Racing Icon Humpy Wheeler Passes Away at 86
Humpy Wheeler, the longtime president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, has died at the age of 86. Speedway Motorsports, his longtime employer, said Wheeler passed away peacefully Wednesday night, surrounded by his family.
Wheeler was a true visionary in NASCAR, known for his creativity and bold promotions that helped put the sport on the national stage. He earned the nickname “P.T. Barnum of Motorsports” for stunts like boxing matches, three-ring circuses, and high-flying car acts at races.
Over his career, Wheeler was inducted 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 received the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to the sport.
The NASCAR family mourns the loss of H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler. pic.twitter.com/Gd2IL3XLP0
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 21, 2025
“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. “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 ran Charlotte Motor Speedway for 33 years, turning the nearly 2,000-acre facility into a world-class venue. He worked closely with Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith, whom he called “a force to be reckoned with” with “the ability to raise money like nobody in racing ever had.”
Wheeler’s many achievements included bringing Janet Guthrie to the 1976 World 600, making her the first woman to qualify for a NASCAR superspeedway race. He also oversaw the installation of the track’s first lighting system, enabling NASCAR’s first night race in 1993, and helped arrange a major naming-rights deal with Lowe’s, renaming the facility Lowe’s Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009.
Wheeler was famous for his bold and playful stunts. He once had hot dog-eating champion Joey Chestnut help launch the “Feast with the Beast” before the Bank of America 500, personally handing out food while wearing a paper hat and apron.
He also delivered a dead shark 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 start more than 20 years ago.
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