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Famed NASCAR promoter Humpy Wheeler dies at 86

Humpy Wheeler, once recognized as the most innovative promoter in NASCAR, has died. He was 86.

Charlotte Motor Speedway announced Wheeler passed away peacefully from natural causes on Wednesday, surrounded by his family.

“Humpy Wheeler was a visionary whose name became synonymous with promotion and innovation in our sport,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said. “During his decades leading Charlotte Motor Speedway, Humpy transformed the fan experience through his creativity, bold ideas and tireless passion. His efforts helped expand NASCAR’s national footprint, cement Charlotte as a must-visit racing and entertainment complex and recently earned him the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s prestigious Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

“On behalf of NASCAR and the France family, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Wheeler family and all who were touched by his remarkable life and legacy.”

Wheeler (pictured above in 2008), a native of Belmont, N.C., graduated from the University of South Carolina with a journalism degree and is most known for his 33 years spent as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was during his tenure with the speedway that Wheeler was also finding ways to stand out with extravagant pre-race shows, such as a reenactment of the invasion of Grenada, Robosaurus, and having a school bus, driven by Jimmy the Flying Greek, jump over cars.

“I loved to blow stuff up,” Wheeler told Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Dale Jr. Download in 2020. “I think the best one was one no one knew was coming. Bill France Jr. didn’t know it. Bruton [Smith] didn’t know it. Nobody knew it except Harvey Walters and myself and my brother, and that was the first invasion of Grenada.”

One of the biggest competition-related items Wheeler was involved with was bringing Janet Guthrie to Charlotte to compete in the Coca-Cola 600. Guthrie had failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1976, and Wheeler was among those who arranged for her to have a ride in NASCAR.

Charlotte, of course, is the home of NASCAR racing, and Wheeler made sure it shone the brightest. And that’s figuratively and literally. Wheeler is credited with bringing lights to the speedway, which led to the first All-Star Race held under the lights in 1992.

Wheeler served in the role from 1975 through 2008. His list of accomplishments is wide-ranging and extensive, and he was always someone the industry respected or had a story about.

Bringing lights to CMS was among Wheeler’s many innovations. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

“When I first moved to North Carolina,” Jimmie Johnson told NASCAR.com in May, “Humpy had this workout routine and he used to train some drivers. So, I went to this gym that all the guys went to, and Humpy was big into boxing, and I boxed with him twice. The second time, he beat me up so bad that I didn’t want to come back and go through it anymore. So, I’ve literally had Humpy Wheeler punch me in the face.”

At one time, Wheeler looked at boxing as a potential career. A young Wheeler also had a brief football career as a player at the University of South Carolina before suffering a back injury. Wheeler would go on to race around the local short tracks before turning to promotion. His career path before being hired by Bruton Smith included being the director of Firestone’s motorsports program.

One can also find Wheeler on IMDb for his short career in movies. Wheeler lent his voice to the Cars and Cars 3 movies as owner Tex Dinoco. The character is a 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

Wheeler published his autobiography, Growing Up in NASCAR, in 2010.

“Charlotte Motor Speedway was blessed to have a leader in Humpy Wheeler who can only be described as ONE of a kind,” a statement from the speedway read. “For more than 30 years, Humpy was a promoter’s promoter at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Alongside our founder Bruton Smith, Humpy pushed the speedway to new and greater heights – establishing the famed 1.5-mile superspeedway as not only the most innovative facility in NASCAR for fan, partner and competitor amenities, but also one of the most progressive in all of sports.

“Humpy’s engaging smile and flair for promotion were legendary, and his impact on every stakeholder in motorsports will be long-lasting. Often described as the ‘P.T. Barnum of motorsports,’ Humpy not only made his mark with publicity, but also with a laser-focus toward the fans. He would often tell his staff to pay attention to ‘the three Ts – tickets, traffic and toilets’ in order to ensure fans have the best possible experience. He would also say it was our job to put a little ‘technicolor in people’s black-and-white lives.’

“While the motorsports world has lost an icon, the legacy H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler created by building and promoting remarkable events at Charlotte Motor Speedway will continue for generations to come.”

In May, Wheeler was selected as the winner of the Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to NASCAR. He will be inducted posthumously into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January.

Wheeler is survived by his wife, Pat, and three children, Patti, Tracy, and Trip.