Charlotte Motor Speedway honored its late longtime president Humpy Wheeler with the 2026 Smokey Yunick Award on Sunday, Oct. 11, before the Bank of America 400.

Wheeler, who died Aug. 20, 2025, at age 86, spent more than three decades running the Harrisburg track. Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith and CMS General Manager Jessica Fickenscher presented the award to Wheeler's daughter Patti before the green flag, according to the speedway.

"He loved this place more than anything on Earth. This was his home," Patti Wheeler said. "Of the top 10 priorities he had, nine of them were the fans."

The Smokey Yunick Award, named after mechanic and innovator Henry "Smokey" Yunick, has been given annually since 1997. It recognizes an individual from humble beginnings who showed exceptional innovation and made a major impact in motorsports. Past recipients include Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick and 2025 winner Chad Knaus.

Wheeler's beginnings were humble by any measure. He hitchhiked to his first auto race at age 11. Before motorsports, he compiled a 40-2 boxing record and won a Golden Gloves championship at 17. He gave up the ring when he realized his weight class could put him across from Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Bruton Smith hired Wheeler in 1975. Wheeler became track president in 1976 and held the role until he retired in 2008. During that stretch, he oversaw the installation of a first-of-its-kind lighting system that hosted the 1992 NASCAR All-Star Race, the first run under the lights. He added VIP suites, luxury condominiums and a fine-dining restaurant overlooking the 1.5-mile oval.

Wheeler became best known for spectacles that earned him the nickname "P.T. Barnum of motorsports." His pre-race shows featured boxing matches, a three-ring circus in the infield, a recreation of the Battle of Grenada with stunt drivers and Robosaurus, a metal-mashing robot.

Smith, Bruton Smith's son, called Wheeler and his father an extraordinary partnership. He said the Smokey Yunick Award was one of Wheeler's favorite honors and that he was proud to name Wheeler this year's recipient.

The honor caps a year of posthumous recognition. Wheeler received the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR at the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 23, in Charlotte. His family accepted that award as well.

Wheeler was also inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 and received an honorary doctorate from Belmont Abbey College in 2019.

The Smokey Yunick Award presentation preceded a memorable race. Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 by 0.029 seconds over teammate Christopher Bell, the second-closest Cup points-race finish in speedway history.