what went with our 200-Lap Klassic! Here are all the season pages, complete with all of our uploaded YouTube videos!
2015 Season Index
20th Season – 2015: Our 20th Season was a relief from 2014’s barren finish. Due to a few groups of rookies joining, we had 42 different drivers racing in 20 feature events won by 8 different feature winners (Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens, Adam Lytle, Keith Raymond, Melissa Stevens, Kyle Reuter, Eric Woolworth and Tony Cimilluca). The season was extremely competitive from start to finish, and it came down to a tremendous battle in the Klassic 200 between Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens and Kyle Reuter — arguably the best three lifetime karters in Oswego (anybody who has a beef with this? Show us what you got. Show up, put up, or shut up, thanks! We know why some never come, we know.). Chris and Kyle were the only two leaders in this year’s event, with them trading the lead due to lapped traffic and empty fuel tanks. But late in the race, when Reuter passed the fuel-starved Chris Stevens, and Matt Stevens broke in a crash, Chris refueled and shocked all with a slingshot pass past Reuter on the final green-white-checker for the the most climatic win in the Galletta’s Klassic history, and clinched his clean sweep of both the 2015 200-Lap Klassic and the 2015 Points Championship! One of our most exciting seasons in our history, capped by a fantastic Klassic finish, and probably the most exciting in our history! All of our complete race videos are available for viewing on our complete season index found here.
2014 Season Index
19th Season – 2014: Our 19th Season had 26 drivers compete in 15 feature events won by a staggering 8 different competitors (Matt Stevens, Chris Stevens, Adam Lytle, Kevin Galletta, Brian Galletta, Kelly Miller, Eric Woolworth, Kyle Reuter), but it did not end well. The season was tragically cut shorter than others due to low driver attendance by midsummer, a problem that caused self-inflicted wounds by making even gung-ho veteran drivers quit. Matt Stevens swept the driver-starved Klassic 200 (where he and Chris battled for over 80 straight green flag laps) and sadly short Season Points Championship, but it was perhaps our least-fulfilling season in well over a decade due to inconsistent and sparsely populated driver competition, despite the empirical fact that we had 20 karts on site all with near identical time trial speeds. The fact that it was the least-populated Klassic in THIRTEEN years, founders Matt and Chris Stevens worried all winter that without a new crop of drivers in 2015, we were left seriously doubting the future of the Galletta’s Greenhouse Backyard Karting Club . More on the complete YouTube Videos & Race Index.
2013 Season Index
18th Season – 2013: The 2013 season was eventful, as 38 competitors raced in 24 features won by a staggering 12 different drivers (Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens, Eric Woolworth, Brian Galletta, Adam Lytle, Brandon “Tumor” Matott, Dave Spanfelner, Kevin Galletta, Joe Sereno, Ryan Palmer and Justin Galletta!)! And the most shocking surprise was the Klassic 200, where Kelly Miller became only the 2nd visiting driver (Kyle Reuter being the 1st) and 5th overall (counting Matt, Chris and Wes Stevens) to win a Galletta’s Klassic 200, having a duel for the ages with the ’13 track champion Chris Stevens and Oswego’s All-time winner/points earner Matt Stevens, where lapped traffic and kart wear took it’s toll and changed the outcome and made the finale an extremely exciting one. In fact, possibly the best 3-kart Klassic duel to date. The complete season is on YouTube video playlist and race pages, so go here for more.
2012 Season Index
17th Season – 2012: Had 39 drivers racing in 27 feature events that were won by 9 different savvy competitors (Matt Stevens, Chris Stevens, David Spanfelner, Brian Galletta, Melissa Stevens, Joe Sereno, Randy Platt, Tim Galletta and Justin Galletta). Matt Stevens was the performer of the year as he took the 2013 Points Title, but the Klassic would have a controversial finale. The founding brothers of Matt and Chris Stevens battled back and forth in the late stages of the Klassic, neither having an edge and only passing each other via lapped traffic. The controversy came when Chris got passed by Matt when a lapped kart got in his way, Chris backed off rather than hit the traffic and Matt passed them both. Chris dogged his bro down until the same lapped traffic came up, and Matt bumped the lapped kart out of the way, knocking him into Chris’ way which then brought out the caution and prevented Chris from getting his brother back. Chris was furious, and Matt, exhausted, put himself in the back, leaving Chris was able to pull away for the uncontested win. Several people protested that Chris won, and Chris himself vacated the win, which their “uncle” (and Galletta’s Mascot) Ogie Stevens took credit for it all. The complete race videos, race results and points info are found here.
2011 Season Index
16th Season – 2011: 25 competitors entered 21 feature events that were won by 8 different drivers (Matt Stevens, Chris Stevens, Tim Galletta, Melissa Stevens, Justin Galletta, Joe Sereno, Randy Platt and Jeff Tetro). Now while Matt Stevens won the track title and garnered the most wins (6), it was his big brother Chris Stevens that broke a decade-long dry spell to win his 1st Galletta’s Klassic since 2001 (and the 1st since it became 200 laps). And what more, he proved what many thought was impossible! Chris managed to run all 200 laps on one tank of gas while holding off his brother Matt (who had to refuel late after leading a fast-paced race battling with 2010 winner Kyle Reuter early on). It was one of the most strategic gambles in Klassic history to date, as if there were a few more laps, Chris would’ve been down to fumes with Matt ready to pounce on the lead. This is one of many reasons why the racers at Galletta’s feel you get more PURE RACING experience in our karts than any pay track’s 5-10 minute/20-50 lap races. 200 laps on a single 5hp Briggs stock gas tank… and WIN. Try that in any other karting division and get back to us, son. Complete YouTube Race Videos, results, driver profiles, points and pictures of every race found here…
2010 Season Index
15th Season: 2010: So it finally happened! Actually, TWO things! First, while we had a usual great season consisting of 29 drivers in 21 feature races, they were won won by a SHOCKING 15 different drivers (Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens, Melissa Stevens, Tim Galletta, George Russell, Shadoe Russell, Randy Platt, Arnold “AJ” Nason, Jeff Tetro, Mike “MC” Howell, Russ Bartlett, Gary Miller Sr., Kyle Reuter, Kelly Miller and Jared Halstead), with Chris Stevens surviving it all to achieve his 2nd track championship in a row. That shows parity amongst the karts! But the Klassic was the story of the season, as secondly, a visiting driver won a Galletta’s 200-Lap Klassic! Kyle Reuter became both the 1st non-founding/visiting driver to win a Galletta’s Klassic, and the 1st to win a one after climbing into a backup kart (The Galletta’s #0) after his starter kart the (Galletta’s #1) broke down around mid-race. While Kyle has countless Quarter-Midget and methanol flat-kart wins and championships under his belt, he said that this was, “the most fun I’ve ever had in a go-kart. WIth other classes, there’s a stress of the kart’s performance and sponsors… here, it’s just the pure fun of the race.” We agree, which is why we do this instead of dropping a few grand for stressful, expensive pay track racing. Kyle and the 14 other winners this season also proved an important point — Matt does not rig the karts for his (or his brother’s) advantage. In fact, if anything, he gives anybody the chance to race in a kart with equal or better power than his own. You just have to be a good enough driver to win it. This season, Kyle and the many other winners proved it can be done, and shut the critics up in more ways than one. Yet, why do so few show up still? More, including points, profiles, and complete race videos via YouTube here…
2009 Season Index
Our History at Oswego Kartway
14th Season – 2009: Our ’09 season was the 1st in 3 years without Oswego Speedway’s dirt track as our second “away” track escape, as our karting class were barred from the Oswego Kartway in the off-season due to differences with the track operator, further punctuated by several members from the track mocking our family business, names, careers, and even threatening us with physical violence. But that does not mean that we didn’t have a fun and action-packed season at our “home” track (as we did for 10 years before Kartway existed anyway). These numbers speak for themselves: A startling 48 drivers raced in 22 feature events, with 12 of them winning features (Chris Stevens, Matt Stevens, Russ Hockey, Melissa Stevens, Buddy Cottom, Gary Miller Sr., Larry Phillips, Fred Collins, Jason Mills, Nick Dann, Brian Galletta, and Dick Dann). This is a single class, not a dozen classes of 3-10 drivers with only a one or two people dominating it. This large number in different winners shows how equal our racing division is, which some naysayers complained that the brothers rigged it for themselves (patently false… if you are a good driver, you can win and compete for championships in our class, period. Chris Stevens finally broke his brother Matt’s Points Title domination, winning his 1st Track Championship in nearly a decade, but Matt Stevens again showed that he is the toughest man to beat in a go-kart in Oswego, NY, as he took the Galletta’s 200-Lap Klassic once again. Full race videos (via YouTube), race results, points and driver profiles are all available here…
2008 Season Index
13th Season at Galletta’s – 2008: Between Galletta’s and Oswego Kartway, we race a combined 27 drivers racing in a combined 27 events won by 10 different drivers (Matt Stevens, Chris Stevens, Russ Hockey, Melissa Gabel, Buddy Cottom, Dick Dann, Nick Dann, and Gary Miller Jr.), but it again was Matt Stevens winning the Track Championships on both, and technically, he won both Oswego Classic 50 and Galletta’s Klassic 200 (although he needed to beat a very game Buddy Cottom tod do so), but there was a mystifying controversy to the Oswego one at least.
3rd Season at Oswego Kartway – 2008: For the 3rd straight full season, the Galletta’s Greenhouse 1-WD Gas Flathead Racing Club raced two tracks. We started in May at Kartway where Matt Stevens again proved he is capable of taking a kart with less horsepower and beat larger karts that used stock Animal engines (forced in our group by decree of the track operator), and he won the Mixed Motor Gas Stocker Point standings at Kartway (which they erased from their website, so you’ll only see it and full race videos to every division here).
2008 Oswego Kartway Index
Oswego Kartway Classic Champs
While we had 14 feature events won by 7 drivers (Matt Stevens, Chris Stevens, Wes Stevens, Dick Dann, Joe Hayden, Dave Melfi, and Nick Dann), after many arguments, late in the season we split the two gas kart motors into separate divisions, which ended the conflict for the drivers but yet seemed to increased it for the track operator. Matt Stevens dominated the ’08 Kartway Classic (Gas Flathead 1-WDs), but last lap controversy had Wes Stevens take it (under a presumed yellow) and Chris Stevens take 3rd to sweep the pedestal spots for the 2nd year in a row. The track operator then saw that it to be the karting class’ last race at the track that we were a part of since (even before) it started. Season rundown, final points TONS of FULL race videos from ALL karting divisions at the Kartway AND Galletta’s, and the confusing ending to the ’08 Classic video found here…
Oswego Speedway Classic Kart Track Champs!
2007 Season Index
2nd Season at Oswego Speedway Kartway: 2007 & 12th Season at Galletta’s: 2007: Was by far one of our busiest, most competitive and talent-stacked. Between the Oswego Kartway (back then simply known as the Oswego Speedway Dirt Track) and our Galletta’s track, 57 different drivers ran a combined 28 features, but the dominant factor all season on both tracks was Matt Stevens, as he won 14 of the 28 Mixed Motor gas stocker features on the two tracks while 8 other drivers (Chris Stevens, Kyle Reuter, Dick Dann, Melissa Gabel, Ryan Coleman, Eric Raponi, Gary Miller Sr., and Joe Hayden) divided up the rest of the HARD fought victories. Again there was controversy between OHV and FH motors racing in the same class, and while Matt was the man to beat in a flathead, the OHVs were proving to be too powerful for anyone else to touch. That was until the Kartway’s 1st Classic, a 15-kart/50-Lap event for the mixed-motor 1-WD ‘Gas Stocker’ class, where a few drivers battled it out in an exciting race, but Chris Stevens emerged on top on lap 50 to avenge himself for getting wiped out several times earlier in the season by one of the OHV Outlaw karts in the race. It also contained one of the scariest wrecks in our history (and one that has garnered by FAR the most hits on YouTube of our hundreds of videos; albeit bloodthirsty YouTubers wanted more violence apparently). However, Matt Stevens defeated a VERY talented cast of characters (including his brother Chris, Kyle Reuter, Ryan Coleman, Buddy Cottom and Mike “MC” Howell amongst others) to win both track Championships and the 12th Annual showing of the Galletta’s Klassic 200, sweeping both track titles in the division (the other classes at the pay track weren’t even keeping points then)! The only true downer to the season was Wes ‘Ogre’ Stevens’ bone-busting crash in the ’07 Klassic, which forced him out of weekly competition. More (including detailed race descriptions and hundreds of race videos) can be found here.
2006 Season Index
Inaugural Oswego Speedway Dirt Season!
1st Season at Oswego Speedway’s Dirt Track: 2006: In our 1st season at Oswego Speedway’s Dirt Track (before it was renamed Oswego Kartway the following year), we went with the understanding that our class would not be forced to race methanol karts and turn clockwise (as most race divisions turn counter-clockwise. While we got that, oddly enough, the track operators would not let us have our own Galletta’s-style division with 1-WD gas flatheads and forced us to run with the 1-WD gas OHVs (remaining themselves “Outlaws”), and we somewhat had a repeat of the same problem that we had last season at Galletta’s: “You have too much power!” vs. “You are too light!”– and sadly, a fight nearly broke out over it as well. We ran 7 events, and with 2 wins, Matt Stevens won the 1st Track Championship at the Oswego Kartway, as the other divisions didn’t keep track of wins or points. Other winners were Wes Stevens, Chris Stevens, Brian Bortel, Mike Billion (OHV), and Mark Miller (OHV), with Wes Stevens winning a 40-Lap “Bumpy Track Classic” where every methanol division refused to run due to the track being less than ideal. “Yard Karts” – 1, “Methanol Karts” – 0.
11th Season at Galletta’s: 2006: 35 different drivers raced in 18 feature events in ’06 and while 9 drivers won (including Chris Stevens, Wes Stevens, Rob Jimenez, Ed Maynes, Gary Miller Sr., Billy Kuykendell, Kyle Reuter and Brian Bortel and a tie between Chris and Bill), it was Matt Stevens took 8 of those himself en route to another Track Championship and Galletta’s Klassic Victory! More here, including points, driver profiles, and FULL race vids to the whole season!
2005 Season Index
10th Season – 2005: With a staggering 50 drivers running in 28 feature events won by 10 different drivers (Matt, Chris and Wes Stevens, Gary Miller Sr., Mark Miller, Mike Billion, Ed Maynes, Jason Mills, Neil Gosch, and Barrelin’ Brian Bortel). This year became the very 1st one where we covered every single race on this website, and around mid-season we video recorded every single race and made DVD-R copies available to anybody who asks (years later, we also uploaded EVERY SINGLE RACE to YouTube for anybody around the world with internet to view). Impressive ’04 rookies such as Ed Maynes and Mark Miller returned, although Miller brought a group of drivers with stock 6.5hp OHV motors into weekly races, and while we loved racing them, the very clear motor power discrepancy led to hard feelings between them and every driver that used smaller, stock 5.0hp flathead motors. Unfortunately, the 6.5hp OHV vs. 5.0hp Flathead engine controversy took away from what was an extremely competitive and intense racing season. Matt Stevens, however, beat everybody no matter what motor they had, and won 12 feature events and the Klassic 125 en route to yet another clean sweep of the track points title and Klassic Championships. Plus… a driver who tried out our club (and friends with the 6.5hp OVHs), began creating a little dirt track behind Oswego Speedway, with rumors of allowing us our own divison next season. Sounds like fun… right? Full Race Index Page & YouTube Race Videos here…
2004 Season Index
9th Season – 2004: Another excellent season, one of our biggest with a STAGGERING 47 drivers entering an impressive 33 events, with FINALLY a breakthrough in multiple fashions with 9 different competitors (Ed Maynes, Dan Murdock, Jason Mills, Mark Miller, Brian Galletta and Matt Frey joining Matt, Chris and Wes Stevens) in Victory Lane! Another step into the future of our division was realized when a handful of drivers (such as Ed Maynes and Mark Miller) started building and bringing their own karts (although Mark Miller used a 5.5hp OHV motor, which everyone else in a stock 5hp flathead had an issue with when the power was apparent as soon as it hit the track, and he quit before the Klassic 125 over the controversy). While Ed Maynes far and away become the very closest to ever usurp Matt or Chris from Klassic dominance (he almost lapped the field before suffering multiple mechanical problems), it was Matt Stevens who again emerged winner of both the Klassic and Seasonal Points Titles. Once again, the entire Klassic video is available (along with all driver and points info) on this page…
2003 Season Index
8th Season – 2003: Only 14 events were held in our disappointingly sparsely populated 2003 season, because even though we had 28 different drivers, most of them only races in a few races each after last year’s crop of very promising rookies just flat out quit early in the season, wrecking karts before they did. In the end we only had three different winners (Matt, Chris and Wes). Brian Galletta helped us out by bringing several friends to join in as late-season rookies, including Antione “Choch” Thomas, Randy Platt, Matt Frey, and Mike Donoghue. Without them, we may not even have had a Klassic! In the 8 kart/100 lapper, Matt was able to get a late-race pass on his brother when Chris’ foot fell off the gas pedal, which secured Matt a sweep the Klassic and Track Championship Points Title yet again. Klassic video, full driver points and pics are available here!
2002 Season Index
7th Season – 2002: Had 14 drivers racing in 18 feature events, with a batch of rookies giving us some good competition. Rookies Tom Culeton, DJ Barnes, Dan Lupa, Dan Allnut, and Bryan Hayes were a few of the drivers that joined during the ’02 Galletta’s Season and Klassic! Tom Culeton proved to be the best visiting driver at Galletta’s SuperYard Karting Speedway to that date, as he won two events and led the Klassic early in 2002. In fact, he was the 1st visiting driver to outright win a feature at Galletta’s Go-Kart event in years! But it was Matt Stevens who took the 20012 Track Championship and Klassic 80, holding off his brother in both points and the Klassic. Season review, driver points and full Klassic YouTube video available here.
2000 Season Index
6th Season – 2001: In 2001, we raced 22 regular season point events and amongst the 15 drivers trying out the racing were big track guest-stars! We raced with brother Oswego Speedway Limited Supermodified drivers Fran Rowe, Cameron Rowe and Gordon Smallidge, Supermodified driver Randy Ritskes, Super Stock driver Joe Miller, in addition to Syrell Supermodified team members Eric Syrell, Sean Stevens, and Brian Galletta. Cam helped Matt create stagger on the karts, which in past seasons, we had absolutely none. This increased the speeds about one second on our box stock 5hp karts. Cam also won a feature (becoming the 1st visitor to ever do so in our 1990-2001 history). More driver points and info here…
2000 Season Index
5th Season – 2000: After 33 feature races, Chris Stevens again emerged from the 2000 season as the track champ and Klassic champ with 15.5 feature wins (including 7 straight), this time in the newly built Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #5 kart. Matt Stevens tried a new kart in the Klassic, the Galletta’s Greenhouse #6, and while winning 9.5 features, he was unable to repeat the success of the #3 for beat Chris in the new #5. Wes “Ogre” Stevens also garnered wins, but to date, no “visiting” driver has won a feature at Galletta’s yet, as Chris. Matt and Wes all live and work on the same property. More info here…
1999 Season Index
4th Season – 1999: Chris Stevens finally broke his little brother Matt’s three-year unbeaten streak in 1999 with the Galletta’s #2 kart when he was able to win both the Track Points Title and the Galletta’s Go-Kart Klassic, although he battled all year with his bro Matt and dad Wes, who also acquired wins. Kart count improved to 4 karts (when the Galletta’s #1 became the 1st “built 100% from scratch” kart). Jesse Vivlemore, Ray Castaldo, and Brian Galletta joined us for a few races as well. Not a lot of pictures, but we do have videos (although most are yet to be uploaded). More info here…
1996 Season Index!
A young whippersnapper named Matt Stevens dominated 1996-98.
1st Three Seasons – 1996-98: The early years had No videos, but some grainy pictures and fuzzy memories listed here. Two brothers in their early 20s Matt and Chris started racing two yard karts (a converted Manco kart numbered #3, and a converted Thunder Island kart numbered #1), which later became three (a converted Manco yard kart numbered #4) leading to their dad Wes Stevens, the occasional friend (Jesse Vivlemore, Ray Castaldo, Dan Boyce) and/or some of their cousins (Brian and Kevin Galletta) occasionally joining in. Matt and his trusty #3 kart swept the 1st THREE Points Titles and 80-Lap Galletta’s Go-Kart Klassics in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
The Origins!
The Early Years: 1980’s! Our karting club is named not just because it is hosted and sponsored by Galletta’s Greenhouse, but because founder John Galletta wanted to make a karting track in the late 1970s and never got around to finishing it. Until his grandsons Matt and Chris Stevens — fans of Oswego Speedway Supermodified racing and veterans of vicious sledding and peddle cart wars in their childhoods — built one in the early 1990s, which amazed Mr. Galletta shortly before his passing in 1996. This is the tale, truncated for your digestion with some hyperbole and humor (to throw off the lesser IQ’ed bashers of our racing division) thrown in.
Galletta’s Karting Club – What we’re about:
- We founded the club to race go-karts more affordably than WKA, NKA, Champs, Clones, Quarter-Midgets, motocross and/or whatever small engine motorsport is out there. We have succeeded in this since the 1990s.
- We race for points (which count for both a seasonal points championship and an all-time points tally added at season’s end).
16th Annual Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200 of 2011
- Our regular season races are usually 8-lap heats and 45-lap to 50-lap features. We occasionally change things up to twin-30-lap or twin 35-lap features or dump the heats and add laps to the feature. Each green flag lap is in the 15-17 second range, which leads to a lot of racing (more than most pay tracks we know of). 1st-timer rookies get practice time and rookie qualifier races (vets and track officials judge if you qualify – which means race calm, cool, collected, and SAFE enough – to race in the veteran feature or not).
- Our annual 200-lap Klassic Championship occurs every late-September/early-October. Our “Summer Season Point Series” ends with the Klassic 200. The final tally from that combined with our summer series determines the points and Klassic Championships of the track, and erratic post-Klassic races are “Fall Bonus Point Challenge races that only count for the All-Time points, but not the summer series.
- We do not offer prizes other than our small amount of fame on our website and YouTube videos.
- Most of us aren’t seeking a career in racing, so we race for the love and fun of the sport, and help each other compete to make the races as close and competitive as possible. The vets and co-founders will often help serious rookies more than themselves. We aren’t cutthroat and using this as a stepping stone to a big track race career. You have kiddie kartway pay tracks to do that if that’s your goal, although our track has had far more Oswego Speedway racers on it than the local pay track, and they all say how tough and gruelling and fun our racing is over all other forms of organized motorsport racing.
- We are called “Galletta’s” because we are sponsored by, hosted by and located behind Galletta’s Greenhouses in the town of Oswego, NY.
When do we race?
- Summer Point Races: We race every Sunday starting in June through August — with occasional mid-week rain dates or preemptive Friday or Saturday Rain Dates. Usually 45-70 green flag laps a week for points.
- Fall Race Series: We then switch to a driver-availability schedule every-other-Saturday/Fridays/occasional Sundays from September through November (until the weather stops cooperating). Pre-Klassic Fall races usually count for regular annual point series, post-Klassic Falle races usually count for All-Time point tally.
- Klassic 200-Lap Championship: Occurs on a Saturday sometime in either late September or early October (dependant on weather and regular driver availability).
- Countdown: Check the countdown timer in the upper left side column of the page.
Prices – We operate on nominal donations:
- Galletta’s Karting Club and Backyard Speedway is intended to be free, and is operated on a not-for-profit, self-sustaining, basis that runs completely on donations and time and work of the club members. We make no profit and the nominal fees pay only for the costs are of gas, track water, lights, parts, and kart and track labor are essentially free. We are NOT a pay racetrack facility, we are a backyard speedway that strives to make the racing as fun and competitive as possible. The vast majority of of our members agree that we have succeeded in this since our founding in the early 1990s. Donations to race are listed below.
- This is a race at your own risk track that operates under NY State Recreational Use Law and charges no money other than nominal donations.
10/3/2009: 14th Annual Klassic 200
To enter a race:
- To enter a race, you must have adequate protective clothing. Mandatory would be a full-face helmet with a visor that has good vision. Second would be full skin coverage with tough clothing (a race suit or jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, shoes and gloves with NO exposed skin). Not mandatory but highly suggested are neck braces and protective armor that absorbs impact (knee pads, elbow pads, shin pads, flak jackets, rib protectors… anything and everything that can protect you is highly smiled upon).
- You must sign a waiver agreeing to never hold anybody else liable for any injury sustained on our track. And this is serious racing with speeds between 35-50 mph depending on which area of our track. You can get injured, and must respect the kart’s power and race with SAFETY FIRST in mind.
- We have a standard $5-per-driver donation to head mechanic and track operator, Matt Stevens for all of his time and effort on his hobby that all of our club members enjoy.
- To enter your own kart, you must have a kart that meets our specs (if you do not have one, we occasionally have some for sale and you can have one custom built for you from scratch or rebuilt from an existing kart. Our specs are on our rules page). What most drivers usually do is rent one of our Galletta’s karts until they get a feel for it, then make or buy their own.
- We have race-ready, multi-feature-winning, highly competitive arrive-and-drive Team Galletta’s Greenhouse karts on site. Most of our regular drivers have their own karts, but if you do not, you are welcome to borrow one of these karts. They are a donation of $20 per regular race ($20 including your $5 per-driver donation to the track is $25). This covers the gas and part wear/replacement and has never ever made a profit. If we were a business, we’d be under. This is why it is called a donation. Veterans can arrange for less if they buy replacement parts, gas, and/or own their own engine and/or drive system, in which case the rental donation would just be a fraction of the cost (engine and drive system wear are the primary expenses in our club).
11th Annual Galletta’s
Klassic 150 – 9/23/2006 - The Klassic 200 and other longer events are more cost in donations, as longer races beat up the karts and track more, as well as burn more gas. We usually do $20 per 50 laps, but make discounts for regular veteran drivers. So, it pays to be an experienced regular veteran driver who races most of the year or a handful of times per year and not a once-or-twice-ever driver.
- Spectators? Races are free to watch, but all spectators must stay at least 10 feet away from the track AND the “hot” pit gate, and/or in back of a solid object when karts are on the track, and may be asked to get back or leave if they are being a hazard to themselves or others.
Our karts:
- Our karts are hybrid single-wheel drive racing karts that we build ourselves and usually cost between $300-$1,000 total, and used ones can be bought for $200-250. They are not yard karts. They are not prefabricated race chassis. They are a hybrid of both, which means they are nearly as fast but are FAR more affordable and durable than your average racing kart (that costs well over $1,000-$4,000 0 and although less precise, yet far more rangy than prefabricated race karts, which can only race on the flattest, smoothest race surfaces).
- Our motors are gas-powered Briggs & Stratton L-block Flatheads with race cams and shaved heads restricted by “Fun Power” 1990’s-style carbs. We allow heavier drivers to experiment with bigger cams, gear ratios, and/or gas Clone motors – provided all drivers approve and the integrity of the sport is not compromised with unfair advantages for one kart/driver over another.
12th Annual Galletta’s Klassic 200 on 9/23/2007
1st-Time Drivers:
- People are invited to join us racing, but you must understand basic racing rules, have full body (tough clothing covering all exposed skin) coverage, full-face helmet protection, and obey and respect all rules and regulations of the property owner, flaggers, kart owners, and your fellow karting competitors – with veteran and regular drivers taking more seniority over newbies.
One class fits all:
- Yep. No dozen or more divisions here. One class for ALL. Yes, no matter your age or weight, we weight down the lightest drivers and give the heaviest drivers extra horsepower via bigger race cams and gearing. The system is open to evolving each week to help as many of the drivers as humanly possible, and, for the most part, it works very, VERY well.
1st Official Oswego Speedway Kartway Classic 50 – Chris, Wes, & Matt Stevens sweep the top-3 in the Classic!
8/30/2007
Our rules:
- …are simple, yet painstakingly written out. Most are common sense race rules that most tracks abide by. Whatever isn’t already mentioned or painfully obvious is listed here. (NOTE: Our rules are subject to change based on the active drivers. They are all common sense racing rules.
Trigger alert – Facts for Scoffers:
From my vantage point, we have a lot of people in the general area that may be arrogant chickenshits because they could but choose not to race here. Not all, but some. Is that bad? Well, let me explain:
- We raced on one of the local pay tracks for three full seasons (and were the biggest class almost the entire duration until they stopped us from racing there over a disagreement with the rules of our division). It was fun (when we weren’t beating cheated against or mocked– “just yard karts” and “going the wrong way” were two common ones), but we do it our way and racing for over two decades (without ever once thinking we’ve spent too much money or thought of quitting), we think we’re doing something right. At least to us. And do not think for a second we don’t race on pay tracks because we are poor. We’re collectively small business owners/operators, and have full time jobs, homes, cars, expensive hobbies and growing families. Some of us could buy and sell some of the many of the race teams that are ALWAYS for sale on many of local kart tracks any time we wanted IF we really wanted to. We don’t. We’ve seen it, we like racing our way and we prefer spending almost nothing (a little gas and parts money is really not much at all) and racing with 15-20 karts in our backyard. Again, our website documents it all, and we love it. So, we don’t race at pay tracks for a multitude of reasons. We used to, but we don’t anymore. Not worth the expense, the bad sports, the over-competitive @$$#01e$ with no moral compasses on following rules, and headache with people who think differently than you on how to race.
- But let’s separate for a minute here: We’re NOT talking about the family affair racing. If you are a parent that wants to put your kids in a kart to race competitively AND you have the funds to pay for it for however long it takes to compete for wins, then those pay tracks and karts ARE the right decision for you. Our club and track are not equipped for kids, mainly just adults. We love seeing kids come up and then make the big tracks. It’s what kids karting is all about — as long as they don’t let it get to their heads (seen that too much, too).
- However… if one think they’re good karters because they race prefabricated cookie-cutter karts on kiddie kartways [that take your cash, herd you on, herd you off, and maybe give you a pic or a sticker]… AND they think/say our karts are shitty or dangerous or we’re a joke doesn’t make it true. Paying next to nothing or too much, racing is racing no matter the class, type or division. If you see something negative on our website, it’s usually in response to hearing or reading something that someone said or did and put down our karting style, and nothing more. But what MAY be closer to the truth is that they may say and think these things because they know deep down they don’t have the balls to show up and talent to race with us! And if this butthurt you… you don’t have what it takes to race anyway… ;)).Besides, for all of the bluster and hoorah over more expensive karting classes… do ANY of them have this for the past two+ decades?
Our Complete Race Season Video Playlists are on YouTube!
Ready to race? So are we! Navigate our site to see full race descriptions, driver profiles, and watch videos to all of our races since 2005 and all of our season and Klassic 200 rundowns from 1996! Enjoy the site! It’s what it was built for!
Enjoy each of our two decades worth of point-racing seasons with these over 200 race pages by clicking on the picture to each season. Each season will have its own list of full race descriptions and YouTube videos to each race:
COMPLETE SEASON APPENDIX:
 20th Season: 2015 |
19th Season: 2014 |
 18th Season: 2013 |
 17th Season: 2012 |
16th Season: 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 15th Season: 2010 |
14th Season: 2009 |
2009 (History & Banishment from Oswego Kartway) |
 13th Season at Galletta’s: 2008 |
 3rd Season @ Oswego Kartway: 2008 |
|
12th Season at Galletta’s: 2007 |
 2nd Season at Oswego Speedway Kartway: 2007 |
11th Season at Galletta’s: 2006 |
 1st Season at Oswego Speedway’s Dirt Track: 2006 |
 10th Season: 2005 |
 9th Season: 2004 |
 8th Season: 2003 |
 7th Season: 2002 |
 6th Season: 2001 |
 5th Season: 2000 |
 4th Season: 1999 |
 3rd Season: 1998 |
 2nd Season: 1997 |
 2nd Season: 1996 |
 The Early Years: 1980’s! |
Where else can you race for gas-and-parts pocket change weekly in competitive racing karts and hone your skills against the two most-experienced karters in Oswego, NY — Galletta’s Karting Club founders and brothers Matt and Chris Stevens who have combined for 212 Feature wins out of 363 feature events the duo has run on both Galletta’s and Oswego Kartway racing against 258 different drivers between the mid-1990s to now! You haven’t truly raced in a go-kart race in Oswego, NY until you have raced against whom many refer to as the “Galletta’s Brothers.” And you can’t say you truly won one unless you win one with them on the same track.
THE GALLETTA’S KARTING CLUB 200-LAP KLASSIC (15th Annual Championship on 10/2/2010)
Galletta’s Karting Club, located in Oswego, NY, is a go-kart racing club that specializes on racing as professionally as we can for as economically as possible. We developed a style of kart racing that is different, but no less competitive than any national karting organization. Our biggest difference is affordability. Our club is free to join and race in, and the only thing anybody pays for is gas and parts. We are the largest and longest-running dirt karting class in the local area, as we were founded in the early 1990s and our average feature is 45-Laps usually consisting of 10-15 karts, with a 200-Lap “Klassic” Championship at Summer’s end deciding an Annual Points Champion. We race homemade 1-Wheel-Drive racing karts that can race on professional karting tracks and backyard speedways alike. We have karts rebuilt from used racing chassis, used yard karts and some built from scratch. We have ONE class to ensure a true overall track champion, and not have several smaller classes of divisional champions with no clear winner. We race used 5hp Briggs Flathead motors fueled by pump gas, sped-up by hand-shaved heads, and regulated by stock Fun Power-type carburetors instead of expensive prefabricated 2-WD chassis powered by high-priced methanol-fueled motors. On our own backyard oval speedway, we turn clockwise with our top speeds approximately 45-50 MPH. Although we all run in the same division, in addition to a minimum weight requirement, we have something unique to our inclusive class — a weight-to-power-allowance scale to allow heavier drivers more horsepower via stronger racing cams and more powerful gear ratios, a system proven to be successful as we have the tightest competition and most varied winner’s circle locally over the last few years.
I am Christopher Galletta Stevens, the Galletta’s Karting Club co-founder, racer, documentarian, statistician, video producer, video narrator and webmaster. I have written all of these pages and put up all of these pictures and videos for your enjoyment (and mine… none of us get paid for doing this, so if I didn’t enjoy doing it, this site wouldn’t exist). I hope you come back often to get entertained, and heck… maybe even join us! Real drivers race with us. See you on the track!
Our karting club’s home track is located in back of:
Galletta’s Greenhouses
60 County Route 20
Oswego, NY 13126-6512
(315) 343-0879 or (315) 343-4281
Need directions? Here they are!
2022
![2022 Season at the Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Club & Backyard Speedway – Year 27! [+YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-Gallettas-Playlist.jpg)
2022 Season at the Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Club & Backyard Speedway – Year 27! [+YouTube]
After a 20-month hiatus (two offseasons and all of last season), Galletta’s Backyard Karting Speedway was back to racing for our 26th Points Racing Season (out of 27 years). It appears that we didn’t get a 200 in due to…
![2022/11/05 – LAST CALL for a Klassic? Nope… Twin 20s! Chris Stevens SWEEPS! [+YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/20221105_201223-chris-wins-twins-600x600.jpg)
2022/11/05 – LAST CALL for a Klassic? Nope… Twin 20s! Chris Stevens SWEEPS! [+YouTube]
We may not get our annual 200-Lap Championship in due to a lack of regular drivers (yet again?!), but we still got an excellent couple of races in! Week #17:…
![2022/10/22 – Pre-Klassic Tune-Up Twin 20s won by Chris Stevens & Josh Arnold! [+YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20221022_201228-winz-600x600.jpg)
2022/10/22 – Pre-Klassic Tune-Up Twin 20s won by Chris Stevens & Josh Arnold! [+YouTube]
Week #16: Saturday 2022/10/22 – ANOTHER Pre-Klassic Tune-Up Twin 20s! [+YouTube] Despite an unseasonably warm, beautifully sunny, and PERFECT Fall day for racing, due to a lack of drivers available in…
2022/10/15 – Pre-Klassic Tune-Up – “The Return of The Reuter” 25-Lapper +YouTube
Saturday, October 15th, 2022 – In our struggle to get both the weather (seasonably unpredictable as we go on in the Fall) and driver attendance (work conflicts, scheduling issues, people…
![Saturday, September 10th, 2022 – “Snooze-U-Lose Bonus Points” Race won by Andrew Hook! [YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220910_214951-andy-win-600x563.jpg)
Saturday, September 10th, 2022 – “Snooze-U-Lose Bonus Points” Race won by Andrew Hook! [YouTube]
Labor Day Weekend ’22 – Race Postponed [Not Enough Drivers + Labor Day Festivities] Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, September 2nd-4th, 2022 – As one can see scrolling through this season’s…
![2022/08/27 – Attack of the Crazy In-Law (Again!) Twin 20s Nite [+YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20220827_211512-gallettas-c-600x600.jpg)
2022/08/27 – Attack of the Crazy In-Law (Again!) Twin 20s Nite [+YouTube]
Saturday, August 27th, 2022 – “A Crazy Lady & Her Son Called Us Gay Pussies With No Balls And Said She Was Going To Kill Us On The Track &…
![2022/07/24 – Newcomer 15-Lap B-Main & Regular Racer 25-Lappers won by Logan Crisafulli & Matt Stevens [+YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20220724_224724-winnorz-600x600.jpg)
2022/07/24 – Newcomer 15-Lap B-Main & Regular Racer 25-Lappers won by Logan Crisafulli & Matt Stevens [+YouTube]
July 24th, 2022 – “Newcomers 15 & Regular 25 Lappers” SUNDAY, JULY 24th, 2022, Oswego, New York – We had a packed show with several relative newcomers who raced a…
![2022/07/17 – “Okay, No Pool This Time, But I Ran Over That Bunny!” N. Olivares & A. Hook Win the 25 & 20-Lappers! [+YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20220717_223926-nic-andy-win-dead-bunny-45-600x600.jpg)
2022/07/17 – “Okay, No Pool This Time, But I Ran Over That Bunny!” N. Olivares & A. Hook Win the 25 & 20-Lappers! [+YouTube]
July 17th, 2022 – “Okay, No Pool This Time, But I Ran Over That Bunny!” 25 & 20-Lappers! OSWEGO, NEW YORK – Sunday, July 17th, 2022 – Four features, four…
![2022/07/10 – 26th Annual Season Opener Kiddie Pools & Bunnies 25 & 20 Lappers! Bartlett & Hartpence win! [+YouTube]](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20220710_230636-trav-dj-win-1200px-1-600x583.jpg)
2022/07/10 – 26th Annual Season Opener Kiddie Pools & Bunnies 25 & 20 Lappers! Bartlett & Hartpence win! [+YouTube]
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,…
Post Module #1
![2024/8/13 – Twice-Rained-out Raindate Twin 20s Won by Chris Stevens & Matt Stevens [+YouTube]- (copy)](https://karting.gallettasgreenhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240813_210929-gallettas-chris-matt.jpg)
2024/8/13 – Twice-Rained-out Raindate Twin 20s Won by Chris Stevens & Matt Stevens [+YouTube]- (copy)
??? TUESDAY, AUGUST 13th, 2024, OSWEGO, N.Y. – A rainy Sunday led to a raindate of Monday, which led to…
