Don't Believe Everything You Read in Racing Books by "Experts" - i.e. Humpy Wheeler's "Growing Up NASCAR"

I have read many racing books over the years and they've all been so full of mistakes I have just about swore them off.

I just happened into a 2010 ThatsRacin' column about Humpy Wheeler's book Growing Up NASCAR .

The column contained one brief allusion that absolutely infuriated me and I thought I'd take the time to correct it. For someone who portrays himself as an expert, my experience through the years has been that Humpy Wheeler paints with a broad stroke and usually gets most of his facts wrong.

Here's the little piece from Humpy's book that set me off:

O.K. - Jack Watson didn't work for Hanes, he worked for Blue Bell, Inc. He did not work in marketing, he was advertising director for Wrangler Jeans. The Wrangler brand was never associated with Hanes. Dale Earnhardt was never associated with Hanes. Hanes did later sponsor some events at Martinsville.

The president of Wrangler Jeans' Blue Bell, Inc. domestic operations was Bob Odear . Odear had worked for Hanes for a brief period of time where he invented the marketing concept of selling panty hose in drug stores, convenience stores and grocery stores in a little egg shaped container and christened the product L'Eggs . That innovation killed 90% of the sales of hoisery in department stores

Odear had at one time been a top official for RJ Reynolds Tobacco company. Watson worked for Odear at RJR as Winston Brand Manager. Odear was responsible for taking Ralph Seagraves out of the field and placing him in charge of RJR Special Events.

When Odear arrived at the Wrangler brand, Watson left RJR as Winston brand manager and joined Odear peddling jeans. Stock car racing sponsorship for Wrangler was just a step away.

Now, I know most of you could care less, but to me, having been involved in the middle of all this, it is just another example of Humpy and so many other experts not knowing what they're talking about, but acting like they're authorities beyond reproach.

I watched some of those on-line videos of Humpy's that are full of misinformation. When you listen to his interviews just remember to take much of what is said with a grain of salt and check his facts.

Don't believe everything you read. The book Peter Golenbeck wrote was just as bad. Full of factual errors. I guess these folks think that the fan on the street won't know any better, but many do.

Thanks for letting me vent. If the rest of Humpy's book is as full of mistakes as those 5 brief sentences, then a lot of misinformation about stock car racing has been spread about.

don't discount the fact that ole humpy is foremost a promoter and strong fan of any publicity is good publicity so maybe the book sales isn't going as expected.

Dave. I am the same way about mistakes I find all the time in books, and especially in what NASCAR is trying to see us a the history of the sport. Thank you for correcting this error so blatantly stated by Humpy Wheeler. I realize that I make mistakes in some of the History Minutes I post and I always appreciate someone bringing those mistakes to my attention. I somewhat doubt that Humpy will be pleased to be corrected because, as you stated, he paints with broad strokes.

If you go back to my initial disgust with D. W., it is over the same thing. Never did like him as a driver I admit, but when he started manufacturing the history of the sport the way HE wanted it to be, that was it for me. We are still forced to endure that mantra of his and there is no stopping the incessant deluge of Waltrip B.S. put upon us each racing season. Thankfully, we have knowledgeable folks like you around to set the record straight.

Thanks, Dave.

I had high hopes for Humpy's book when it came out a year or two ago. I even started to pre-order it because I thought he if anyone would care to get it right as well as delve into some interesting and even funny anecdotes from his years behind the scenes. Instead, I waited it out and even received the book as a gift. After reading it, I was so deflated about how lame it was. Just another in a long line of start and park books where someone slaps together a couple of hundred pages, has an uninformed and disinterested editor, and looks to bank a few bucks before word gets out.

Ditto, I was interested in Humpy's book, too, 'til, just recently came across several non-conforming 'facts' about Robinwood Speedway.......the flagship track that begat the storied promoter's carreer. IfGrowing Up NASCAR is correct, then the family that built the track is in error.

Saw Humpy Wheeler dragged out again this week to offer "expert" commentary on the announced retirement of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The TV folk seem to never get enough of his opinions. Oh, well... You can fool some of the people some of the time.... etc.