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

• 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.

HEAT #1

HEAT #2

45-LAP FEATURE EVENT

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