Jim shampine biography

American racing driver (born 1941)

D. James "Jim" Shampine (March 25, 1941 – September 4, 1982) was one of the most successful drivers in Supermodified competition and an equally skilled racer in asphalt and dirt-track Modified stock cars. He won 92 feature races at Oswego Speedway NY, and with his innovative car designs captured 38% of the Supermodified events held from 1970 to 1979.

Racing career

Jim Shampine began drag racing in 1959 at the quarter-mile ESTA Safety Park Dragstrip in Cicero, New York. Then in 1962 he bought his friend Nolan Swift's championship-winning “Ten Pin” numbered modified, converted it to a supermodified, and renumbered it the enduring “8-Ball”. He went on to win seven (1967, 1970, 1972–1974, 1976 & 1979) Oswego Speedway track championships, as well as an International Supermodified Association championship competing at venues throughout the northeast.

Shampine concurrently campaigned his modified at New York's asphalt Fulton Speedway, Lancaster Speedway, Shangri-La Speedway, Spencer Speedway, and Utica-Rome Speedway. He also competed successfully in a dirt-track modified at Langhorne Speedway PA and Weedsport Speedway NY, and captured the 1970 track championship at the Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, New York.

Jim Shampine died in a Modified racing accident at Oswego Speedway on September 4, 1982. He was inducted into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association, the Northeast Dirt Modified and the New York State Stock Car Association Halls of Fame.

References

Behind the wheel of a race car, Jim Shampine was a true champion. Shampine gained fame driving his super-modified car at the speedway where he broke nearly every track record that existed.
 

Knowledgeable in engines and a racing innovator, Shampine is also recognized for having revolutionized the design and construction of super-modifieds. In 1977, he built a radical offset design car which is now standard for super-modifieds.
 

Later in his career, Shampine embarked on a sprint car driving career and he won his debut race at the Rolling Wheels Raceway near Auburn.

Despite his untimely death at the age of 41 in a Labor Day crash in 1982, Shampine was the winningest driver in the history of the Oswego Speedway. Known for his 8-ball car, Shampine won a career-record 87 super-modified races. The Oswego Speedway Hall of Famer also captured five modified races and seven track titles. 
 

Career highlights:

1959: Began drag racing at ESTA Safety Park in Cicero.

1962: Began racing at Oswego Speedway

1969: Won first race at Pocono

1970: Rolling Wheels Dirt Track Champion

1970: Won Oswego Track Championship and Oswego Classic titles.

1971: Won Oswego Speedway modified Sportsman 200.

1974: Won 13 feature races, won the Big Three races (Classic, Track Championship and Bud Modified 200)

1977: Built radical offset design car, now standard for super-modifieds.

1978: Won 13 consecutive races at Oswego.

1980: Became first driver to lead all 200 laps of Oswego Classic.

Oswego Speedway records:

Won 87 super-modified races at Oswego
Won 5 modified races at Oswego
All-time super-modified winner at Oswego

Won three Oswego Classic, seven track titles
Holds record of 13:50 min. for 45-lap feature