CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The former president and general manager of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Howard “Humpy” Wheeler Jr., died this week.
What You Need To Know
- Howard “Humpy” Wheeler Jr., a well-known figure in NASCAR and the Charlotte community, died this past week
- Wheeler was from Belmont and created the idea to start a motorsports management program at Belmont Abbey College
- 18 years later, more than 60 students are pursuing their degrees. Belmont Abbey expanded its motorsports management program recently and now students can earn a master’s degree
- In lieu of flowers, the Wheeler family asked memorial donations be made to the program in Wheeler’s name
The 86-year-old was known for his contributions to NASCAR and in the community.
“It’s the end of an era. Humpy’s the type of guy, I mean he was known all over NASCAR as the top promoter,” said Scott Padgett, former mayor of Concord and friend of Wheeler. “He was always a perfect gentleman. He appreciated the way that we helped him do his job as a promoter.”
Wheeler was a visionary in NASCAR. He made the sport more entertaining.
“The first night race we had with lights at the speedway was another big deal, that was Humpy’s idea, ‘Let’s light up the track.’ It shows up better on TV, and he was thinking about that,” Padgett said.
Padgett said Wheeler believed in bringing big names to the races.
“He was promoting not only this speedway, but the whole sport and it paid dividends as the sport has grown so much,” Padgett said.
He was respected in the NASCAR organization.
“The ideas that he had at this speedway spread to other speedways that copied what he had done,” Padgett said.
Another legacy project of Wheeler’s was higher education. He helped start a motorsports management program at Belmont Abbey College.
“Thinking of a motorsports program at a college was way out of the way that NASCAR had been,” Padgett said.
The college is mourning the loss of Wheeler as well.
“We almost take for granted people like Humpy in our culture and in America. These individuals that can have ideas, but make them reality,” said Philip Brach, vice president of college relations at Belmont Abbey.
Lucas Laager gets to benefit from Wheeler’s idea. He’s a senior motorsports management major.
“We were able to meet a driver, a number of team members, throughout the industry from marketing to mechanics to team managers,” Laager said.
He says he’s loved the sport since he was a teen and having the chance to experience a program like this is special.
“We wouldn’t be here without him. His impact on the school is something tremendous. He really was the visionary behind having a degree that combines a passion for racing with gaining business acumen that’s applicable in real life,” Laager said.
The program covers a range of racing from NASCAR to Formula 1 with the goal of setting students up for success.
“The experience we gain here, the connections and just the understanding of the sport as a whole is vital to getting introduced and being able to secure a position. It’s a big differentiator for us,” Laager said.
Wheeler’s love of racing lives on at Belmont Abbey.
“It’s incredible to be a part of his legacy and carry that forward,” Laager said.
“It’ll be a long time before people forget Humpy Wheeler — a long time. He leaves a legacy of being a visionary, being bigger than life, being always there. You just thought he would live forever,” Padgett said.
In lieu of flowers, the Wheeler family asked that memorial donations be made to the Belmont Abbey motorsports management program in Wheeler’s name.
