Longtime Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler passed away at 86, leaving his wife, Patricia Adele Williams, AKA Pat. He is also survived by his daughters Traci and Patti, son Trio, and four grandchildren.
Humpy and his wife were married for over sixty years. At that time, he was starting his Motorsports career and building connections in Charlotte.
They married on May 12, 1962, in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was Pat’s town as well. In an interview, Humpy had tons of great things to say about his beloved wife. He said
Well, we have been married 62 years. We had an argument one time, but that was before we got married. We have not had one since. How did that happen? Because she is the sweetest person God ever made, and I love her to death.
When the interviewer asked about the duration of the date, he said it was just six months, as they eventually got married. Humpy, on the other hand, truly justified how great her husband is both in Personal and Professional life;
He is wonderful. That is my partner, that is my man. I love him. Hump is a good man with a big heart, and he is good to everybody
According to Humpy, they initially crossed paths back in 1946, but he always thought that if he got the chance to marry Pat, he definitely would without any hesitation and loved his wife to death. He later added;
We have had a great marriage and a great life together. We have traveled all over the place. I remember one story that shows you what kind of woman she is. I was working for Firestone in Akron, Ohio, traveling all the time for the racing division. One night I called home from Seattle, and she did not sound quite right. When I got back, our neighbor came over and told me that the night I called, Pat was pregnant and she fell down the stairs from the top to the bottom. She never said a word to me about it because she knew I would get on a plane and rush home. That is the kind of woman she is. She has been wonderful. We have had a great marriage. In 50 years of the racing business, we have seen a lot, death, destruction, and hard times, but we have lived through it all together.
A Couple of Transitions in His Career
Before stepping into the Speedway field, he was a Golden Glove Boxer for the University of South Carolina.
However, he slowly transitioned his career and started with Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, particularly in marketing, and took tiny steps forward, which turned out to be an exceptional career.
After working for over a decade in that field, he was named General Manager in 197. Just next year, he was also named President.
In 1984, he created the first NASCAR All-star Race. He later introduced pre-race spectaclesaand also started night racing in Charlotte.
The 90’s was another monunetal part of his career where he introduced Robosaurrus, a car-crusing robot made for pre-race events. He also created pre-race shows, made Charlotte’s Coca-Cola 600 and ALL-Star Race as national events.
The late GM was a marketing genius; he made tickets more accessible and made race/speedways a growing industry.
He served 33 years in that role, and to date, is regarded as one of the most influential figures and track executives in NASCAR.
His tenure officially came to an end in 2008, but he didn’t stop his career right there; he also worked as a commentator/analyst for various TV Channels and Documentaries, and focused on NASCAR’s growth.
Humpy also started his independent consulting firm, The Wheeler Company, helping clients with overall growth.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Humpy Wheeler was born on 23 October 1938 in Belmont, North Carolina, USA.
- In 2006, Humpy also voiced for Pixar’s Cars as Tex Dinoco.
- He was inducted into multiple Hall of Fames, including the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. He will also be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Class of 2026).
