John Beyers and Roger Regeth stand as two of the most legendary racing names in Northeastern Wisconsin history.
This Saturday the pair will join MJ McBride, Pete Parker, R.A. Bob Schmidt, John Schultz, Roger Paul, Terry Anvelink, Bobby Bennett, Jerry Muenster, Les Yaeger, Lyle “Pappy” Diemel, Jerry Rhode and Cliff “Squeek” Miller as members of the Shawano Speedway Hall of Fame.
Beyers, who captured the 1969 track championship, had his greatest success driving for Toby and Hank Kralovetz. In 1967 Toby described Beyers by saying: “John is one of the best; possibly the best in this club (Wolf River Racing Club). Like all top feature drivers, he’s hard on the car and we as owners have to keep it at peak readiness for him. He extracts everything obtainable from the motor, the tires, and the suspension during a race, literally using it up from week to week.”
Beyers had to win races the hard way, as the fast qualifier had to start at the rear of the race. In 1966 and 1968 Beyers won the coveted Shawano Evening Leader Sportsmanship award.
Roger “The Bear” Regeth secured four consecutive track championships at Shawano from 1974-1977 driving a beautiful red, white and blue Chevrolet Camaro.
In 1975, not even a falling light pole could stop Regeth. During a heat Race on August 2nd, Regeth and Jerry Smith made contact sending Regeth off the track and into a light pole used to suspend the caution lights across the track. The blow caused a 2-inch crease in the roof of the car but neither Regeth nor his machine were hurt.
Regeth went on to win the heat race thanks to a restart.
Regeth also scored the feature win over Pete Parker, Tom Steuding, Jerry Smith, Dave Conger and Wally Jors.
After 1978 Regeth retired from racing. Guest driving Roger Van Roy’s late model in 1981 Regeth picked up a feature win then went back to retirement for a few years.
Regeth made a brief comeback at Shawano in 1991, picking up three feature wins in three nights of racing in the Hobby Stock class.
Unofficially, Beyers ended his career with 13 feature wins at the track, while Regeth notched 39 wins behind the wheel of a late model to go along with the three wins in the hobby stock division.
These two men are certainly deserving of the honor of joining the Shawano Speedway Hall of Fame.
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