Turn 2

There's a whole generation of NASCAR fans who have never experienced their favorite sport without the influence of H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler. The man some have likened to renowned showman P.T. Barnum has been making waves in NASCAR for almost 32 years.

Credit him with everything from lights to what was then Charlotte Motor Speedway (and thus bringing night racing to NASCAR) to the spectacle of the pre-race shows to keeping ticket prices low enough for the average working fan to be able to afford them.

And, now out of the blue, he's announced his retirement as President and General Manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway as of the end of the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend, and that he's also out as CEO and Director of Speedway Motorsports, Inc.

Now, look, you know and I know and the American people know that someone like Humpy doesn't just decide to up and retire in a week. At a minimum, we would expect a "Goodbye Humpy" party at Lowe's Motor Speedway; knowing him, it could have gone on for a whole season.

So what happened? This announcement smells like he's been forced out. He says he "didn't expect to go out this way," but won't give specifics, which sounds a lot like a condition of a negotiated agreement. That, and the fact that, when he's asked what role he'll play in the future at LMS, he simply says, "None," points at a nasty breakup. Wheeler has also said he planned a traditional transition period for his successor, but wouldn't give a reason when he was asked why that isn't happening, saying simply, "I don't know."

Bruton Smith, president of SMI, issued a two-sentence statement announcing Humpy's departure. Smith's son chalked up Bruton's lack of attendance at the press conference Wednesday to the fact that he's not feeling well.

Really?

After three decades, one of the best-known figures in NASCAR suddenly says he will retire in just days, and won't have any connection to the track he loves, and Bruton Smith is too sick to be a part of the press conference?

Smith is also a major-league promoter in the Humpy mold. He never misses a chance to speak to the media. The excuse that he didn't feel well rings pretty hollow.

I don't buy for a minute that the unhappy Humpy we saw at the Wednesday media event is ready to retire voluntarily.

It does not help that his heir apparent is Burton Smith's 34-year-old son, Marcus Smith.

Humpy is widely credited as the man who shephered a young Dale Earnhardt as he came into the sport as a rough-edged young racer with dirty jeans. He developed dozens of goofy and memorable promotional schemes, like the dead shark that he had driven around the track to represent Darrell "Jaws" Waltrip. His impact can be seen at tracks around the country nowadays.

And, if we're lucky, his influence and concern for giving the fans a good show will continue after his departure. It'll be tough to imagine NASCAR without Humpy Wheeler.

A man who has done so much for a sport, and is respected, even beloved, by so many, deserves to be treated better than to be shoved out the door like this.