Dale Whittington | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dale Lindsey Whittington 23 September 1959 Farmington, New Mexico, United States |
| Died | 14 June 2003 (aged 43) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States |
| Nationality |  American |
| Relatives | Don Whittington (brother) Bill Whittington (brother) |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1980 – 1981 |
| Teams | Whittington Bros. Racing Joest Racing |
| Best finish | 37th (1980) |
| Class wins | 0 |
Dale Lindsey Whittington (September 23, 1959 – June 14, 2003), was an American racing driver. Born in Farmington, New Mexico, he was the youngest of four sons born to 1950s race car owner Dick Whittington.[1] Dale Whittington had 3 sons: R.D Whittington, Dale Lindsey Whittington Jr, Blake Whittington. Dale Whittington has one grandson Dale Whittington III. Whittington was not married at the time of his death.
Indy 500
Despite having little oval experience,[1] Whittington entered the 1982 Indianapolis 500, joining his brothers Bill and Don to become the only trio of siblings to qualify for the same race at Indy. He qualified 23rd, on the eighth row.[1]
On race day, he found himself caught up in the infamous Kevin Cogan crash. During the final pace lap, just before the green flag was to drop on the frontstretch, Kevin Cogan struck A. J. Foyt, and then Mario Andretti. As the field checked up to avoid the carnage, Whittington locked his brakes and spun into Roger Mears, a driver in the sixth row. All four drivers were eliminated from the race.[1] Dale was out of the race having never taken the green flag, and never again managed to qualify at Indy.
Later years
Whittington was not involved with the 1980s IMSA Camel GT drug smuggling scandal which involved his brothers (Bill and Don) as well as Randy Lanier, John Paul Sr., and John Paul Jr. Both of his brothers received prison time.
Whittington transitioned to endurance racing, competing in the ALMS series, as well as competing at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1999 and 2000. He competed in Grand-Am in 2001 often racing with his brother, Don.
Whittington was a developer responsible for developing Tampa Bay Golf and Tennis and later worked at World Jet owned by his brother Don at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE). He died on June 14, 2003.[2] He was found dead by his oldest son.
Motorsports career results
American Open Wheel racing results
(key)
Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | TEX1 | IRP | MIL1 | POC | TEX2 6 |
MIL2 12 |
MIN1 3 |
MIN2 21 |
14th | 233 |
Indianapolis 500
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | March Engineering | Cosworth DFX | 23 | 33 | Whittington Bros. Racing |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
(key)
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Whittington Bros. Racing |
Don Whittington Hurley Haywood |
Porsche 935 | IMSA | 151 | 37th | 11th |
| 1981 |  Joest Racing |
Reinhold Joest Klaus Niedzwiedz |
Porsche 908 | S+2.0 | 60 | 39th | 10th |
References
- 1 2 3 4 HistoricRacing.com: Dale Whittington profile
- ↑ "Dale Whittington Obituary (2003) - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Sun-Sentinel". legacy.com. 18 June 2003. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ↑ "Dale Whittington". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Dale Whittington Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
External links
- Dale Whittington driver statistics at Racing-Reference