CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Loved ones and the community said their final goodbyes to longtime president and general manager of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler.

Wheeler passed away last Wednesday at the age of 86, reportedly from natural causes.

His funeral was held Tuesday morning at the Saint Gabriel Catholic Church on Providence Road in Charlotte.

Wheeler was a major force in shaping modern NASCAR, the Charlotte Motor Speedway said.

Hired in 1975 by Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith, Wheeler led Charlotte Motor Speedway for more than three decades before retiring in 2008. Known for his larger-than-life personality and creative flair, he earned the nickname “the P.T. Barnum of motorsports.”

A reception followed the service at the Speedway.

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