Best known for his incredible showmanship, H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler Jr. recently retired from NASCAR's Lowe's Motor Speedway at the end of the Coca Cola 600. It was one of the most surprising retirements, sudden, swift and obviously painful to the man who loved that track with a passion.

While Humpy went gracefully after the race, it was clear that there was bad blood between him and Bruton Smith, owner of the Speedway. With Humpy barely out the door, Smith turned around and appointed his son Marcus as the new manager of the Speedway.

Humpy has led an amazing life.  Born in 1938 in Belmont, North Carolina, he eventually earned the nickname "Humpy" from his father. When in college, his dad was caught smoking Camel cigarettes (the camel's hump became the joke). 

Son H. A., which stands for Howard Augustine, was called "Humpy Jr." after that.  When his father passed away, he inherited the "Humpy" moniker and it has been with him ever since.

Humpy played football in college for the University of South Carolina and that is where he met future NASCAR cronies Jim Hunter and Jim Duncan. Then it was on to become the President of Charlotte, now Lowe's—Motor Speedway.

Wheeler absolutely loved everything about promoting that track. The more outlandish the stunt, the more fun he had. In his last pre-race show, he had Army commandos storming the infield track area, blowing things up and attacking everything in sight. It was quite a spectacle, ever the goal for the infamous Humpy.

Wheeler would try just about anything to sell tickets. He once offered an "all you can eat" section of the grandstands where you could literally eat your way through the race. He could also uncannily seem to predict the winner of the All-Star race, held at Lowe's, picking the victor correctly ten out of the last nineteen years.

I had the great fortune to meet Humpy several years ago at a NASCAR marketing convention. I served on a panel of fans to share with NASCAR leadership what mattered most to all of us in the stands.  Humpy stayed after the panel to talk to each one of us, carefully listening to what we had to say. 

I shared with him my idea of a "family-friendly" area of the grandstand, free of alcohol and smoking. The next year when I went to the Coca Cola 600, sure enough there was a new section dedicated to just that. Humpy had the knack of not only listening but responding and taking action.

It was a sad day for many of us when Humpy abruptly announced his retirement and said his goodbyes. He assured all of us that he would stay close to racing and that he would be back in one way or another.

Thankfully, Wheeler is back, recently announcing that he had formed his own business, The Wheeler Company. With son Trip and daughter Patti's involvement, his new company will focus on motorsports and general sports management. 

In an interview with Claire B. Lang on XM Radio today, Humpy revealed that his new venture will make matches between corporate sponsors and drivers that fit their brands. He will also be investigating other ways that race tracks could be used, like developing a series that would be a mix of racing and monster trucks.

There is no doubt about the fact that Humpy will be successful at whatever he undertakes, his new company being no exception. As for me, I plan to sit back and enjoy the next chapter of the Humpy Wheeler show.