Don Whittington
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Don Whittington (born January 23, 1946) is a former American racing driver from Lubbock, Texas who won the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans together with his brother Bill Whittington and Klaus Ludwig on a Porsche 935, although Ludwig, a multiple winner at Le Mans and elsewhere, did most of the driving in the heavy rain. Don's brother Dale also competed in open wheel racing.
Whittington also raced in five Indianapolis 500's, with a best finish of sixth. He also made 10 NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1980 and 1981. He earned a top-ten in the sport in his debut at Riverside. He also participated in the 1980 International Race of Champions.
In 1984, Whittington co-owned, with Randy Lanier and Marty Hinze, the Blue Thunder Racing Team.
The Whittingtons raced aircraft prior to cars and were the owners of the Road Atlanta circuit.
In 1987, Don Whittington plead guilty to money laundering charges in association with his brother Bill's 1986 guilty plea to income tax evasion and conspiracy to smuggle marijuana into the United States from Colombia. Don Whittington received an 18 month prison sentence. In addition to Bill and Don Whittington, Randy Lanier and John Paul Sr. and Jr. were part of the IMSA drug smuggling scandal of the 1980s, where a number of drivers financed their racing activities with the proceeds from drug smuggling.
[edit] Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Penske | Cosworth | 18th | 13th |
| 1981 | March | Cosworth | 26th | 31st |
| 1982 | March | Cosworth | 8th | 6th |
| 1983 | March | Cosworth | 27th | 27th |
| 1985 | March | Cosworth | 6th | 24th |
| Preceded by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud Didier Pironi |
Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1979 Klaus Ludwig Bill Whittington Don Whittington |
Succeeded by Jean Rondeau Jean-Pierre Jaussaud |
[edit] External links
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