Humpy Wheeler has put a lot of himself into racing.
He was the longtime head of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
And he voiced the character “Tex” in the 2006 Pixar hit movie, “Cars.”
On Sunday, the 75-year-old was a proud finisher in the Great Race which ended at Lake Sumter Landing.
Relaxing at Market Square next to his 1953 Hudson Hornet Coupe after the race, he wore a Villages ballcap and gave interviews to the media.
The Hudson has always been near and dear to Humpy’s heart.
When Pixar Executive Producer John Lasseter sought out Humpy to talk to him about the “Cars” concept, Humpy knew exactly how to introduce him to racing.
“I put him in a Winnebago right there in the infield at the speedway,” Humpy said. “I think it was then and there he began forming the characters for ‘Cars.'”
And Humpy insisted to Lasseter that a Hudson be included in the movie. The character Doc Hudson was voiced by Paul Newman, himself a racing enthusiast.
Humpy’s Hudson in the Great Race was a tribute to the car in the animated movie.
Humpy entered the race with his 16-year-old grandson Austin Hardy.
“But he couldn’t take it and had to bail out,” Humpy said.
Rudy Zeck, Humpy’s mechanic, took over the navigator role for the last leg of the race.
Villager Nelson Detweiler was like a kid when he posed for a photo with Humpy.
“He’s a legend,” Detweiler said. “I can’t believe he’s here in The Villages.”