Longtime Charlotte Motor Speedway president and general manager H.A. Humpy Wheeler has died at the age of 86. The Belmont, North Carolina, native passed away peacefully of natural causes surrounded by family, Speedway Motorsports confirmed. Wheeler is survived by his wife and children.Tributes poured in across the sport Monday, remembering one of NASCAR’s most influential promoters, whose vision reshaped Charlotte Motor Speedway and elevated stock car racing onto the national stage. NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley reposted the Hall of Fame's statement and wrote a heartfelt tribute on X:"👇🏻🙏🏻😢 Words are not sufficient for his impact and all he did for so many in our sport. I’m so blessed to be one of those. He was an ardent supporter of the @NASCARHall. Few in our history could match his passion for @NASCAR. RIP my friend."Earlier this year, Humpy Wheeler was named the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. That recognition was a formal nod to decades of service where he changed not just Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the presentation of the sport itself.NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France praised Wheeler's impact in a statement:Humpy Wheeler has been involved in motorsports for over five decades and has overseen stock car racing's evolution to the NASCAR Cup Series of today.Humpy Wheeler's NASCAR journey and legacy - The 'P.T. Barnum of motorsports'(L-R) Kurt Busch, Humpy Wheeler, and Jimmie Johnson during the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame. Source: GettyHumpy Wheeler's path into motorsports was unconventional and spanned multiple sports and entertainment. At 13, he founded Belmont's first-ever bicycle repair shop, which doubled up as a way to promote local bike races.By 17, he was Golden Gloves boxing champion with a 40-2 record, and wanted to join the 1960 Olympic team before walking away when he realized his weight class consisted of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. He also played football at the University of South Carolina before a back injury ended his career.Shifting gears, he completed a double major in journalism and political science in 1961, beginning a career that combined promotion, broadcasting and business. Stints with WBTV, Firestone and local race promotion sharpened his skills, and by 1975, he was hired by Bruton Smith to run Charlotte Motor Speedway. Within a year, Wheeler was named track president - a role he would hold for 33 years.On his passing, Charlotte Motor Speedway released a statement honoring the man who became inseparable from its history:"Humpy's engaging smile and flair for promotion were legendary, and his impact on every stakeholder in motorsports will be long-lasting. Often described as the 'P.T. Barnum of motorsports,' Humpy not only made his mark with publicity but also with a laser-focus toward the fans. He would often tell his staff to pay attention to ‘the three Ts – tickets, traffic and toilets’ in order to ensure fans have the best possible experience. He would also say it was our job to put a little ‘technicolor in people’s black-and-white lives."That philosophy drove innovations still felt today. Wheeler and Smith were behind installing lights at Charlotte in 1992 for 'One Hot Night,' the first-ever NASCAR All-Star Race under the lights. He reconstructed Charlotte Motor Speedway with VIP suites, luxury condos overlooking the track and turned racing into an event.Beyond infrastructure, Wheeler also groomed racers, bringing Janet Guthrie to Charlotte in 1976, where she became the first woman to qualify for a superspeedway Cup race. From Dale Earnhardt's early years to the stars of modern NASCAR, his influence spanned generations.Humpy Wheeler was inducted into nearly every major Hall of Fame in motorsports - including the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2006), the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (2004) and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2009). He also lent his voice to Pixar's Cars as Tex, and remained active in the community long after his retirement in 2008.Wheeler's passing leaves a giant void in motorsports, but his innovations remain embedded in every major race held at Charlotte and beyond.