Belmont icon, legendary NASCAR figure Humpy Wheeler dies at age 86

Belmont native Humpy Wheeler Jr., the legendary figure whose foresight and innovation helped catapult NASCAR to a mainstream audience, died Wednesday at age 86.

According to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track for which he was in charge for 33 years, “he died peacefully of natural causes” surrounded by his family.

“For more than 30 years, Humpy was a promoter’s promoter at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” according to a prepared statement by track officials. “Alongside our founder Bruton Smith, Humpy pushed the speedway to new and greater heights — establishing the famed 1 ½-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.

“(Wheeler’s) engaging smile and flair for promotion were legendary, and his impact on every stakeholder in motorsports will be long-lasting.”

Son of legendary Belmont Abbey athletic director and coach of multiple sports Humpy Wheeler Sr., the local native went on to play football at the University of South Carolina in the late 1950s. The younger Wheeler was also a talented boxer, earning a 40-2 career record and a Golden Golves championship, such earning him a spot in the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame.

However, it was his love for auto racing — and more importantly, his ability to promote it — which would become his claim to fame.

Starting with a bicycle repair shop which he used to promote races on two wheels at age 13, his ambitions ramped up exponentially. In the early 1960s, Wheeler promoted races at Gastonia’s Fairgrounds and Robinwood speedways, before taking over as director of Firestone’s Tire and Rubber Co.’s motorsports program.

In 1975, Wheeler was brought in to oversee operations at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Among his most noteworthy innovations was the foresight to illuminate tracks for night races. First done at the 1992 All-Star Race, at the time known as “The Winston,” NASCAR now hosts as many as 10 night races are held each year.

Pre-race entertainment and pageantry were also his forte, utilizing such as a means of getting eyes on the product. Under his direction, Charlotte Motor Speedway expanded to 167,000 seats, in addition to becoming the first track to build on-site condominiums.

“Humpy Wheeler was a visionary whose name became synonymous with promotion and innovation in our sport,” said NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France in a prepared statement. “During his decades leading Charlotte Motor Speedway, Humpy transformed the fan experience through his creativity, bold ideas and tireless passion.”

Wheeler was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, with him being immortalized in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame two years later. Also in 2006, he was inducted along with his father into the Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame. He’s also part of the Motorosports Hall of Fame of America, to which he was inducted in 2009.

He was also recently named recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

“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,” Charlotte Motor Speedway track officials said. “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.”

Funeral arrangements will be released at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Wheeler’s name to the Belmont Abbey Motorsports Management Program, to which he was instrumental in launching 20 years ago. The program is purposed with preparing young professionals for business, management and marketing roles in the industry.

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