The Vault
REGETH REGAINS WINNING FORM, CAPTURES SEASON’S 1ST AT LEO’S
Posted on: Thursday October 30, 2025
Roger “The Bear” Regeth picked up his first feature win of the season here at Leo’s Speedway. (Bob Bergeron photo)
REGETH REGAINS WINNING FORM, CAPTURES SEASON’S 1ST AT LEO’S by Jim Vercauteren
(reprinted from the June 17, 1976 issue of the Midwest Racing News)
(OSHKOSH, WI) June 8 – Defending track champion Roger Regeth was back in top form at Leo’s Speedway as he captured his first late model feature win on the third-mile, dirt oval.
Regeth, who was almost unbeatable last season as he claimed 10 feature wins, has been plagued with engine problems in the early part of the year. But in Tuesday night’s main, Regeth was red-hot as he bolted from his last-row starting position to pass five cars on the first circuit.
It was Oshkosh’s Dave Conger taking the early lead, giving way to Marcus Brei on the second lap. Brei battled wheel-to-wheel with Bill Strom for the top spot until the sixth lap when Strom pulled ahead.
Regeth was running in the fourth spot by the third lap, but found the going a little tougher when it came to passing the closely-bunched pack of Strom, Brei and Conger.
All the drivers maintained their positions until the 11th lap, when both Conger and Regeth slipped past Brei. Regeth began to work on Conger’s 1973 Camaro and on the 14th lap took over the second spot in turn one.
Strom could only hold back the Kimberly driver for one lap as the lead exchanged hands as the pair exited turn four. Regeth extended his lead to take his first checkered of the season here in the non-stop race. Strom held onto second for the remainder of the 25-lap event.
Brei and Conger put on quite a duel for third, but Conger dropped out of the race on lap 21. Brei finished third, Jim Cossman fourth and Terry Baldry was fifth.
M.J. McBride took the lead on the seventh lap lap in turn two when he passed Jerry Reichenberger and went on for an easy win in the 15-lap semi-feature. Finishing second behind McBride was Don Schumacher with third going to Rocky Cornelius.
SUMMARY
25-LAP FEATURE – Roger Regeth, Kimberly; Bill Strom, West Allis; Marcus Brei, Neenah; Jim Cossman, Montello; Terry Baldry, Omro; Dick Hed, Sheboygan Falls
15-LAP SEMI-FEATURE – M.J. McBride, Shawano; Don Schumacher, Milwaukee; Rocky Cornelius, Neenah; Ed Kulka, Beaver Dam
10-LAP HEATS – 1ST) Gary Roehborn, Neenah; Ted Scharl, Kohler; Rick Amundson, Oshkosh 2ND) John Geske, Appleton; Dave Laurent, Oshkosh; Jerry Reichenberger, Oshkosh 3RD) McBride; Schumacher; Kulka 4TH) Brei; Strom; Cossman
Fastest Qualifier: Regeth 18.039