Don and Bill Whittington shared an improbable victory at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving the #41 Kremer Porsche 935 K3 with Klaus Ludwig. Their racing story, however, cannot be separated from the drug-smuggling and money-laundering convictions later reported by a 2024 feature in Monochrome Watches’ The Petrolhead Corner.
Who were Don and Bill Whittington?
Robin Nooy’s 2024 feature for The Petrolhead Corner identifies Don Whittington as Reginald Donald Whittington and Bill as William Marvin Whittington. It describes them as American racing drivers from Lubbock, Texas, who competed in series and events including NASCAR, the Indianapolis 500, the International Race of Champions and Le Mans. Nooy also reports that the brothers entered the Reno Air Races as pilots. These biographical details are from Nooy’s account, rather than independently checked records. Read the feature.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How the brothers reached the 1979 Le Mans win
The failed 1978 attempt
According to Nooy, the brothers first tried Le Mans in 1978 with their own team and a Porsche 935/77 hired from Joest Racing. An accident in the race’s ninth hour ended their attempt.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A seat with Kremer Racing
For 1979, Don and Bill joined Kremer Racing alongside Klaus Ludwig. Nooy reports that each brother paid USD 20,000 to drive. The account also recounts that when they asked team owner Erwin Kremer what it would take to drive first, he reportedly replied, “You can buy the car…. for USD 200,000.” Nooy says the brothers returned with cash and bought it; neither the figures nor the anecdote is independently verified here. Nooy’s account of the deal.
#1 Best Overall
What happened in the 1979 race?
The #41 Kremer Porsche 935 K3 won with Don Whittington, Bill Whittington and Klaus Ludwig sharing the drive. Nooy describes a rain-soaked race in which faster Porsche 936s and Mirages ran into trouble. The Kremer car’s advantage reportedly grew to as much as 13 laps, before a broken drivebelt and a faulty wheel nut cost time. The team regained the lead in the final hour and went on to win. The race narrative and lap figure here are those reported by Nooy, not independently checked against official results.
What happened after the racing success?
Nooy’s feature recounts the brothers’ involvement with Blue Thunder Racing Team alongside Randy Lanier, followed by drug-smuggling and money-laundering convictions. It reports that Don received an 18-month sentence and Bill a 15-year sentence, with USD 7 million in assets ordered forfeited from Bill. These serious legal details are attributed to the 2024 feature; court records and the exact procedural history were not independently reviewed. Nooy also reports that Bill died in a plane crash in 2021.
The racing achievements do not soften the gravity of those crimes. The Whittingtons’ story is a striking collision of endurance-racing success and criminal history, not evidence that illegal activity is a legitimate or acceptable way to finance motorsport.
What became of the #41 Porsche?
Nooy reports that the car was entered into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in the early 1980s. In 2009, Don reportedly tried to reclaim it, but a court ruling left him without ownership rights. The museum record and ruling were not independently checked, so this account of the car’s later ownership dispute should be understood as Nooy’s reporting.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
