NASCAR Mourns Humpy Wheeler, the Man Who Put Charlotte on the Racing Map
Humpy Wheeler, the legendary president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, has died at the age of 86. Wheeler, whose full name was Howard Augustine Wheeler Jr., passed away peacefully Wednesday night, surrounded by his family.
The NASCAR family mourns the loss of H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler. pic.twitter.com/Gd2IL3XLP0
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 21, 2025
Wheeler was a visionary in NASCAR, known for turning Charlotte into a major racing hub and for creating unforgettable promotions. He once brought in boxing matches, three-ring circuses, and even highflying stunt cars to excite fans, earning him the nickname the “P.T. Barnum of Motorsports.”
Over his career, Wheeler received numerous honors, including inductions into the National Motorsports Press Association and North Carolina Sports Halls of Fame in 2004, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009. Earlier this year, he was also given the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Landmark Award for outstanding contributions.
“Humpy Wheeler was a visionary whose name became synonymous with promotion and innovation in our sport,” NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement to the press.
“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 spent 33 years running Charlotte Motor Speedway, a massive 2,000-acre facility that includes a 1.5-mile superspeedway, a 2.25-mile road course, a karting track, and a quarter-mile oval.
Working closely with Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith, Wheeler helped transform the track into a world-class destination for fans and sponsors alike. He considered Smith a close friend and once described him as “a force to be reckoned with” and someone with “the ability to raise money like nobody in racing ever had.”
Among Wheeler’s many accomplishments, he brought sports car racer Janet Guthrie to the 1976 World 600, making her the first woman to qualify for a NASCAR superspeedway race. He also supervised the installation of a first-of-its-kind lighting system that allowed the sport’s first night race in 1993.
Wheeler was behind Charlotte Motor Speedway’s first major naming-rights deal with Lowe’s, which named the track Lowe’s Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009.
Wheeler was also famous for his bold stunts and showmanship. He once brought hot dog-eating champion Joey Chestnut to the track to introduce the “Feast with the Beast” before the Bank of America 500, even donning a paper hat and apron to hand out food himself.
On another occasion, he had a dead shark delivered to the NASCAR garage as a joke about Darrell Waltrip’s nickname “Jaws.” “Cale (Yarborough) and Darrell and NASCAR all hated it,” Wheeler later said. “So I knew I’d done something right.”
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the Belmont Abbey College Motorsports Program, which Wheeler helped launch more than 20 years ago.
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