Richard Petty, the NASCAR Icon, recently shared a post on X where he remembered the contribution that Humpy Wheeler had on NASCAR. The revolutionary promoter passed away on August 21.Humpy Wheeler, also known as the P.T. Barnum of motorsports, will be remembered in the world of NASCAR and motorsports marketing because of his far-sighted leadership at Charlotte Motor Speedway between the years of 1976 and 2008. His contributions were not just organisational but also very creative - he changed the fan experience with some incredible innovations, the most notable of which was night racing, where he introduced lights. The All-Star Race was the first night race to take place, bringing about a paradigm shift in how and when races are run.Wheeler's propensity to stage an exciting number of pre-race entertainment through stunts and military patriotism had made race day a complete event, and the fans were occupied long before the green-flag race started. Beyond his promotional genius, Wheeler was also a trailblazer for diversity and innovation in racing culture. He enabled milestones such as Janet Guthrie's participation in the 1976 World 600, making her the first woman to compete on a NASCAR superspeedway.Richard Petty wrote:"I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Humpy Wheeler. Humpy was one of a kind, a true showman and one of the sharpest minds this sport has ever seen. He didn't just promote races, he brought 'em to life. He understood what the fans came for, and he knew how to put on a show they'd never forget. He helped build NASCAR into something special, and his impact will be felt for a long time to come. We'll all miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."Richard Petty who is also referred to as 'The King' has a legendary status in the history of NASCAR as one of the most successful racers. Throughout his career from 1958-1992, Petty won a record 200 NASCAR Cup Series races and seven NASCAR Cup Series championships which tied him with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson.Goodyear's tire strategy draws criticism from NASCAR HOF inductee Richard PettyRichard Petty recently voiced strong criticism of Goodyear’s tire strategy during an interview on the Petty Family Racing YouTube channel with his son Kyle Petty and Dale Inman. Drawing from his extensive experience over a 35-year career with 200 wins and numerous top finishes, Petty argued that the current tire experiments disrupt authentic racing competition."I think somewhere where it's the drivers and most likely not the owners, NASCAR, or the TV or whoever is telling Goodyear, and they're working their butt off trying to please somebody and really, they just need four or five kinds of tires and run them the rest of the year. And with that much fall off, it really kills a race. You know, if it's just a second fall-off over a period of time, everybody can adapt to that particular deal." [07:50 onwards]He believes Goodyear and NASCAR’s attempts to please various stakeholders by constantly changing tire compounds ultimately harm the races, as drastic performance fall-offs in tires make it difficult for drivers to adapt and ruins the flow of the competition.