Concord, N.C. — H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, chief operating officer and president of Speedway Motorsports and president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, is retiring from both positions following the Coca-Cola 600.

"'Humpy' Wheeler is a true legend in motorsports and his contributions will be missed," Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports, said in a statement. "His career with Lowe's Motor Speedway and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. has been filled with many innovative promotions, and I am sure that he will be remembered as one of the greatest promoters in racing history."

The outgoing Wheeler is well-known in racing circles for his wit, accessibility and relentless promoting of the sport.

"While it is with sadness that I announce my retirement from Speedway Motorsports and Lowe's Motor Speedway, it is time for me to move on to other things," said Wheeler. "I have devoted my entire life to racing and I don't intend on leaving it, just serving it in different ways.

"I have made arrangements with a well-known author to co-write a unique book interweaving my various experiences in the sport with the wonderful human drama and rich characters that abound in it," Wheeler added.

"I will resume the 'Humpy Show' on SPEED Channel and look forward to being chairman of the Charlotte Regional Partnership in 2009. I also look forward to other endeavors, including lecturing and working with the motorsports management program at Belmont Abbey College."

Wheeler was born in Belmont and attended the University of South Carolina on a football scholarship, graduating in 1961 with a degree in journalism. In addition to football, Wheeler was an outstanding amateur boxer, compiling a 40-2 record including a dozen Golden Gloves Championships.

Prior to joining Lowe's Motor Speedway, Wheeler worked as a sports writer, a real estate manager and a dirt track promoter. He served in a variety of executive positions in the racing division at Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. from 1964 through 1971. He joined the speedway in 1975 and has been general manager since 1976. He was named president in 1980.

He is a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame; the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Public Relations Hall of Fame.

"I am grateful to the fans, the staff, the media, the sponsors and everyone who has helped me throughout my racing career," Wheeler said. "I have been blessed with a wonderful family and many close and dear friends who I hope to spend more time with.

"The people I've met along the way – from the Salt Flats of Bonneville, to Indianapolis, to my early dirt-track days, to the wild ride of NASCAR to the top – have furnished me with experiences beyond my wildest dreams. For a boy from the little town of Belmont, N.C., who dreamed of a racing career, I can only say that it ain't over yet."