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.

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.

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.”