H. A. Wheeler

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Howard Augustine "Humpy" Wheeler, Jr. (born 1939 in Belmont, North Carolina, U.S.A) is the President and General Manager of NASCAR's Lowe's Motor Speedway. Better known as H.A. or "Humpy" Wheeler, he is known as one of the foremost promoters of NASCAR auto racing.

Wheeler played college football for the University of South Carolina in the late 1950's as a defensive lineman. His teammates included future NASCAR communications director Jim Hunter (a running back), and Jim Duncan (later known as a marketing executive at Lowe's Motor Speedway).

Wheeler provided the voice for Tex, a 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, in the 2006 Pixar film Cars.

In an appearance on the National Public Radio quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in July 2006, Wheeler explained the origin of his nickname. He said that when his father had played football at the University of Illinois, he was caught once smoking Camel cigarettes, earning the name "Humpy" for the camel's hump. His father's friends then began calling him Humpy Jr. Growing up through high school, college football, and then racing, the name "Humpy" has stuck with him.

Wheeler was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on April 27, 2006.

[edit] "Humpygate"

• To try and increase passing and improve the racing, Wheeler allowed track developers to "levigate" the racing surface at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The track "improvements" resulted in blown tires every 35 laps and a record 22 caution flags in the 2005 Coca Cola 600.

[edit] All-Star Challenge Record

Wheeler has a personal record of picking the correct winner of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup All-Star Challenge three years in a row. In 2005, he picked Mark Martin and Martin won the race. In 2006, he picked Carl Edwards to win, but he finished fourth (behind winner Jimmie Johnson).