With fire-breathing robots and death-defying school-bus stunts, he brought spectacle to stock-car racing as the sport boomed in the 1970s and beyond.

Wheeler will be remembered for his love of stock car racing and his acumen for promoting races — one that yielded the nickname the “P.T. Barnum of Motorsports.”

S everal NASCAR personalities have paid tribute to Humpy Wheeler, who passed away on August 20 at the age of 86. Wheeler made significant contributions to the sport and played a major role in upgrading Charlotte Motor Speedway during his time as the circuit's president and general manager.