H.A. (Humpy) Wheeler, legendary auto racing promotor, will receive two prestigious awards from his alma mater, the University of South Carolina on Thursday [11/6]. The first will be the “Pioneer Award” from the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management for his award winning work in sports promotion the last 50 years particularly the 33 years he served as president of both Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte and Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the first motorsports company to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. The second award will honor him as the “Outstanding Alumni” at the Summit Club by the USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications and will be presented by current Dean and former CNN correspondent Charles Bierbauer. Wheeler is a 1961 journalism graduate of USC where he was a member of the football team, the Block C Club, Blue Key Honorary Society, Dean’s List and Sigma Chi. He was also an outstanding amateur boxer with a 40-2 record and is a member of the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame. Wheeler, known throughout the world of sports for his unique and creative promotions, left Speedway Motorsports and Lowe’s Motor Speedway last May after his 33rd Coca Cola 600 and formed The Wheeler Company with his son Trip and daughter Patti. The Wheeler Company is a management consulting operation primarily focused on providing innovative promotional and developmental ideas in the areas of professional sports, motorsports and general business A member of nine halls of fame including the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Wheeler has won a bevy of national and state awards for his work in auto racing as well as civic endeavors and has been honored by three North Carolina governors for his work with his home state. The Pioneer in Sport and Entertainment Award recognizes an individual for an innovative contribution in the fields of sport, entertainment or venue management. This recipient has pioneered an idea, strategy, program or product that has altered the way our industry does business and resulted in an achievement generally recognized for its long term significance.(NASCAR PR)(11-6-2008)
