Galletta's Karting Club

Galletta’s Go-Kart Speedway 2006 Event #9 results:
Sunday, August 6th, 2006 (Two 10-lap Heats and 40-lap Feature)
A great evening of hard racing action was in store for the Galletta’s Go-Kart association. The racing was fast and furious, as were the wrecks. However, disappointing all, Team Maynes (Ed, Rick, Kenny, Chris, and Jason Mills) did not show. Jason’s work schedule left him unable to attend (all drivers, please arrive earlier!), and apparently Ed wasn’t feeling well. We hope they’ll be back next week. Regardless, Ed’s 3rd place points were bound to take a hit by missing an event with such a close race between 2nd and 5th. We are devising a points formula (kind of like a passer rating in football; adding total points, wins, races attended, and points-per-event) to help drivers who missed a race or two still contend for the title. Now to the race…

  (LEFT) Heat #1 was won by points leader, Matt “Mush” Stevens (#3) followed by Ogre Stevens (#4) and Rob Jimenez (#5).
(RIGHT) Heat #2 was won by Dick Dann (in his brand new #86 on it’s 1st time out at Galletta’s) challenged by Chris “ChrusherComix” Stevens (#8; AKA me) and Billy Kuykendell (#6).

[NOTE: The two below pictures and descriptions were added retroactively when it was seen that a few local karters — including a rather cantankerous old man ‘racer’ who we never met but apparently lives a minute down the road from us — who were mocking us, our club, and our track on Howard’s racing website. We don’t believe in mocking or being disrespectful to ANYONE. However, if people give it to us, we have been known to give some back in self-defense. Trolls deserve some of their own medicine, sometimes, no? Enjoy!].

More shenanigans with Howard Seabrook! This time, his team (his kids) took the pin out of his steering column and on the very 1st lap of his heat race from his pole-handicap position, he caused a pileup. It’s getting to the point where these guys are getting to be highly comical. Rumor has it that they will be making their own track to cut their teeth on. We will miss the fun! Oh, those wacky Woodland Trailer Park boys!

The 12-cart feature was filled with both tremendous racing action as well as some devastating accidents. The lead changed a few times early, with Gary Miller (#24) coming up through the field and getting Nick Dann (#02) for the early lead. Similar with most full-moon races, many wrecks plagued the early going (all spectacular accidents that involved nearly every single driver – though some more than others – the DVD is a MUST SEE!). When Gary blew a chain, it set up a tremendous battle for the finish. Billy Kuykendell, in only his 4th race, took the Galletta’s Rental #6 to the lead and started running away from the rest of the field (though he needed a warning for jumping the gun and passing two people before the leader passed the start line on a restart – usually a disqualification [SEE RULES], but instead he was put back into his pre-jump position). Dick Dann (in his brand new #86) followed up last week’s impressive performance with another exciting race were he held off top guns Chris, Matt, Rob, Gary, and Ogre for a dozen or so laps, and enabled Matt, Rob and Chris to shuffle back and forth behind him as they kept failing to get by the #86. Finally, Chris was able to pass Rob, Matt and Dick together in a tremendous inside move that involved more than a handful of side-to-side laps. For the final 20 laps, the battle was on, but one that wasn’t without controversy…

On laps #20 through 40, the race was on for literal bumper-to-bumper racing with Bill, Chris, Matt, Rob, and Gary Miller. Bill, Chris, and Matt would put a little distance on as the race progressed, but restarts would equalize out. Rob dropped out with a handful of laps to go, and the race would soon see an amazing finish! A lack of communication between scorekeepers and the flag people were the culprit for the controversy. Let’s examine the tape…

According to scorekeeper Amanda, on what was meant to be scored as lap #40, the lap counter read 39 and the white flag was waived (Bill claimed that he thought that the checkered flag was waived, but the tape showed that it wasn’t; something that happened to Ed Meynes on week one, to which Chris gave Ed his position back after the race, and Chris thought that a yellow was out, and partially slowed as well). Chris (who was not just racing Bill, but making sure that Matt didn’t have any passing lanes, as the points title is essentially between Chris and Matt ever year) then made his move which he was saving for the final lap, and pulled alongside Bill on the inside between turns 2 and 3. They raced side-by-side for nearly the entire lap, with Chris holding a slight advantage. As they rounded the corner on the following lap, with the audience cheering for rookie Bill and the checkered flag waiving, Chris nipped Bill on the Finish line by three inches or less, virtually a tie. Checkered flag waiver Gary Miller Jr. noted how close the finish was on the tape. After they crossed the finish line, Amanda then turned it to lap 40. Another camera…

Again, from a  different angle (better visible in the DVD, as these are low resolution captures), we see the white flag and lap 39 on the counter. We then see Chris and Bill racing side-by-side to the line, with Chris getting him by less than half of a tire at the checker… then the lap counter flipped to 40. (If you cannot view the above flash file, then open this animated GIF. If neither are suitable, buy the DVD! Or f*** it, watch it on YouTube! Ha!).

As if that camera angle didn’t show enough, why not look at this one too, while you’re at it? The white flag is CLEARLY seen by all except the leader and a few people who were friends and family of the leader.

Chris (who scores the races as the officials, spectators and drivers agree, with the VIDEOTAPE as undisputable evidence when there is ANY disagreement) was going to record it a tie, but when they pulled into the garage, Kris Pitsley, Bill’s wife, and several others protested the outcome, saying that the white flag lap WAS lap 40, we went an extra lap, and that I (Chris) had a conflict of interest. Now this amazed me considering that I was going to award a tie to Bill even though I saw from my vantage point that I clearly beat him to the checkered flag and I wanted Bill to get a win in. We also wondered that if the situation was reversed, and say Bill or Rob nipped Matt or me (Chris) at the checker – would they protest to go to the white flag lap? Or Rob nipped Bill? There is no conflict of interest at Galletta’s, as Chris and Matt want as many great racers as possible on their track, and if they didn’t, then all of the rental karts would be stinkers (not capable of winning like so many have done in them), and they wouldn’t help set up other driver’s own karts to compete either. The drivers race to the white-then-checker-then-yellow. We can’t count the laps in our heads and race these vehicles at high speeds against others. That’s what the lap counters are for. And why the flags must fly and tell the drivers so. We don’t have AMB scoring, we’re just a for-fun backyard racing club. No money, just fun racing and posting our fun races online for the world to enjoy. Over the eleven years of racing at Galletta’s we have sometimes completed too few laps, and sometimes too many – but the race is over when the drivers see the checker and then the yellow. Mary Stevens, who used to count the laps for the 1st 7 or 8 seasons (and owner of the greenhouse who doesn’t even like us racing), made that rule years ago. She would count every lap if everybody but one or two guys completed a green, and that the race is over at the checker – which was supposed to be on the 40th lap, and if an extra lap was run, it wasn’t the driver’s fault, but the scorekeepers and flag people. Period. To avoid further problems, pay closer attention, mark the laps correctly, and make sure that the white and the green flags are thrown on the correct laps. Let this week be a lesson that we never run too few or too many laps again, or people let off on the last lap. Thanks!).

Also, while we as racers and race FANS know, when people win too much, fans just want to see other people win. That’s fine and understandable. We have favorites and we see guys who win too much and we want to see someone “new” win watching Supermodifieds at Oswego or anywhere also, too. But when everyone cheers for some kid off the street to beat over-a-decade vets on their own track in their own karts in just his 2nd race, then throw a foot-stomping temper tantrum when he makes a ROOKIE mistake and lets up, which costs him the race, yet said vet awards him the tie ANYWAYS… it’s kind of a slap in our faces. C’mon, have some respect for the guys that put on the show… that build the karts, maintain the karts, build the track, maintain the track, let you on their property to race and/or watch, videotape them, put them on the internet… FOR YEARS. ANd throw a temper tantrum for a guy who just started [and, in hindsight, THE DUDE NEVER RACED AGAIN? Way to show how bad you want to win! He deserved it SO MUCH, didn’t he?]. Not to mention how Chris hasn’t won anywhere close to what his brother Matt has won in the past 3-4 years. And we are gracious winners and humble losers. We’re cool, calm and calculating, and we’ve won and lost so many races, it’s not THAT big of a deal. We don’t cheat, and the ONLY thing we get mad about is when someone accuses US of cheating! If we cheated, NOBODY would ever win, ok? lol! We win and lose without problems and we have the thrill of the competitin. If we rigged it, where’s the fun? Who cares if you won dishonestly? To win fair and square is the fun! And to lose fair and square is nothing to sneer at, as long as you competed as well as you could, didn’t give up, and are ready to go again and try to get the next one. The only time we ever show anger is if someone cheated to win, wrecked us, or accused us of cheating. Because that is UTTER bullshit and anybody who knows us knows we don’t race like that and DESPISE that. The rest of the time, we race clean, fair, and to the winner we give a thumbs up and a smile to! [Oh, and then later we found out something so funny it hurt! How we were told, in hindsight, it was discovered that the 50/50 tickets that you guys that were all angry about this outcome operated and RIGGED to pay the guy’s way into a rental kart? After that, you STILL angrily protest the race? Really?!] Thanks, guys. Way to treat your friends like friends. Or aren’t we? :/ -Chris

2006 Volume #8 DVD:
Contains the August 6th, 2006 races at Galletta’s. Infamous “tie” race. Two camera angles of each race. Price $5.

VIEW THE DVD! DVD is available for $3-$5.
All pics are internet-reduced, low-resolution screenshots from the DVD. DVDs are $5 each, but if you pre-order and buy multiple discs we can discount to $3 each, or more depending on how many one orders. 2 hours+ of action on every disc, two camera angles, and packed with tight racing and spectacular flips and crashes right in front of the cameras! And this week, partially announced by Colin Miller! Cameras operated by Uncle Gene Galletta, Rungnapha “Au” Stevens, and captures are all optimized for the website by Chris “ChrusherComix” Stevens for free, so please give your thanks and buy a DVD!

(Attention Howard Seabrook; Chris wants to get a copy of all Oswego Speedway events to fill out “2006 Volume One” of our DVD collection, so please contact him about a trade, like you promised him! Thanks!)

August 6th, 2006 “41-lap” Feature Final order or finish:

* = Tie was awarded due to controversial and disputed finish.

2006 Galletta’s Go-Karts Point Standings
After 9 feature events from 6/11/2006 thru 8/6/2006:

NEW: POINTS SCORING SYSTEM IS NOW IN RULES SECTION and also below!
Each heat and feature is started in a handicap order, reversed from points-per-event (low-to-high).
Inexperienced drivers with less than 10 races and wreck-prone drivers start in the back regardless of points.
Points are scored based on finishing positions in heats and features (with bonus points for each feature lap in the top 3 spots).

Oswego Speedway Mixed-Class Dirt Track Exhibition:
Friday, August 4th, 2006 (Two 10-lap Heats and 20-lap Feature)

There were 15 mixed-class karts in an exhibition at Oswego Speedway’s dirt track (Galletta’s Go-Kart style all-stock-part 5-horsepowers, and several competitors had 5.5hp-6.5hp OHV and one Raptor motor). We were planning on going in for a purse, but when the track officials put us in with an open class, we couldn’t do it. Pictures by Rungnapha “Au” (Ooh) Stevens, and optimized for web by Chris “ChrusherComix” Stevens.

Heat One was won by Brian Bortel (#15) followed by Matt Stevens (#3) and Robbie Jimenez (#5). Heat Two was won by Chris “Yours Truly” Stevens (#8; out of camera) followed by Mark Miller (#00), Howard Seabrook, Derek Woodworth, Jason Mills and Mike Billion at Oswego Speedway’s Super-Yard Kart Division. Full-size pictures on the previous page.

The feature was won by Chris Stevens (#8) followed by Matt Stevens (#3) and Nick Dann (#02). Matt started on the pole, but Chris and Nick came up through the field. Though 15 karts started the race, several expired before the race’s end. This race did not count towards Galletta’s points, as it was just for fun. Again, if Mark Miller, Mike Billion, and their friends wanted to race at Galletta’s, they could with preferably lighter frames and 5hp engines (too many competitors and spectators strongly resented racing with tank frames and bigger motors – its just a different class; like trucks against cars). The Galletta’s class is a pure flathead 5hp Briggs class with 100% stock parts (see rules and/or Matt for specifics – he will help anybody tune their flathead motor for racing here). Chris has helped several competitors buy Briggs 5hp motors on eBay (Ed, Rick, Jason, Brian, and Gary – though Gary didn’t pay for his yet) and Matt has helped virtually every competitor tune their motors to Galletta’s specifications, so see him.

Meanwhile, here is next Sunday’s handicapping order:

Start / PPR / Race / Win / Name
01. 083.00 1 0 Gary Miller Jr.
02. 089.06 8 0 Rick Meynes
03. 090.50 2 0 Phil Hall
04. 092.21 7 0 Jason Mills
05. 092.67 3 0 Oscar Berry
06. 092.90 5 0 Nick Dann
07. 093.50 2 0 Kenny Meynes
08. 093.88 7 0 Dick Dann
09. 094.06 9 0 Fred Collins
10. 094.67 3 0 Josh Schute
11. 108.28 9 0 Robby Jimenez
—Feature Winner cutoff—
12. 106.00 4 1 Brian Bortel
13. 107.20 5 1 Gary Miller Sr.
14. 109.78 9 1 Wesley Stevens
15. 121.63 8 1 Ed Meynes
16. 125.56 9 1.5 Chris Stevens
17. 129.13 4 0.5 Billy Kuykendell
18. 137.00 9 3 Matt Stevens
—All other drivers cutoff—