View Humpy Wheeler Questions
Humpy Wheeler
Wind Tunnel
6-1-08 (5-19-04)
Interview ?
Gregg Leary
Category:NASCAR -> Sprint Cup
Current Issues:
1. What happened to cause your divorce from Bruton Smith?
2. Did Bruton’s threat to move the Speedway if not granted Dragstrip zoning help lead to your decision?
3. You’ve been critical of the actual racing in NASCAR. How can it be improved?
4. What is your assessment of the COT?
5. Bruton’s purchase of Kentucky. Will he get a Cup date or will he have to move one from another of his tracks? Which one?
6. Is he pursuing Pocono or Dover?
7. Putting on your promoter’s hat…what needs to be done to improve…
NASCAR?
Indy Car racing?
Dirt racing?
Formula One?
Drag Racing?
Local short tracks?
8. Tell us about the deal to get naming rights for Lowe’s Motor Speedway. How much longer does the deal last? Do you think they’ll reup? Why haven’t other tracks been able to do similar things?
9. What can be done to lower the costs in racing?
10. How much will the slow economy and high gas prices affect attendance at races?
11. Are you satisfied with safety in racing? What still needs to be done?
“History” Questions:
1. How did you get the nickname “Humpy?”
2. Give us a brief history of how you got started in racing…and especially race promotion.
3. Tell us how fire trucks played a role in your most famous promotion…selling out the World 600 in 1976 with Janet Guthrie.
4. Did you really hitchhike to NASCAR’s first “strictly stock” race at the old Charlotte Fairgrounds?
5. Even though you played football and boxed…is it true that you were shot at by a driver and hit in the head with a wrench? Tell us how racing has changed since those “good old days.” Has it been a change for the better?
6. Who have been the greatest drivers you have ever seen and why?
7. I hear you study history and found a lot of similarities between Roman Hippodromes and Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
8. Lowe’s is famous for so many “firsts” in motorsports…tell us about some of them…elevator, lighting, The Speedway Club, luxury suites, the pre-race extravaganzas…condos. Tell how Dave Letterman helped you sell your condos.
9. What has been your favorite promotion?
10. When and how did you hook up with Bruton Smith?
11. How did you conceive of “The Winston,” now the Nextel All Star race?