KARTS
The Hybrid Racing Yard Karts of the Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Club fleet:
All active karts are 1-wheel-drive chassis powered by the legal Galletta’s Karting Club motor: Briggs & Stratton 5hp Flathead motors with house-legal racing mods (shaved heads, hot stocker racing cams, with heavier drivers/karts allowed a higher rated racing cam to equalize the time trials), and all are painstakingly adjusted by club founder Matt Stevens to be extremely close in top speed.
Many are arrive-and-drive available to rent for gas+parts money, usually $20 a regular 50-70 lap night, more for 200-Lap Klassic. Some are owned by individual drivers in the club. And some are for sale *(or rent) by their owners. The chassis have motors replaced every few years, but usually, all are relatively close in speed. The difference is almost always (99 times out of 100) the driver’s experience, patience when needed, aggression when needed, and a little luck. If an experienced driver runs it, it can often win any race it enters (check each kart’s history). If novice drivers drive them, they may not only not win, but even get lapped. Pretty simple.
The above picture was taken before the 2014 Galletta’s Klassic 200, and many karts go unused most weekends, so join us. The Galletta’s Team karts are available most weeks to either watch or rent during race season at Galletta’s. The team karts listed are karts that have raced in many events and all have won at least one feature event in our race class. Some are owned by drivers, some are missing from the action with parts unknown. Here’s more detail on each:
THE “ARRIVE-AND-DRIVE” GALLETTA’S GO-KART FLEET
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team #0 Kart
Originally an antique racing kart owned by former club driver (SBS veteran) Cameron Rowe and donated to the club by former club driver Tom Culeton in 2002 for Jesse Vivlemore to race (but he rarely raced it), it has been a…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #1
Built from scratch in 1999 by Wes and Matt Stevens, the black-and-purple #1 has had a long history of crazy accidents with various drivers. Often available as a rental kart on most weekends. For years it seemed as if it…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #2
Built from scratch in 1998 by Wes and Matt Stevens but using the cannibalized parts from the OLD Galletta’s #1, the blue-and-silver #2 has had a long history of obscurity mixed with triumphant wins. Originally Chris Stevens’ ride, he won…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #3
“Only at Galletta’s can a racer bring your A-Game and have some dude in an old beat-up Manco Yard Kart humble you.” – Someone Probably… Our oldest kart. Originally a 1980s neon green machine Manco yard kart owned by Dave…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #4
Originally a Manco yard kart purchased new for the club new the 1990s and rebuilt several times in the 1990s by Wes and Matt Stevens, the #4 has been driven primarily by Matt Stevens, Wes Stevens and Chris Stevens, although…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #5
The Galletta’s #5 has a long history of impressive wins, including Klassics… and some VERY close calls with even more Klassic wins! Built from scratch in the year 2000, it was originally driven by Chris Stevens, who piloted it to…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #6
The #6 started as a built-from-scratch project for Matt Stevens in 2000 and is available most weekends as an “arrive & drive” rental kart. It is often paired with 1st-timer rookies because — as required with them — it takes…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #7
The #7 started as a built-from-scratch project to make a lighter kart for a heavier driver in 2001. It has always been a fast kart with many different winning drivers (Tim & Justin Galletta, Ryan Coleman, Buddy Cottom, Dick & Nick…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #8
Galletta’s Greenhouse / Chrusher.com / R&C Sushi Bar LLC Hybrid Racing Yard Kart #8 The Galletta’s Greenhouse / Chrusher.com / R&C Sushi Bar LLC #8 is a hybrid single-wheel-drive Galletta-type racing yard kart owned and driven by Chris Stevens. It…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #9
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team #9: In 2007, Kelly Miller and Kyle Reuter brought out a black #9 kart and promptly flipped it. And flipped it again. And again. In fact, several drivers drove and flipped it until it was given…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #o1
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team #01: A former Thunder Island kart purchased from Charles Gibson in 1992 by Chris Stevens, the Black Bart #1 was often driven by Chris , although we played more musical chair races then (Wes, Matt, Jesse…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #19 Kart
AKA The Scissors ‘n’ Fur #19 Kart: In 2009, Melissa Gabel Stevens purchased an abandoned kart project from Larry Phillips. It was rebuilt by Matt and Wes Stevens to become Melissa Stevens’ backup, although she now prefers racing it over…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team #83c (24 / 33c)
Formerly the Gary Miller racing #24, the chassis was a former Kyle Reuter Dingo yard kart that was rebuilt for Galletta’s-style racing by Dick Dann and then adapted further by Wes Stevens. Gary and his son won a handful of…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team #33
The “Silver Bullet #33” was built in late 2006 by Wes Stevens under the careful instructions of Matt Stevens to punish all who dared race him on either Galletta’s or Oswego Kartways. It promptly won its 1st race out of…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #43 / 13
Formerly the Brian Galletta and Randy Platt rebuild of a yard kart for Brian Galletta and numbered #13. It proved to be a VERY fast kart, but rarely gets raced because Brian was forced to sell it only after a year…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #74
Otherwise known as Frankenfreakart due to the numerous rebuilds, it was once a live-axle/2-wheel-drive racing kart. Joe Hayden originally introduced the kart to our races as the Team OHV Outlaw #5 at Oswego Kartway from 2007-08 (until track operator Jim Losurdo…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team Kart #78
…Formerly the Woolworth Racing #78, and before that the Sereno #78, Eric Woolworth’s #78 seemingly had 7 or 8 owners, including himself, his brother Branden “Tumor” Matott and original re-builder Joe Sereno. A small, but fast kart, both brothers won races behind…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team #80
In 2008, the then Melissa Gabel (now Stevens) commissioned a kart to be built from scratch by Wes and Matt Stevens. A 100% identical clone to her then-fiancee Matt Stevens’ Galletta’s #33, but with bigger bumpers. Even though the kart…
Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #93 Kart
(formerly the Dick Dann #86, the Tim Galletta #54, the Dave Spanfelner #54, and Josh Arnold #93) is known as the winningest big-man kart in the fleet. Countless drivers over +6′ and +200 lbs. have scored many victories in it!…
THE “VISITOR DRIVER” GO-KARTS
Visitor’s #00 Kart
The #00 kart was owned and driven primarily by Russ Hockey between 2007-10. Hockey Racing #00 (2007-10) From 2007-2010 at both Galletta’s and Oswego Kartway, Russ Hockey stormed his way to many top-five finishes and a few feature wins in…
Visitor’s Kart #81 / #12j / #24c
Another missing kart. First brought to our club in 2012 by Dave Spanfelner as the red #81, who jumped ship for Oswego Kartway in 2014. Jason King then purchased it and renumbered it #12, who scored a feature win and…
Visitor’s #15 Kart
Barrelin Bortel #15: Barrelin’ Brian Bortel brought a converted yard kart to our races in 2005-07, first a blue & yellow and then purple #15 later on. Bortel turned his poor finish and barrel-roll flippin’ struggles in 2004-05 into some…
Visitor’s #18 Kart (& Stable)
Team Maynes Racing #18: Ed Maynes stormed to a handful of impressive feature wins at Galletta’s and Oswego Speedway Kartways between 2004-06 in his #18 converted yard kart (sometimes painted neon green, occasionally pink, and sometimes silver). He also built/adapted 3…
Visitor’s Kart #28 / 39
Randy Platt built the Platt-Num #28 from scratch in time for the start of the 2011 Season. Randy drove it on and off until Brian Galletta bought the kart later that year and drove it on and off when he…
Visitor’s Kart #42
Galletta Bros./Platt-Num Racing #42: Brian Galletta and Randy Platt created a kart from scratch around Brian Galletta’s design of being encased in the cockpit with many metal bars. It is a VERY sturdy kart, but also very big and heavy,…
Visitor’s #68 / 35 / 02 / 88 Kart
[STOLEN!!!] A kart with a convoluted and complex history. Let’s examine it through its many owner/drivers. Dann #02 / 68 Era (2006-09) Originally a yard kart rebuilt into a Galletta’s style Racing kart by Dick Dann for his son Nick…
Visitor’s Platt-Num Murder #187 Kart
This kart has a bit of a long name. Bear with us. The Bobandinator Platt-Num, Pl-Attitude Murder 187 Babymaker mobile. An old race kart frame once owned by Kelly Miller, sold to Brian Bortel, sold to Chris Stevens, sold to…
Visitor’s Kart #04 / #14 / #88 / #29
Another kart with a long, convoluted history, the L&K Small Engine #04 / Ruggio #02 / Woolworth #88 / Good Guys Barbershop #88 / Gleason #29: 2007-10 The L&K Small Engine #04 was a retired Thunder Island kart that was…
Visitor’s OHV Outlaw Karts
The OHV Outlaw Karts were owned and driver by a handful of drivers who called themselves “Outlaws” when we thought that the OHV (Overhead Valve) Stock Animal engines that they were using were a bit too much horsepower for our…
Always looking for more drivers and more karts!
There’s room on our roster and we’re always looking for good, dedicated drivers who want to have CLEAN FUN racing without the expenses, cheating and stressful cutthroat “me-1st” or “my kid 1st” mentality of most pay-karting tracks, as founders Matt and Chris want people to compete with, not people to beat. That’s why we have 20+ karts and have fun racing in our backyard with friends and family instead of just having 1-2 to try and show up people at all the local pay tracks. We WANT people who can beat us and have neck-and-neck, bumper-to-bumper, nip-at-the-line battles on a weekly basis, not bump, grind, crash, and/or dominate everyone. That’s our goal, not personal glory. If you see us (or at least me) with more wins and points, it’s only because we race weekly and nothing more. Experience and just being there on the track. Anybody can join, anybody can run these karts, and anyone can win with enough experience. Try it (and try it for more than 1-2 races. Most learning curves are 3-17 races, and most drivers give up after 1 or 2). Hope to see you at Galletta’s!
