Welcome to the Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Club & Backyard Speedway’s website!

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 WITHOUT spending wars. The original, longest-running, and largest karting class in the area, we are also the easiest to join – we have over 20 equally fast, feature-winning, arrive-and-drive karts to join into the weekly Summer-Fall 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 pay track classes take to join and compete, as we CAP the type or parts and prices). And, some of the more experienced drivers at Galletta’s have been racing more than a decade before any of the local pay tracks were built and some have hundreds of more races under their belts. Come race where Kyle Reuter once called, “the Rucker Park of karting.” Read on to see our twenty year history of weekly points racing (with COMPLETE race videos and complete rundowns of each season since 1995 – and race from 2005) every June through October in Oswego, NY! Enjoy!

Next race is Scheduled for:

TBA: Stay Tuned! 25th Annual 200-Lap Klassic is coming, and the karts & track needed work. No race for this weekend, looking at either Sat. 9/26, or Sat. 10/3. Please stay tuned for more info.

The track is open and races are scheduled almost every Summer Sunday (June-August) evenings (and many a Fall Saturday (September-October) afternoons). However, due to driver availability, our scheduling is completely dependant on drivers showing up. Keep in touch for more details.

We race mostly ‘arrive-and-drive rental’ but also have ‘run-what-you-brung’ karts (classed only by motor type and weight handicaps; see Matt for details), and closed all other times. Exact timing TBA and based on active driver consensus. This is subject to change based on the weather’s effect of the track condition, and driver count. In addition, our schedule is flexible and depending on weather and driver availability, we can occasionally change to Fridays or Saturdays to beat rain or for a special event. But our go-to dates for racing are usually Summer Sundays and Fall Saturdays. Our class is a maximum of 20 qualifiers on track, and we’ve never had too many racers, but all too often not enough drivers to fill all of our open karts. Come on up!

COVID-19 & Social Distancing:

Considering that most of the time, we only have 3-10 weekly racers and 0-5 spectators (and have never had more than 16 racers in a single race in our 25 year history despite having around 20 arrive-and-drive karts on hand), we do not anticipate COVID-19 shutdown, and will practice social distancing. Wear a mask if need be, but during the race, we’ll all be wearing our full-face shield helmets and racing in the dust and fumes, so good luck with the virus getting through all that. Spectators may only be allowed if can wear masks and keep social distance. Thanks!

9/6/2020 – Nicolas Olivares Wins 2 Weeks in a Row – a 12-Kart, Labor Day 45-Lapper!

Sunday, September 6th, 2020 – 12-Karts, 45-Laps! CLOSE, competitive, and FUN racing on a track that held up better than it has in MANY years (possibly ever)! BUT… unfortunately… it was also one of those nights with lots of cautions which greatly slowed the otherwise intense, back-and-forth action. But that shouldn’t take away from Nicolas Olivares’ 2nd Feature win in 2 weekends at Galletta’s! NOTE: It’s a work week for the webmaster, so videos and points will come as soon as I have time! Thanks and stay tuned here!

8/30/2020 – Another Twin 25s Night! 15-Karts & Won by Nicolas Olivares and Chris Stevens [+YouTube]!



Sunday, August 30th, 2020 – Nicolas Olivares took the lead on the 1st lap of the 1st 15-driver/14-kart/25-lapper and led the entire race relatively unchallenged for his 2nd career regular feature win at Galletta’s (he also won the makeup point heat race). Chris Stevens then boarded the rocketship #4 and blew away the field in the 2nd 25-lapper (making it 2 for 2 since the engine was rebuilt after a blown rod it suffered during the 2019 Klassic). For full race info and points, go here.

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Galletta’s Greenhouse Speedway 2020 Point Standings

All races from 6/14/2020 – 8/30/2020:

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8/16/2020 – A Sudsy 45-Lap Feature Event – The Revenge of the #4! [+YouTube]

Sunday, August 16th, 2020 – After a 2 week hiatus with no racing (one that we took off in order to repair a few karts and fix the track, the 2nd because nobody showed up!) we finally got a race accomplished, this week with 11 karts filled! And it was another good one, with the track and karts holding up well (minus the #2’s motor lost a rod… RIP). But the story was the #4 kart must’ve wanted revenge for a blown rod robbing it for a win in the 2019 Klassic 200, and just rebuilt, it punished all! So fast it was, that Chris himself pondered how unfair it was and didn’t feel great about such an effortless win because of it! :O! (But then, he knows what Matt feels like dominating the rest of the field, so he didn’t feel quite so bad….)

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Videos and updated points are HERE.

7/26/2020 – 20-Lap B-Main Qualifier & 45-Lap Feature Event! [+YouTube]

Sunday, July 26th, 2020 – Due to a shortage of karts and an abundance of drivers, we had to have a B-Main where the top-3 made the regular 45-Lap feature. The full rundown of drivers, positions, points, and race videos are all here!

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The above video playlist has the Tower cam footage of the whole event, Helmet cam footage from the 45-Lapper, and the B-Main plus stationary Feature footage from the Rear Camera. Go here for the full updates!

7/19/2020 – A New Winner Emerges in a Rookie-Filled 45-Lapper (And Another HUGE Crash) [+YouTube]

Sunday, January 19th, 2020 – Keith Raymond went from the thrill of victory last weekend, to the agony of defeat–er, crashing this one. Keith assured us he was shaken, not stirred, and was ok. Here are both camera angles of the incident, and if you let the video play, all the action from the Tower and helmet cameras are set to play right behind it!

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But the night was not all about the crash. Several new drivers joined us — including 2019 Supermodified Classic 200-winner Tyler Thompson — and made for an overall good show despite the track getting rough as the race neared its conclusion. OH… and a first-time winner emerged — the Son of Kelly Miller IN the Kart that Kelly won the 2013 Galletta’s Klassic 200 in — Steven Perez in the Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing Team #7 Kart! More here.

7/12/2020 – The Return of the Barber! Chris Stevens and Keith Raymond win the Twin-25s! [+YouTube]

Sunday, July 12th, 2020 – Good Guys Barbershop’s Keith Raymond makes it to his 1st race since the 2018 Klassic 200 and put the Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #0 back in victory lane, winning the 2nd of two 25-Lap Features! Chris Stevens put the Galletta’s Greenhouse Racing #8 in Victory Lane in the 1st. The track held up well (Matt Stevens MUST be thanked for his tireless track work during the week, and the rain certainly helped the track hold together as well), and the racing was close, clean and competitive. Enjoy sneak peeks at THREE unedited/unnarrated YouTube videos (Tower, Helmet Camera, and Rear-Turn Cams) here and more info as the week goes on!

7/5/2020 – A Rocky 25th Annual Independence Day 45 Leads to BIG Crash & Matt Stevens Getting an Easy Win! [+YouTube]



Sunday, July 5th, 2020 – Matt Stevens survived to win his 2nd feature of 2020. Even he had to admit, this one kind of fell into his lap, as early leaders Greg Blanchard (spin), Travis Bartlett (lost header pipe) and Chris Stevens (HUGE crash with Steve Sixberry) all ran into problems that led to him inheriting a win. But sometimes that’s how she goes and a win is still a win. Read more and enjoy the Tower camera and Helmet-cam angles of our Independence Day 45 Lapper, seen here!

6/14/2020 – 25th Annual Season Opener: 14 Karts, 45-Laps, Chris & Matt Stevens Survive to Take the Wins! (AKA, “Did We Hit a Bunny!?” Race)

Sunday, June 14th, 2020 – Our 25th Point racing season began — Chris & Matt Stevens outlasted 14 other competitors to win the 25/20 Lappers — but it went far from smoothly! Everything got started late and finished late. And during our twin feature races — particularly the 2nd feature race — the track started eroding and taking its toll on the karts and more and more started dropping out due to breakage, and even a couple of flips. And our camerawoman had to retire to put the kids to bed before the start of the 2nd as well. Just… everything piled on. Even the website coverage was behind due to the late night and errands I had to run for two weeks, myself! But it’s finally done! More here.

12/25/2019 – In Memoriam of Brian J. Galletta

March 13, 1977 – December 25, 2019

With great regret and sadness we wish to pass along the unexpected news that one of the original and longest-running members of our karting class has passed away. Brian Galletta was a 1st cousin to club founders Matt and Chris Stevens, a nephew of current Galletta’s Greenhouse owners Wes and Mary Stevens, a grandson of Galletta’s Greenhouse’s founder John Galletta, and family member and/or friend to many racers and spectators to our races here over the years.

Brian had medical issues related to kidney disease — including a kidney transplant in his youth along with regular dialysis and seemingly countless related surgeries — throughout most of his life. Despite his health issues, he shook them off like they were nothing, something that always inspired us due to his bravery, cheerfulness, positivity, and unassuming toughness in the face of it. He was one of the 1st people to join our racing club in the early 1990s when it was only 1, 2, or 3 karts large, and basically only his health problems kept him away from racing on a weekly basis for decades like he wanted to.

His brother Kevin Galletta is also a long-time racer as well, and after Brian injured his legs in a fall that sadly forced him to fully retire from racing, he maintained ownership of some of his karts and motors for his sibling to run weekly. Even when he could not race, he often would help flag, count laps, and cheer his brother on (along with occasional heckling of his cousin, yours truly, Chris).

Brian always brought a smile to everyone’s face, as he had a great sense of humor and would always see the bright side of almost any situation. He won a handful of races during his sporadic career, but he was also known for having the misfortune of being in many wrecks that he, himself found humor in and enjoyed showing to everyone — so much so that he requested the site have them all posted in one place. Thus, his driver profile collects links to his victories AND his crashes (nearly all with full race videos) per his request. He really could put a smile on our faces when he would bounce up from a crazy accident with a smile and a joke.

We at Galletta’s share profound grief and overwhelming loss with everyone who knew him — friend and family alike. He is a rare soul, and we have no doubt he is smiling down from heaven with his no worries smirk and make us smile. We will miss him greatly. God bless.

Visitation was Sunday, December 29, 2019, 1-3 PM at Nelson Funeral Home followed by a funeral service at 3-3:30 PM. More info here.

Sincerely,

Chris Stevens

PS – 2020 UPDATE – Brian Galletta Memorial Race:

We will be planning an annual Brian Galletta Memorial race sometime during our 2020 Season. We will be discussing with some relatives and will select a date that works best for as many of them as humanly possible (some do not live in the area and would need to schedule a trip), so please stay tuned, with a midsummer weekend looking like a possibility. The date is not yet set, but there will be one! Brian was a big part of our club and we all will want to pay our respects and race in memory of him!

COMPLETE GALLETTA’S CLUB SEASON RACE AND COMPLETE VIDEO COLLECTION APPENDIX — 1990s-current:

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 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 ad-blockers to help cover the site and server costs (which it never does)! Thanks! -Chris

23rd Season – 2018: Was a shortened season due to a lack of active weekly competitors. While we had 39 different drivers, due to most of them not racing weekly, we were forced to reduced to the usual 17 feature races to only 8. But after a long season of poor driver attendance, the drivers *finally* came through for the 23rd Annual Galletta’s Go-Kart 200-Lap Klassic Points Championship was held, 10-drivers strong, AND only 5 cautions!

Matt Stevens dominated the season with 5 feature wins (Kevin Galletta, Josh Arnold and Kelly Miller each won 1), but was almost swept in both the Points AND Klassic titles when his winless-in-’18 brother — and decades-long constant rival — Chris Stevens led most of the race stealing a large amount of leader bonus points. However, Matt caught his fuel-conscious brother Chris off-guard in the latter stages to barely block the steal, seal Chris’ technically 1st winless season, and held on to win his 13th Galletta’s Greenhouse Karting Speedway Klassic (His brother Chris has 7, while Wes Stevens, Kyle Reuter, and Kelly Miller each won 1). While Chris technically was winless in points races, he won the exhibition race (between he, Matt and Kelly Miller) held for Oswego Speedway Hall of Famer Doug Didero, but it was not counted for points (in hindsight, seeing how sparse our season was… it should have). The final order of the was also the final order of the point standings as well, with Matt, Chris and impressive rookie-of-the-year Steve Sixberry sweeping the top 3 in each. Read more about every race of 2018 and watch all of the complete race videos here!

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!]

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!

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.

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.

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.

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).

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…

7th Season – 2002: Had 14 drivers racing in 18 feature events, with a batch of rookies giving us some good competition. A batch of eager rookies led by Tom Culeton, DJ Barnes, Dan Lupa, and Dan Allnut joined during the ’02 Galletta’s Season and Klassic. 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.

ALL-TIME GALLETTA’S KARTING CLUB & SPEEDWAY ALL-TIME (2000-19) POINT STANDINGS:

Drivers all-time stats at two of Oswego, New York’s Dirt Karting Tracks: Galletta’s Greenhouse Backyard Karting Speedway (2000-2019), and the Oswego Kartway [1-WD Mixed Motor Gas Division] (2006-2008). You can scroll the chart left, right, up and down to see all 371 different drivers on record. NOTE: In-season points are not added to this total until season ends and pre-2000 Points & Wins are currently lost in storage (they will be added if located).

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