Near the end, it was tough for Tom Cotter to see his old boss and mentor, Humpy Wheeler, suffering the debilitating effects of old age. Wheeler, stooped and needing two canes to try to walk, said quietly to Cotter, “Look what I’ve become.”
“It hurt to watch him go through that,” Cotter said. “He had been so vital—a successful boxer, a bicycle rider, he ate well, he kept himself in good shape—it was hard.” Wheeler died last week at the age of 86.
Cotter, known primarily as “The Barn Find Hunter” from his videos featuring discoveries of the most elusive species in all of vehicle collecting—the mostly-mythical, forgotten “car in a barn” scattered across the country’s largely rural automotive landscape—had a very successful career in motorsports public relations long before that video series premiered 10 years ago. I used to tell Cotter he invented motorsports PR, and I wasn’t entirely joking.
Let Cotter, a native New Yorker, explain it himself in a Facebook post dated August 21: “Forty years ago, H.A. ‘Humpy’ Wheeler interviewed me for an opening in Charlotte Motor Speedway’s PR department. I was hired and moved south. He taught me the basics, then encouraged me to break all the rules. It was a magical time to have been involved in the growth of NASCAR. When I left to open Cotter Communications four years later, our friendship remained intact. I visited him last week to say goodbye to a guy I loved like a father. RIP, Humpy.”
Cotter (left) and Wheeler (right), circa 1989Courtesy Tom Cotter
Howard Augustine Wheeler Jr. was saddled with a nickname that he inherited from his father, a university football coach, who picked it up during his own college football career. Known then as “Little Humpy” while his father was still alive, Wheeler said the nickname was arguably a negative during his own search for public relations employment; he was once up for a job at a “high-flying” New York firm, but was flatly told, “We can’t have a ‘Humpy’ working here.” Eventually, though, he realized that in a business where it was important to be remembered, the nickname was an asset. In a 1975 interview, Wheeler said that he might talk to 30 people a day who don’t know him, but afterwards those folks “are going to remember me, that’s for sure.”
Before becoming President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1975, H. A. “Humpy” Wheeler (R) was Director of Racing for Firestone. Here he chats with “Crash” Grant (L) of rival Goodyear at a NASCAR Cup race.ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group
Wheeler was a native of Belmont, North Carolina, located west of Charlotte. After graduating from college, he worked in public relations for the racing wing of Firestone tires, but his position was eliminated. In 1975, Wheeler began a job that would define him for the next 33 years when he was hired to handle PR for the Charlotte Motor Speedway, then was promptly named track president. Charlotte and several other speedways were owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., run by bombastic businessman Bruton Smith. SMI was, and still is, the largest owner of major racetracks in the country, aside from NASCAR itself. The battles between the stubborn-as-a-mule Smith, who made his fortune owning car dealerships, and Wheeler were legendary. Smith died in 2022.
When Wheeler was hired to run Charlotte, truly innovative promotions were uncommon at major speedways, though they were plentiful at smaller tracks, at minor-league baseball parks, and traveling circuses. Wheeler changed that, and was always on the lookout for ideas that would put his track on the map and in the newspaper headlines.
For almost three decades, H. A. “Humpy” Wheeler served as president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway.ISC Archives/Getty Images
In 1976, when she didn’t qualify for the Indianapolis 500, he helped arrange for Janet Guthrie to race in NASCAR the same day at Charlotte. And though unfortunate circumstances prevented him from competing, Humpy greased the way for black driver Willy T. Ribbs to get a ride in the 1978 World 600, the Memorial Day weekend NASCAR race.
But Humpy’s ideas weren’t just about big promotions. He was the one who pushed to have the entire track lighted for night racing—a first for a major speedway—and he backed the construction of condominiums that overlooked the turns at the track. Many thought that was an absurd idea, right up until they were promptly sold out.
That said, Wheeler’s successful promotional style made its way to other SMI tracks as his staff, graduates of “Humpy University,” as it was called by his former employees, spread out. His most notable disciple, perhaps, was Eddie Gossage. Then vice-president of public relations for the Charlotte track, Gossage was tapped by Smith in 1994 to oversee the construction of Texas Motor Speedway, north of Fort Worth, and then to run the completed track. Despite their closeness, Gossage and Wheeler quarreled often, and Gossage, who died last year, once said that Wheeler sometimes tried to push the envelope a little too far.
Gossage said in an interview that he was called into Wheeler’s office one day, where Humpy revealed his latest promotional idea. “He said, ‘Eddie, I got this idea: Man vs. Shark—One Must Die!’” Humpy envisioned this big glass tank at the start-finish line, and he’d put a big Hammerhead shark in there with an old friend from Belmont, noted Belmont Sports Hall of Fame swimmer Reginald Lee “Moon” Huffstetler, armed with a knife. Moon Huffstetler, nicknamed the “Catawba Catfish” for swimming upstream in the Catawba River for 15 miles when he was 21, had already starred in one Wheeler promotion: Placed in a clear tank at the track, he treaded water for 98.5 hours, supposedly setting a world record for water-treading.
But even Gossage was gobsmacked by the “Man vs. Shark” concept. He told Wheeler that they’d be protested by animal-rights activists, to which Humpy replied, “Good! If there aren’t any protesters, hire some!” For reasons lost to time, Man vs. Shark never happened. “But everything after that,” Gossage recalled, “was kind of a letdown.”
Is there any doubt why Wheeler was once dubbed, “The P.T. Barnum of motorsports?”
Certainly not to Tom Cotter.
Members of Wheeler’s public relations staff love to tell stories about the ideas Wheeler would throw out for discussion. Sometimes it would be how the staff might handle a legit crisis: Suppose, Wheeler once asked, someone in the crowd smuggled in a high-powered rifle, and took out the driver leading the Coca-Cola 600? What would we do then?
That kind of mental preparation unfortunately proved its worth at least twice under Wheeler’s watch at the Speedway: In 1999, when two cars collided on the front straight during an Indy Racing League event, the right rear wheel and tire assembly from one of the cars launched into the grandstands, killing three spectators and injuring eight. And in 2000, a five-year-old pedestrian bridge leading to a parking lot collapsed, injuring 107 fans, who fell as far as 17 feet to the ground. Remarkably, there were no fatalities, but—as in that other tragedy—there were multiple lawsuits.
Jon Ferrey/Allsport/Getty Images
Still, it isn’t those what-if scenarios, or even his promotional ideas, that Wheeler should be best remembered, Cotter says: It’s his unwavering, and arguably rare, dedication to the people who paid his salary—the race fans. “Humpy never forgot what it was like to be a 12-year-old kid in the grandstand, and how he could make it so that kid could take the experience home.
“During the race, sure, he’d be down in the infield visiting with sponsors, then up in the press box. But in the middle of the races, he’d be in the grandstands, talking to people, asking them, ‘How do you like the show? Is there anything we can do better?’” Plus, Cotter said, he emphasized what promoters of every event should remember: “Clean restrooms, good food, and proper, well-lit parking lots. He took NASCAR and helped bring it into the modern era, to make it into a major sport.”
Humpy Wheeler, Jeff Gordon during practice for the Nextel Cup UAW-GM Quality 500, Oct. 14, 2004.Harold Hinson/Sporting News/Getty Images
Three years into his tenure working for Wheeler, Cotter was called into Humpy’s office. “He asked me, ‘What do you see yourself doing in five years?’ The right answer would have been, ‘I’d like to have your job.’ But I told him the truth: I said, ‘I want to own the best public relations agency in the world for motorsports. Not just NASCAR—I want to own the best one in the world.’ He was shocked. Six months later, I gave him my notice.”
Cotter’s last day was in January of 1989, “and we had this great farewell party. And Humpy said. ‘I wish you well, and if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. Let’s stay connected.’ And the next morning, I opened my agency, Cotter Communications.”
That PR agency grew into The Cotter Group, and it was indeed the best, and largest, motorsports public relations agency in the world. Cotter eventually sold it, making enough money to do a couple of things he always wanted to: Write books, which led him into the Barn Find Hunter franchise, and teach public relations, which he does at Belmont Abbey College, located in Humpy’s hometown.
My favorite recollection of Humpy Wheeler came at the now-defunct NASCAR Media Tour, where motorsports writers were invited to Charlotte pre-season—yes, another one of his ideas—where we’d talk to drivers and crew members and owners, and tour the shops of several teams. At the end of one of those long days, some of us would head down to a conference room in the hotel for what we’d call “Humpy Wheeler’s Fireside Chat.”
It was just us and Humpy, talking about—well, anything. As you likely know, NASCAR is such a buttoned-down, happy-talk sport, where sometimes it’s uncomfortable discussing real issues that may not always place it in an invariably positive light. Not so with Humpy: If it needed to be talked about, he was game.
Honorary pace car driver Mario Andretti with Humpy Wheeler during the running of the 60th annual Bank of America ROVAL 400 on September 29, 2019, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
I looked forward to it every year. I miss it, and I miss Humpy.
So does Cotter. “He was one of a kind. For him, the representative fan was an imagined millworker who lived in a small town in North Carolina. ‘If I can get him to come to the track, it’ll become part of his life, and he’ll return every year. That’s our customer,’ Humpy would say. And he never stopped looking out for that guy.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr is one of NASCAR’s most vocal critics of the sport’s frequent changes at the Cup level and beyond, arguing that their experiments often hinder the sport. Now, one of his former rivals noted that NASCAR may be leaving its experimental phase and entering a period of correction.
Kenny Wallace expressed frustrations but also noted that NASCAR’s leadership has been significantly humbled by recent decisions that did not meet expectations. He mentioned that he knows for certain the league is actively working to address its major problems. Dale Jr. also shared his thoughts on what lies ahead after NASCAR settled its antitrust lawsuit.
“I know for a fact that NASCAR is all hands on deck,” Wallace said on his YouTube channel. “They realized what happened, and it took them a while, but they definitely made some decisions that were not the way to go. They just went all in, all in, and now you look back and realize how much they messed up.”
Wallace added that despite past missteps, positive changes may still come. He said, “NASCAR has been humbled mightily. I know for a fact they hear y’all. They are going to go on tour in 2026, and they’re going to make it right.”
Earnhardt Jr. previously said NASCAR tries a bunch of things…that don’t pan out.”
The 2026 season will already see big changes previous season. NASCAR is increasing engine horsepower from 670 to 750 on tracks under 1.5 miles and on road courses, including Bristol, Darlington, Dover, Nashville, and Gateway. Safety updates, including the introduction of mandatory A-post flaps at all tracks, are being implemented after years of concern.
Eligibility criteria were also relaxed next season to allow full-time Cup drivers with a minimum of three years of experience to participate in up to 10 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races and eight Craftsman Truck Series races, while continuing to protect playoff events.
Chicagoland Speedway makes its return for the first time since 2019, while a new street race at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego brings NASCAR back to Southern California. The Chicago Street Course and Mexico City were skipped, with Homestead-Miami Speedway once again serving as the championship finale instead of Phoenix.
Earnhardt Jr. cautions that changing rules and structure alone won’t be enough to revitalize NASCAR. He previously stated his vision for the sport to have more notable “rock stars,” as evidenced by drivers like his father, Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, and Jimmie Johnson, who have ascended to superstardom beyond the track.
“We need some rock stars,” he said. “It’s all about having some driver come in here and captivate the hell out of us and make people who aren’t watching go, ‘Who the hell is that?'”
Dale Jr.’s 2026 season with JR Motorsports will feature playoff driver Justin Allgaier returning to the No. 7 car in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, alongside Sammy Smith, who is in his third season with the team. The team aims to secure a championship after a 2025 season where three of four drivers, including Conor Zilisch, competed for the title but ultimately fell short against Jesse Love.
NASCAR is closing out the year with one of its most tragic Decembers ever.
The latest heartbreaking incident came on Dec. 18 when legendary driver Greg Biffle, his family and some friends were killed when their plane crashed at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
Biffle’s Cessna 550 was reportedly attempting to land at around 10:15 a.m. at the airport just outside of Charlotte when the crash occurred.
Fans flocked to social media to remember Biffle, 55, who made headlines in 2024 when he flew his helicopter into hard to reach areas in North Carolina to provide relief to those trapped following Hurricane Helene.
Biffle had a 16-year career behind the wheel in the NASCAR Cup Series, starting 515 races and winning 19. He had 175 top ten finishes.
His last race with the series came in the 2022 Geico 500 in Talladega.
Biffle also drove 244 races on the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He won 20 of those and logged 149 more top 10 finishes. He also was behind the wheel for 83 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, winning 17 of those with 55 top 10 finishes.
His death followed the passing of Nick Joanides on Dec. 5 and Michael Annett on Dec. 2.
Joanides, 55, was a star on the West Coast scene most recently making three starts in the ARCA West Series. He also drove in the NASCAR Xfinity Series when it was called the Nationwide Series.
Annett, 39, drove for JR Motorsports from 2017 through 2021 and the team shared the news of his death on social media.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Annett was behind the wheel for 106 NASCAR Cup Series races, but never managed to finish in the top 10. While his results at that level were not eye-popping, Yahoo Sports noted he drove for a pair of “underfunded teams” in Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Racing.
Annett had more success on the Xfinity Series where he drove in 321 races with 95 top-10 finishes. His lone win came in the 2019 NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona International Speedway.
He also drove in nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with two top-10 finishes.
ARCAposted a statement on Xabout both the deaths of Joanides and Annett that read, “We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of ARCA Menards Series driver Michael Annett and ARCA Menards Series West driver Nick Joanides, both of whom passed away recently.”
Kyle Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports protégé, Corey Day, put NASCAR on notice following a standout debut in Australia in the Burson Auto Parts Boxing Day Bonanza ahead of the 2025 High Limit Racing International at Perth Motorplex. The 20-year-old is enjoying the NASCAR offseason ahead of his first full-time season in stock car racing at Hendrick Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Day, dubbed 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson’s protégé, enjoys competing on dirt and did so Down Under, making his debut in Australia. The California-born motorsport star started the Burson Auto Parts Boxing Day Bonanza from 28th and managed to fight his way all the way up to second, finishing behind race winner Buddy Kofoid in the 30-lap affair.
Day will return to action in Perth on Sunday when High Limit kicks into gear. “First night in the books down under, and it was a wild one. P28 to P2 in a non-stop feature. Ready to go with High Limit starting Sunday,” Day said on X.
Day will be hoping to stake a big claim in NASCAR’s second-string national series, following in the footsteps of Connor Zilisch, who has made the jump up to a full-time Cup Series seat. HMS have high hopes for Day, who could be a Cup driver in the near future.
“That was what I was working towards this year,” Day told NASCAR.com. “It wasn’t announced or anything, but my contract was written as next year was an option if this year went well. I guess I did a good enough job to get that option picked up. To say I’m going to run a NASCAR series full-time next year is something I’ve dreamed about doing since I was a little kid. It’s really cool.”
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“I’m ready, I’m excited,” Day added. “This year, I ran a lot of different race cars, which is really challenging to be able to progress a lot in all of them.
“I learned a lot in each and every one of them. It’s hard to be really good at one of them when you only get to do it a certain amount of times per year.”
Day can also lean on the experience of Larson, who claimed a second Cup title last month in Phoenix. Larson was left impressed by Day’s early exploits in the Truck Series this year.
At Nashville and Indianapolis Raceway Park, Day finished fifth and second, prompting praise from Larson. “It was good to see him have a strong run there. It was a track that I thought may, you know, suit his style, being able to move around and search for grip and things,” Larson said.
“He was probably one of the first, if not the first, running below the apron that night and found some speed that way. So, it just lends itself to a dirt guy’s background, probably. But yeah, he’s been slowly getting better here lately in the stock car stuff, and I’m sure gaining confidence. So yeah, I’m hopeful and excited to see how he keeps going in the #17 car,” he added.
This weekend’s action Down Under will pit Day against Larson, who won the $100,000 High Limit International at Perth Motorplex last year.
A historic motorsports facility in Millington, Tennessee, is set to make its return to the motorsports calendar after being acquired by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).
The IHRA is launching a new stock car series, set to rival NASCAR, with substantial prizes available for competitors. The IHRA Stock Series will offer a $2 million purse for the winner of eight races set for next year, starting in March.
The announcement was made while NASCAR was embroiled in a lawsuit with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, and the new Tennessee facility will host two events next year. The track, formerly known as Memphis International Raceway and Memphis Motorsports Park, will return.
The location has hosted major drag race events, while also staging touring series races. The property is now officially owned by the IHRA and will be used by the organization next year, reviving the location after it was opened in the late 1980s.
“This investment honors the legacy of Memphis Motorsports Park while positioning it for a strong future,” said City of Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “IHRA’s acquisition reflects confidence in our region and creates new opportunities for tourism, local businesses, and fan experiences.”
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Amber Mills, Shelby County Commissioner, District 1, Shelby County Government, added, “As the Commissioner for District 1, I am thrilled about IHRA’s acquisition of Memphis Motorsports Park. This investment strengthens our local economy, puts world-class racing back on solid ground, and gives our families and young people a safe, exciting place to create memories for years to come.
“Having a national organization like IHRA committed to the long-term success of this historic facility is exactly the kind of partnership Shelby County needs.” Chris Thomas, Executive Director, Millington Area Chamber of Commerce, added, “Memphis Motorsports Park has long contributed to tourism and economic activity in Millington and Shelby County, and IHRA’s acquisition represents a positive step forward for the facility and the community.
“This investment supports the continued use of the track as a regional destination while creating opportunities for local businesses and future growth. The Millington Area Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with IHRA as this next chapter takes shape.”
Members of the IHRA also spoke about the excitement ahead of a big year. “This is a special place in American motorsports,” said Darryl Cuttell, CEO of IHRA. “This facility has a deep history in drag racing and stock car competition, and our goal is to honor that legacy while building a strong, sustainable future.
“We are committed to bringing meaningful racing back to this property while expanding its role as a destination for a wide range of events that serve racers, fans, and the surrounding community.”
Leah Martin, President of IHRA, added, “This acquisition represents more than reopening a racetrack. It is about restoring opportunity for racers, families, and the community. This facility aligns with IHRA’s racer-first vision and our commitment to grassroots motorsports, while also allowing the property to support diverse uses that strengthen its year-round impact.”
After years of racing out of residential garages, take a look inside Ricky Thornton Jr’s new race shop
Ricky Thornton Jr won 31 races in the 2025 season. He went on to finish 2nd in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings.
He’s has been racing since 2005. And until now, he has only used residential garages outside of other teams he’s raced for.
400+ wins and 30+ championships later, he has opened a new shop in Iowa. Koehler Motorsports will continue to use their shop in Mount Airy, NC. But, the Iowa shop will also be used when the team is in the area.
Take a look at the photos of the Ricky Thornton Jr Racing shop below.
Ricky Thornton Jr Racing comments
The team shared the following update:
“After a career of racing out of residential garages, (and some beautiful shops of others) Ricky finally has his very own personal race shop. A true dream come true,” the team opened via social media.
“Graystone Companies- thank you Troy for the time you put into this project. Deadlines & expectations were heavily exceeded! If you’re looking to build anything in the Des Moines metro, Graystone Companies is what you’re looking for! Thank you to Ganoe Excavating, Inc. for the dirt work, D and E Outside Services for the tree removal, and Matt Allen for the floor finish!”
“Our Koehler Motorsports team will continue to race out of their Mount Airy, NC shop, but our Iowa shop will be a frequent stopping point throughout the summer!”
The 2026 season is set to begin. Thornton Jr is heading to Central Arizona Raceway for the Wild West Shootout beginning on January 10th.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series removes playoff format for 2026
Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop (Photos)
Ricky Thornton Jr Race ShopBathroom – Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop – IowaRicky Thornton Jr Race Shop – IowaFormer Shop – Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop – Iowa
The 2026 season will be a special one for Team Penske, which made its first foray into the racing scene in 1966. Whether it’s NASCAR, IndyCar or IMSA, Team Penske has enjoyed plenty of success and plans to savor many more victories in the future.
Team Penske cars in all three major series will sport special retro livery at select races, while the team will also introduce an anniversary identity that will appear across its race cars, uniforms, digital platforms and merchandise, with the first items available online and in the team store beginning in January.
“Our 60th anniversary is a tremendous milestone for our organization,” Roger Penske said in a team release. “The 2026 season will give us the opportunity to celebrate the people, partners and fans who have helped shape Team Penske since 1966, while also looking ahead to the future. This year ahead is a meaningful one with many terrific moments for our team and story still to come.”
Few teams can match the Penske programs when it comes to success on the track. The team has 20 Indianapolis 500 victories, three Daytona 500 wins and has won at least one major championship for the past 14 years, including last season’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sweep of the team, drivers and manufacturers titles. It was the second straight season Porsche Penske swept the awards and last season saw the team become the first since 2017 to win Daytona and Sebring in the same season.
With the team not competing in the World Endurance Championship in 2026, Team Penske will focus all of its sportscar racing attention on IMSA. Despite winning the GTP title the past two seasons, there will be some new faces on the team in 2026.
The team will see Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor move from the WEC to drive the No. 6 Porsche 963, while the No. 7 will be in the hands of Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer. Matt Campbell, one of the championship drivers this season, will serve as the endurance driver for the No. 6 car at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta, while Laurin Heinrich will serve in the same role for the No. 7 Porsche. All six are Porsche factory drivers.
Porsche Penske will begin its 2026 season in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 16-18. The Rolex 24 At Daytona begins Saturday, Jan. 24.
