H.A. Wheeler, longtime NASCAR promoter at Charlotte, NC, dies

H.A. Humpy Wheeler, the larger-than-life promoter who led Charlotte Motor Speedway for more than three decades and helped elevate NASCAR to a national spectacle, has died at age 86. He passed away peacefully in Charlotte, surrounded by family, as officials described a career defined as much by theatrical prerace shows and fan-first amenities as by the day-to-day work of running a major racetrack. In a tribute, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France called Wheeler a visionary whose creativity and relentless energy expanded NASCAR’s footprint and transformed the Charlotte complex into a premier racing and entertainment destination.

Wheeler’s life in motorsports began in his native North Carolina, where he was born in 1938. After a run as a college athlete, a brief stint in boxing, and time spent racing on local short tracks, he shifted to promotion. He joined Charlotte Motor Speedway as president in 1975 and went on to spend 33 years steering the track, helping Bruton Smith build what would become a leading member of Speedway Motorsports Inc. He retired in 2008 following a long career marked by constant innovation and a reputation for pushing boundaries. In the years since, he...