The Scoop
EUGENE GREGORICH III – RELISHING THE UNDERDOG ROLE
Posted on: Friday September 23, 2022
Third generation racer Eugene Gregorich III is among the top rookie drivers in the Midwest Truck Series in 2022. (Epyk Media photo)
Eugene Gregorich III has never shied away from the role of underdog in life.
Whether it was as an undersized, 195 lb. center for the Wisconsin high school football powerhouse Amherst Falcons or as the top running rookie in the Midwest Truck Series, the 19-year-old, third-generation racer takes things in stride.
When he’s not studying mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin Stout Gregorich can be found scrapping and clawing his way to the front in the truck series, which hosts events on paved ovals across Wisconsi
Gregorich was a scrappy, undersized starting center for the football powerhouse Amherst Falcons. (photo courtesy of Eugene Gregorich FB page)
“Yeah, when I played football at Amherst, I was always the smallest guy on the ‘O line every year,” joked Gregorich, who was selected to play in the annual Shriners All-Star football game a summer ago. “I guess you could sort of call us underdogs a little bit with this truck deal because outside of Wausau and Plover, I really haven’t run at a lot of these tracks. So, every show is a learning experience for all of us. Between the pit crew and I, we’re always fine-tuning things and figuring out exactly what adjustments we need to make from track to track.”
Gregorich has scored four straight “rookie-of-the-race” awards by finishing highest among the series rookie contenders in each event. Heading into the Oktoberfest weekend of racing Saturday October 8, at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Gregorich holds a six-point edge over Kevin Zielezinski in the rookie standings.
“I’ve been involved in racing since day one,” said Gregorich, who started out like most young drivers these days in the kart ranks. “I’ve been racing something every year since I was six years old.”
As a kid Gregorich looked up to his dad Eugene Gregorich Jr. and watched dad race on the tightest of budgets and make do as best he could. “I remember one story specifically when I was young,” Gregorich recalled. “I remember dad picking up a super late model in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula one time. We cleaned out the leaves out of the cockpit as the car sat outside in the woods all winter. (The car) was in pretty tough shape. After the third race dad kept wrenching on that car and he wound up winning. That memory always sticks with me as we have never had any type of big sponsorship deals of any type.”
Eugene III is a third generation of a family of racers with roots that run deep in northeastern Wisconsin for several decades. Eugene Sr. is a multi-time IMCA modified champion at Thunder Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay. Eugene III’s dad Eugene Jr. was fast as a teenager, shattering the super stock record at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek (when it was still paved) in 1999 at the ripe old age of 15.
Eugene Jr. went on to become a standout pavement late model ace in central Wisconsin, winning races and track championships racing on his own dime. And Eugene’s uncle John Gregorich was the first Wisconsin IMCA national stock car champion in 1993 after having won 23 feature wins that year.
Gregorich currently wheels an older Lefthander chassis truck in the Midwest truck series owned by Wisz Racing LLC out of Amherst.
The team owners are brothers Jim and Matt Wisz. “Back in 2002 when Eugene Jr. started racing my brother and I noticed him racing hard on doing it on a small budget,” Wisz explained. “He had bought a car from Mike Butz in Green Bay and raced at tracks in Plover, Wausau and Marshfield.”
During that time, Wisz was selling racing parts RPM Racing Supply. “Basically, with Eugene being a young, hard-working kid working on his own stuff that really appealed to my brother and I,” Wisz explained. “We walked up to him and asked if we could sponsor him. He really didn’t have any money to spend on racing so we sponsored him some wheels and stuff. He just wanted to make enough racing simply to get to the next race.”
The relationship between the Gregorich and Wisz families continued to grow from there. Gregorich started working out of the Wisz shop and even lived with the family in a finished basement. “We met Eugene Sr. who came up and we remained tight and raced a lot through the years.” Wisz said.
Eugene III started wheeling karts as a youngster at dirt bullrings like GSR in Clintonville and the now defunct kart track in Ringle. “I remember Eugene Jr. and I standing there watching Eugene III wheel a kart and we both realized he’s something special and has got some real talent,” Wisz recalled. “But we also said that none of us have the (financial) backing to do anything for him.”
Gregorich wheeled a super late model for Wisz Motorsports but has found a home in the MIdwest Truck Series in 2022. (QC Willy photo)
After piloting a Bandolero for Wisz Racing LLC Eugene III got to the point where he wanted to race a late model. “(Eugene ran well) with the late model but honestly late model racing got out of our means financially,” Wisz said. “Racing has changed a lot for us blue collar guys and it turned into a deal of how much money we could afford to lose every time the car hit the track.”
While exploring a more affordable option Jim Wisz purchased a truck from Rick Corso. “My brother initially wasn’t really sold on the truck deal,” Wisz admitted. “So far we love it as it costs us roughly one-third of what we were spending going late model racing and the series is very competitive.”
Scott Owen serves as a spotter for Eugene III during his truck races. “Eugene is a racer, no doubt about that, he has made tremendous strides this year,” Owen said. “A podium finish is in his near future. He’s hungry for success and I don’t feel it’s because of having to live up to his last name. He’s a competitor.”
Looking down the road Gregorich says he is very realistic about his odds of racing for a living. “I get it so many different things need to fall into place for that to happen honestly,” Gregorich admitted. “Maybe down the road we’ll move back to a super late model. But right now, the truck series for us is great because it’s not a huge time commitment to run it and the truck series provides a good option for folks who want to race but not spend a ton of money.”
When he’s home racing for the summer Gregorich worked at his former high school as an IT assistant. “Next year I think I’m going to look for something closer to a mechanical engineering type deal,” Gregorich said.
Among the marketing partners with the truck Gregorich wheels in the Midwest Truck Series is Steve’s Plumbing and Heating, Allient Heating and Air Conditioning, Race Car Help LLC, MJM Residential Design LLC, Crossroads K-9 Rescue, Central Wisconsin K-9, Manke’s Automotive, Strasburg Performance and DRP Products.