Shorter races? A racing movie? NASCAR’s retired showman Humpy Wheeler has big ideas
It’s been 13 years since Humpy Wheeler retired from his role as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. For more than 30 years, Wheeler was a promoter known for his jaw-dropping stunts, one of which infamously involved the nickname “Jaws,” Darrell Waltrip and a dead shark at the track.
Although Wheeler, 82, lives a less public life in Charlotte after raising three grown children, he closely follows NASCAR’s latest happenings. He’s also busy working on his next racing-related venture: A self-produced movie that will release, well, hopefully sometime next year.
“It was supposed to come out two years ago. It was supposed to come out a year ago, and it was supposed to come out six months ago, but something called COVID kept getting involved,” Wheeler told The Observer.
He was tight-lipped on movie details, but free-flowing with his thoughts on innovative race format changes. After all these years, he still thinks the Coca-Cola 600 is too long.
Wheeler spoke with The Observer about big ideas, short attention spans and more as it relates to NASCAR.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Alex Andrejev: You’re someone known for your Hollywood-sized stunts in NASCAR. What more do you think the sport could be doing in the entertainment space?
Humpy Wheeler: A lot. I think that in the next 20 years you’re gonna see some dramatic changes, and I think one of the big changes that we’re gonna see is the way we conduct races will change. I promoted 35 (Coke) 600s. I won’t ever see another one. They’re too long! I would sit up there in the control tower and I’d look over at (former NASCAR CEO) Bill France (Jr.) and I’d say, “Why don’t we shorten this damn thing?” He never really knew how to take me, even though we grew up together. He’d say, “Well you can’t do that.” I’d say, “Well, Hell you can!” I’m the track and you’re NASCAR and we can do anything we want to. We can call it off right now. I think we’re gonna see some dramatic changes and we’re seeing it in other sports. Like in baseball, the sacred ground of baseball, I think you’re gonna see that game shortened. We’ve got a 600-mile race now. That’s usually four hours and 15 minutes. That’s just too long. So what do you do? You come in and run heat races. Make it four or five heat races.
AA: What about the people who say it’s a crown jewel event? Can you really shorten it?
HW: Yes you can. I would. We come in that day at noon, run 10-lap heat races, or four 20-lap heat races. Why not? You start off with those heat races, and once you get that over, then you run the so-called “main event.” Maybe the main event is two races of 150 miles apiece, and then you’ve got a show. What I’m trying to say is that people are used to a certain amount of entertainment. You give them the same amount, it’s just in a staggered format. You’ve still got great racing. You just don’t have it encapsulated in some long 600- or 500-mile race.
AA: I’ve seen an idea floating around on social media in which there’s essentially a race halftime, like an intermission, 20 minutes or whatever, when teams pause and work on their cars.
HW: That’s a great idea. Why not? They do it in football, so why not? It doesn’t matter. Sports have evolved into entertainment and that’s what you want to give to people. You want to give them that entertainment, and so you do that and you’ve got a show. It’s all about the show.
AA: NASCAR’s big news for the 2022 schedule was that the Clash will be at the LA Coliseum. That certainly seems like a show.
HW: There’s nothing wrong with broadening the scope of things and putting some positive things in it. I think all this is good. ... I think the big thing that we’ve got to figure out is how to run this stuff out of the weather. That’s killed us this year, as you know.
AA: So what are you up to these days? It sounds like you’re still getting to some races.
HW: Well I’m working on a movie right now. I’m knee-deep in the worst thing you can be knee-deep in and that’s a movie. My wife keeps saying, “Why are you doing that?”
AA: What’s it about?
HW: What else would it be about? Racing!
AA: Sure, but specifically.
HW: I knew you would ask me something like that. It’s about the new Pettys. I don’t know why I’m doing it. It’s stupid and ridiculous. The worst thing you can do is make a movie. It’s crazy.
AA: What’s your role in it?
HW: I’m a producer.
AA: So it’s with the Petty family?
HW: No, it’s like the Petty family. I’ve always been fascinated with the Petty family because I was brought up with them, so that’s what it’s about.
AA: When does it come out?
HW: It was supposed to come out two years ago. It was supposed to come out a year ago, and it was supposed to come out six months ago, but something called COVID kept getting involved. The worst time that you could ever come up with a great idea is right now with COVID lurking around. You think you’ve got it made and all of the sudden it doesn’t work. At any rate, we’re doing the best we can and we’re gonna try to make the best of it. ... I think it’s something that is gonna happen, and I think we’ll get it done and be OK next year.
AA: If you could write a show for NASCAR now, what would it be about? What type of show do you think could help grow NASCAR’s audience?
HW: Well, they’ll find it and it’ll last for 14 months and people will jump on it and then they’ll discard it like an old dish. What’s the next thing? Because we all have the attention span of a buffalo with syphilis! It’s just the way we are and the way the world is now.
AA: (The Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is this weekend for its fourth running.) Has the newness of the Roval worn off?
HW: Great racing sells tickets. Boring racing does not sell tickets. And we have been running around some pretty interesting road racing. I don’t know if we’re gonna see a huge amount of the fan base involved in road racing. We’ll just have to see how that plays out.
This story was originally published October 9, 2021 at 2:53 PM.
