Galletta's Karting Club

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 was built from scratch late in 2003 by Wes Stevens (with help by Matt Stevens and Randy Platt), but did not enter a race, nor get numbered or painted until the start of the 2004 season. Chris Stevens fell in love with the kart’s balance and handling in early 2004 and has been the exclusive driver of it ever since–it has been his primary kart raced from 2004-up.

Chris Stevens has driven the kart to many victories at Galletta’s Greenhouse Backyard Speedway and Oswego Kartway at Oswego Speedway, highlighted by the 2007 Oswego Kartway 15-kart/50-lap “Mixed-Motor/Gas Stocker/1-WD Super Yard Kart” Classic at Oswego Speedway, and the 2011, 2012 and 2015 Galletta’s Greenhouse 200-Lap Klassic Championship races, as seen below.

Memorable Victories in the Galletta’s #8

	2015 Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200:  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th, 2015: This one was one for the ages. All night, Kyle Reuter and Chris Stevens had the lead and either passed each other due to traffic or running out of gas. It set up an unbelievable battle between Kye, Chris, and Matt Stevens on the final laps that caused Matt to break, Chris to run out of gas with 1 lap to go. On the next restart, a refueled Chris Stevens surprised Reuter with a slingshot pass to pull off an improbable win the 20th running of the biggest and most important Karting race in Oswego, NY… PERIOD. More…->
	2012 Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200:  SATURDAY,OCTOBER 6th, 2012: For the first time in the 17-year history of the event, our 200 lapper saw controversy deflate the championship. Matt and Chris Stevens battled through the field during the second half of the race, and back and forth in 1st and 2nd for the stretch run. Chris Stevens passed the finish line in first place, although Matt protested because he put himself in the back of the pack from incidental contact with a lapped kart (and he was not instructed to)! Matt did wind up being awarded a tie and by doing so, also the track championship. More…->
	2011 Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Klassic 200:  SATURDAY,OCTOBER 8th, 2011: A grueling 200 laps saw Chris Stevens break a 10-year dry-spell by winning his first Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Klassic since 2001 (while running almost on fumes)! It was not easy, as he time trialed 5th, and had to come from the back of the field twice and then held off his brother Matt to take the win. More…->
	2007 Oswego Speedway Classic 50 (Gas Stock Dirt Kartway Division): Chris Stevens and his wife “Au” Rungnapha after the Oswego Speedway Dirt Kartway’s 2007 Classic, where Chris scored the 5hp/6.5hp Gas Stocker Division’s Classic win in the 5hp Galletta’s Greenhouse #8 Kart. The race is generally known as the biggest and most exciting race in the history of that track judging by the on-track kart count (15), laps (50), the racing, a few funny crashes, and the “oohs & aahs” from the crowd. Chris wanted his brother Matt to pose as well – as he is the master mechanic of all Galletta’s karts AND the 2006-08 Track Champion of that track – but they hurried us off. View more on this race here. More->

Career Tagged Victories in the Galletta’s Team #8 Kart [Last Updated 12/31/2020]

• Feature races tagged as being won in the Galletta’s Greenhouse #8 kart.
• Klassic Championship Races tagged as being won in the in the Galletta’s Greenhouse #8 kart.

Fun facts:

• Motor and kart setup maintained by all-time winning-est Oswego driver, Galletta’s Karting Club head mechanic and track operator (and Chris’ brother) – Matt Stevens.
• It was numbered #8 because it was the eighth Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team kart built (not counting the donated #0).
• It was rebuilt lower to the ground in 2007 to corner better at Oswego Kartway and be less “flippable” on both Galletta’s and Oswego. It rarely flipped before (once in 2004 and possibly once or twice in ’05 or ’06) and has not flipped once since the rebuild.
• Kart sponsored by Galletta’s Greenhouse (GallettasGreenhouse.com), ChrusherComix Studios (Chrusher.Com), and R&C Sushi Bar LLC (OswegoSushi.com)… which all happen to be Chris’ three jobs, so they really aren’t sponsors as much as they are self-advertising.
• As with the primary karts of club founders Chris and Matt, Chris usually does not want the kart wrecked and broken by a sloppy/inexperienced driver, and would only trust experienced drivers such as himself, his brother Matt Stevens, or possibly only a few of the more respected and experienced drivers hat have raced with us behind the wheel in an actual race.
• It was painted white and green (with silver numbers) by Chris Stevens (the head of kart paint design at Galletta’s) for three reasons – (1) there was no white or green kart in the Galletta’s Karting Club at the time, (2) Chris remembers the sharp look of the Roger Treichler #74 NASCAR modified that raced at Oswego Speedway in the early 1980s, which was one of his favorite looking cars at Oswego at the time, and (3) the green-and-white New York Jets are Chris favorite football team since the late 1970s (to more sadness and seasonal despair than much joy) :
  

FEATURE Victories in the Galletta’s Greenhouse racing #8

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