The Vault
APRIL, 1993 – REGETH WINS SHOPKO MID-AM SERIES OPENER AT ROCKFORD
Posted on: Sunday November 10, 2024
Kimberly veteran Roger “The Bear” Regeth won the Shopko Mid-American feature at Rockford Speedway.
REGETH WINS SHOPKO MID-AMERICAN SERIES OPENER AT ROCKFORD (reprinted from the April 7, 1993 edition of Checkered Flag Racing News. Presser likely penned by either Gary, Pete or Keith Vercauteren)
(ROCKFORD, IL) – Roger Regeth, Kimberly, WI used 32 years of racing experience to his advantage as he wheeled his Buick Grand National stock car to a two-car length win over Larry Richards of Montello, WI in the 25-lap feature to kick off the Shopko Mid-American Series Sunday afternoon at Rockford Speedway.
Regeth took advantage of the misfortune which many of his chief rivals encountered when circling the tight, banked quarter-mile paved oval.
Randy Krueger, making his first start ever on a paved track, led the first seven rounds before fast qualifier and track record holder Jim Duchow slid into the turn four wall, eliminating one of Regeth’s threats with heavy front end damage.
While Regeth moved into the third place Krueger and Brian Lambie raced wheel-to-wheel for the top spot. On the 10th lap, Lambie tried to slip under Krueger coming off the second turn and the top two cars collided. Lambie slid along the backstretch wall and was eliminated from the race while Krueger spun into the infield, leaving Regeth an open path to the lead.
Regeth led with Benjamin Brinkman on his rear bumper. The caution flag flew again when hard-charging Danny Gracyalny spun in the first turn while battling for the third position on lap 17.
Brinkman was sent back two positions for jumping the restart and Eddie Hoffman moved into the second spot when the event was restarted. Hoffman gave Regeth the final edge he needed to sew up the win when his right rear tire began going soft on the restart, taking him out of the race and slowing up all the traffic behind him.
Larry Richards, who qualified quicker than Regeth, was in third at the time of the restart and got hung up behind Hoffman.
Richards pulled to the outside of Hoffman coming off the fourth turn, but found himself some six car-lengths behind. Richards sliced away at Regeth’s advantage, but fell two car-lengths short at the finish line.
Brinkman came home third, followed by Gene Hill, a Rockford Speedway regular, Ed Stehula and Carey Vanderloop.
Duchow established a one-lap record for the Mid-American cars at Rockford with a time of 14.669.
The Shopko sponsored series will hold its next event Saturday night, April 10 at the Lake Geneva Raceway followed by a Sunday afternoon, May 2 appearance at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna.
SUMMARY
SHOPKO MID-AMERICAN STOCK CAR SERIES
Feature (1-10) Roger Regeth, Kimberly, WI; Larry Richards, Montello, WI; Benjamin Brinkman, Pine River, WI; Gene Hill, South Beloit, Il; Ed Stehula, Reedsville, WI; Carey Vanderloop, Dundas, WI; Chuck Duncan, Milwaukee, WI; Mark Muller, Sun Prairie, WI; Danny Gracyalny, Little Chute, WI; Randy Krueger, Montello, WI.
(11-18) Jim Novak, Kaukauna, WI; Eddie Hoffman, Schaumberg, Il; Mark Pleuer, West Bend, WI; Brian Lambie, Black Creek, WI; Jim Duchow, Kaukauna, WI; Gary Benion, Appleton, WI; Matt Rowe, Madison, WI; David Dotter, Lynwood, Il.
Qualifying: Duchow, 14.669 (record); Richards, 14.825; Regeth, 14.899; Hoffman, 14.939; Lambie, 15.049; Stehula, 15.134