The front cover for Northeastern Wisconsin Motorsports Author Joe Verdegan’s fourth book “The Bird & The Bear,” chronicling the racing adventures of J.J. “Tweety Bird” Smith and Roger “The Bear” Regeth, has been released. The book will be launched on Saturday, Dec. 8. with a special event at Les Stumpf Ford in Appleton, Wis. – Woody’s Signs book cover design.
(GREEN BAY, WI) Oct. 8, 2018 – The much-anticipated front cover of motorsports author Joe Verdegan’s fourth book “The Bird & The Bear” has been released.
The cover of the book, which features Northeast Wisconsin racing legends J.J. “Tweety Bird” Smith and “The Bear” Roger Regeth, was completed by Bryan “Woody” Wodack of Woody’s Signs in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
The book will be launched in less than two months on Saturday, Dec. 8 from noon to 3 p.m. at Les Stumpf Ford in Appleton.
“I’ve had Woody put together signs and banners for my book signings these past three years and his work is second to none,” said Verdegan of Green Bay, Wisconsin. “It was important for me to go with local talent in designing the cover for this fourth book and Woody is one of the best in the region when it comes to this sort of thing.”
The photos on the cover were both taken by De Pere native and former Midwest Racing News columnist Pete Vercauteren at Shawano Speedway in the 1970s.
The top photo includes Smith with his famous Gene Wheeler-owned “Tweety Bird” racer from 1976. The bottom picture is of Regeth on Shawano’s pit lane from 1977 in his famous “Les Stumpf Ford-sponsored-Chevy” owned by Jerry Sheriff and prepared by Mike Randerson.
“In the ‘70s, Shawano Speedway didn’t have guardrail along the backstretch so some younger fans may not pick that up when they glance at the cover,” Verdegan said. “The ‘70s provided some excellent racing on the half-mile and on dirt tracks in the greater Green Bay area. In this book we’ll cover that entire era, along with the sportsman and coupe days for both Roger and J.J., their days racing in USAC and their racing careers after the ‘70s with Roger in the grand national and Mid-American Sportsman divisions and J.J. battling on Thursday nights in the late models at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna.”
A complete Holiday Book Tour will be released in the very near future.
Woody’s Signs is a full-service vinyl lettering and embroidery shop. To learn more about Woody’s Signs and the services they offer check their website at woodyssigns.com or call 920 743 7052. You can also email Wodack at woody@woodysigns.com.
“The Bird & The Bear” is being published by Pedal Down Promotions of Manitowoc, Wis. You can learn more about their services at pedaldownpromotions.com or email Jeff Pederson at pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com.
To follow progress on the completion of “The Bird & The Bear” please check the “Northeast Wisconsin Racing History” page on Facebook. You can email Verdegan at jverdegan2@gmail.com.