By Camden Proud
OSWEGO, NY (April 14, 2026) – Oswego Speedway officials have announced that the Novelis Supermodified Jim Shampine Memorial on Saturday, June 6 – Oswego Super Challenge Race No. 2 – will now be 61-laps, paying $5,000 to win and $1,000 to start.
The additional lap will serve as a tribute – ‘1 Lap for Linda’ Holdeman, the Speedway’s former general manager, as well as Modified great Richie Evans, with drivers racing in their memory following Linda’s passing last month, at the age of 81.
The additional lap will serve as a tribute – ‘1 Lap for Linda’ Holdeman, the Speedway’s former general manager, as well as Modified great Richie Evans, with drivers racing in their memory following Linda’s passing last month, at the age of 81.
Linda’s legacy at Oswego Speedway is one of determination, innovation, and passion. She began her professional career in public relations in the late 1960s with the Syracuse Blazers hockey team, later joining Oswego Speedway in a similar role at a time when women were not even permitted in the pit area. Undeterred, she refused to let that stop her, and worked her way up to become track promoter (general manager) in 1985.
Small in stature but powerful in presence, Linda built a reputation for turning ideas into major promotions that brought in sponsorship and filled the grandstands. She rarely sought recognition, instead focusing on the relationships she built and the community she helped grow. Her efforts earned her numerous accolades, including the Key to the City of Oswego, and most recently, induction into the USAC Hall of Fame last year.
Linda remarried on December 17, 1988 to the love of her life, Roger Holdeman. After her final season at Oswego in 1989, she joined Roger at Winchester Speedway in Indiana, where they built a home on the speedway grounds and worked side-by-side as promoters. Together, they built something special and often said they “just had fun” doing it.
One of Linda’s most memorable promotions was the “Wings and Things” exhibition at Oswego, where Supermodifieds ran wings for the first time. Bentley Warren set a track record that day.
She was also instrumental in bringing the ASA Stock Cars to Oswego in 1985, which brought in names like Dick Trickle, Mark Martin, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, and others. That event also led to the Darrell Waltrip exhibition in the Bowley “Flyin’ 5” Supermodified.
The move to 61 laps also ties directly to the legendary Richie Evans’ No. 61 – the all-time Modified wins leader at Oswego Speedway, known as the “Rapid Roman” – and reflects the close relationships Linda had with both Evans and Jim Shampine during one of the Speedway’s most memorable eras.
Linda’s daughter Kymberly Brantigan, along with her husband Art Brantigan, plan to attend on June 6 and share a few words in memory of Linda.
Many Oswego drivers who raced during Linda’s time at the Speedway have shared their thoughts on the Speedway honoring her memory.
Bentley Warren, a three-time track champion during that era in 1986, 1987, and 1989, said, “Linda united drivers, fans, and owners and made the whole camaraderie so strong. I told people all the time what a phenomenal job she did. Her promotional skills were incredible. She brought people together and made them feel special. She was a class act and brought Oswego to a level it had never been before.”
1988 track champion Eddie Bellinger Jr. said, “Linda always looked out for the drivers and helped them get sponsors. She helped me get GP Communications as a sponsor and organized the press conferences after the Classic. She took her job to heart and was very good at it.”
Eddie’s wife, Phyllis, also shared a personal memory from 1988, when Eddie won the track championship and Classic. After the pace car was lettered, Linda went to the Bellinger home and gave a young Brandon Bellinger – now a Novelis Supermodified track champion himself – a ride, a moment that has stuck with the family ever since.
1994, 1995, and 1996 track champion Doug Didero said, “I have a huge amount of respect for Linda. She ran the track so professionally for many years and was instrumental in getting my start at Oswego. If it weren’t for her, my career never would have turned into what it was. So much of what went on at the track during that time, she quietly handled behind the scenes. She invited us to Winchester in 1995 with the car and we took a shot at the track record on ESPN’s Thursday Night Thunder. She was a special person.”
Car owner Skip Matczak said, “I used to see Linda at PRI every year when running Silver Crown. She came to Oswego and put a tremendous amount of effort in. She always had the racer in mind. Her personality and determination were fantastic. She also had a tremendous focus on appearance and professionalism. Linda went to every race she could with the pace car – Thompson, Star, Lee, wherever it was – making sure Oswego Speedway was represented and advertised the right way. She had the idea of putting the Classic winner on one side of the car and champion on the other, always thinking about how to showcase the track. She backed everything up with hard work and a sharp mind.”
Linda’s daughter, Kymberly added, “My mom lived and breathed Oswego Speedway during those years, and it’s something she was very proud of and remembered fondly. She talked highly of the drivers and was very close with so many of them – the Bellingers, Dideros, Goseks, Bentley Warren, Jim Shampine, Richie Evans, Gene Lee Gibson. It really was a special time. She worked hard to bring in sponsors and create things fans would enjoy. I think she helped make it a very welcoming place. Her goal was always to fill the grandstands and make it feel like a big family. She was a small woman in a man’s world, but she earned everyone’s respect. Drivers, owners, and fans all respected her because of how she carried herself and how much she cared. It is amazing to see her honored and remembered in this way.”
The Jim Shampine Memorial, now 61-laps for Linda Holdeman and Richie Evans and paying $5,000 to win and $1,000 to start, is expected to draw a full field of Novelis Supermodifieds on June 6.
“We are proud of the purse between our Oswego Super Challenge partners and Oswego Speedway partners coming together to create a great night for the Novelis Supermodifieds honoring Jim Shampine,” said Race Director, Chuck Handley. “We felt it was only fitting to make the race 61-laps in memory of Linda Holdeman and Richie Evans. Linda gave so much to Supermodified racing behind the scenes. This is a very special way to start our 75th season.”
Oswego Speedway’s 75th Anniversary Season opens on Saturday, May 30, presented by Barlow’s Concessions. The night will feature the 50-lap, $6,000-to-win Oswego Super Challenge opener for ISMA/MSS Winged Supermodifieds, the 33-lap $1,333-to-win Ray Hedger Memorial for Pathfinder Bank SBS, and a 30-lap, $2,000-to-win main event for the Oswego County Tourism 350 Supermodifieds.
For more information, visit OswegoSpeedway.com and follow Oswego Speedway on social media.