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NASCAR Sportsman Division (1989–1995)
The NASCAR Igloo Sportsman Challenge is a discontinued NASCAR division. It was created by Humpy Wheeler in 1989 to give short track drivers superspeedway experience. History 1989 In 1989, Humpy Wheeler, the president of Charlotte Motor Speedway, announced the creation of the Sportsman Division, a series in which drivers from short tracks could gain experience on superspeedways. The first Sportsman race was held after qualifying for the 1989 Coca-Cola 600, and was mostly clean. The race was won by Tim Bender. 1990 In 1990, the series' first fatality occurred. During practice, David Gaines (racing driver), David Gaines and two other drivers were involved in an accident coming off of turn 4. As Steve McEachern came through the turn, he was unable to avoid David Gaines, and struck his car, killing him. McEachern flipped into the grass and came to rest on the grass next to pit road. That race was won by Robbie Faggart. 1991 During a Sportsman race at Charlotte in May of that year, Ed G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Humpy Wheeler
Howard Augustine "Humpy" Wheeler (born October 23, 1938) is the former President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of the premier auto racing venues owned by Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Better known as H.A. or "Humpy" Wheeler, he has long been known as one of the foremost promoters of NASCAR auto racing. Nickname During an appearance on the National Public Radio quiz show '' Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'' in July 2006, Wheeler explained the origin of his nickname. He said that when his father had played football at the University of Illinois, he was caught once smoking Camel cigarettes, earning the name "Humpy" for the camel's hump. His father's friends then began calling him "Humpy Jr." Growing up through high school, college football, and then racing, the name "Humpy" has stuck with him. Early life Wheeler was born in Belmont, North Carolina. He began his promotional career at age nine, selling tickets for a bicycle race.Bechtel 2010, p.209 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |