H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler obit

Longtime Charlotte Motor Speedway President H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler Passes Away

 

He was not on the list.

Longtime Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler died peacefully of natural causes yesterday surrounded by loving family. He was 86.

A transformative figure in the world of motorsports, Wheeler was hired by Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith in 1975 and oversaw the operations of one of NASCAR’s premier venues until his retirement in 2008. He was best-known for his “FANS First” approach; mentorship of drivers and industry professionals; and his elaborate and flashy pre-race stunts, earning the moniker “the P.T. Barnum of motorsports.”

Statement from Charlotte Motor Speedway on the passing of H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler:

Charlotte Motor Speedway was blessed to have a leader in Humpy Wheeler who can only be described as ONE of a kind.

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.

Information regarding funeral arrangements will be released at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in Wheeler’s name to the Belmont Abbey College Motorsports Management Program, which Wheeler was instrumental in launching more than 20 years ago to prepare young professionals for business, management and marketing roles across the industry. Click here to make a donation in Wheeler's name.

He was best known as the general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) banked racetrack in Concord, North Carolina. Wheeler held the positions of publicity directors for numerous companies and later became the president and general manager of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. He was a major auto racing promoter and businessman, particularly in stock car racing and IndyCar racing.

Wheeler was born and raised in Belmont, North Carolina. In 1964, he gained his first major publicity job when he was hired by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. After bouncing around real estate and public service jobs when Firestone shut down its racing program in 1970, Wheeler was hired by Charlotte Motor Speedway chairman Bruton Smith as president to replace the outgoing Richard Howard in 1975. During his time at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, he gained a reputation for creating unique promotions for races at the speedway. He abruptly retired from the position in May 2008, a decision that was seen as shocking to most of the NASCAR landscape. After retiring as president of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, he pursued other business endeavors with his advising company The Wheeler Company, including the failed Grand Prix of America proposal and Speedway Benefits, an American short-track alliance program.

Wheeler was regarded as a pioneer in promoting in the motor racing industry. Throughout his time as a racing promoter and general manager, Wheeler was known for pulling off numerous unique promotions and stunts in order to promote the Charlotte Motor Speedway and its races, making him one of the most successful promoters in auto racing. Drivers and industry leaders view Wheeler highly for his promotions and actions during his time at the Charlotte Motor Speedway due to their effectiveness and the unique nature of Wheeler's promotions.

Wheeler was involved in a years-long rivalry with Bruton Smith, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI), the company that owned the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wheeler, who had worked under Smith since 1975, retired from his position at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008 due to disagreements with Smith, a decision that was seen as a surprise in the NASCAR landscape. Wheeler heavily criticized both NASCAR and Smith for the next twelve years. The two decided to end the rivalry in 2020, after Wheeler made successful attempts to reconnect with Smith.

Wheeler played the role of Tex, the boss of fictional sponsor Dinoco in the 2006 animated film Cars. Wheeler managed to land the role during the movie's pre-production in 2000, when Cars director John Lasseter visited the Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 2000 UAW-GM Quality 500. Lasseter, who liked Wheeler's voice, gave him the role of Tex. Wheeler recorded voice lines in 2004 and 2005. Wheeler reprised the role in 2017 for the movie series' third installment, Cars 3.

In 2008, Wheeler hosted a NASCAR discussion television series on the Speed Channel named The Humpy Show. The show was scheduled to feature Wheeler, one retired driver, and a current driver per each one-hour long episode discussing a certain current topic. The first episode premiered on February 12, and featured Buddy Baker and Kurt Busch. However, no new episodes came out after the premiere, although Wheeler announced that he was planning to make new episodes after his retirement in May of the same year.

Wheeler appeared in the season three finale of American Pickers, an American television show that is dedicated to the restoration of old Americana artifacts. In the episode, Wheeler donated several items from his personal collection of memorabilia to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.