Legendary Track Promoter Humpy Wheeler Dies Aged 86

Humpy Wheeler (Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler, Jr.), the long-time president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, died peacefully of natural causes on Wednesday (August 20), surrounded by his loving family. He was 86 years old.

Wheeler was a transformative figure in the world of motorsports, getting hired by Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith in 1975, and overseeing the operations of Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s premier venues, until his retirement in 2008.

“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 Charlotte Motor Speedway reads. “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.”

Under his management, Wheeler supervised the installation of a first-of-its-kind lighting system, illuminating the speedway for the sport’s first-ever night race in 1992. Following the success of that event, dubbed “One Hot Night”, several racetracks followed suit and night racing soon became more of a regular thing in NASCAR racing.

That wasn’t the extent of his innovation at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wheeler also facilitated a naming rights deal with Lowe’s, to have the Charlotte, North Carolina-based racetrack known as Lowe’s Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009.

"Humpy Wheeler was a visionary whose name because synonymous with promotion and innovation in our sport. During his decades leading Charlotte Motor Speedway, Humpy transformed the fan experience through his creativity, bold ideas, and tireless passion," said Jim France, CEO and Chairman of NASCAR in a statement. "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 was a member of the National Motorsports Hall of Fame, and is a winner of the NASCAR Hall of Fame's prestigious Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

In a statement, NASCAR Hall of Fame Director Winston Kelley said: “First and foremost, on behalf of the NASCAR Hall of Fame team, I want to offer our most sincere condolences to Humpy’s wife, Pat, daughters, Traci and Patti, and son, Trip and the entire Wheeler family on the passing of Humpy Wheeler, the 2026 recipient of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Landmark Award. Humpy’s contributions to and accomplishments in NASCAR are without parallel. The breadth and depth of his legacy, and those whom he influenced, assisted and mentored, cannot be overstated."