23/9/1959 - 14/6/2003
Record updated 23-Sep-21
The youngest of the three brothers, Dale avoided the drugs scandal and went on to race in ALMS often driving with his brother Don.
Dale was born in Orlando, Florida, the youngest of the three Whittington brothers (Bill and Don). His father, Dick Whittington, owned racing cars in the 1950s. Dale and his father drove a Porsche Turbo together in 1978 in the Camel GT 250 at Daytona International Speedway in the GTX class.
Whittington was 22 years old and had little oval experience when he qualified 23rd, on the eighth row, for the 1982 Indy 500. The race began with a multi-car crash on the front row, in which Kevin Cogan and Mario Andretti were eliminated. The field slowed to avoid the carnage, except Whittington. He figured it was a good time to pass, so he did and consequently rammed into Roger Mears, who was starting from the sixth row, eliminating both drivers. Dale never returned to Indy.
That year the Whittingtons became the only trio of brothers to ever make the field for the same race at Indy.
Back in the 1980s when IMSA jokingly stood for the International Marijuana Smugglers' Association (sic), Dale was the only one of the three brothers to avoid prison in the scandal which involved the smuggling of marijuana and also included 1982 IMSA champion John Paul, Jr. and his father John Paul, Sr., as well as 1984 champion Randy Lanier.
He raced in ALMS & at Daytona in 1999 & 2000 & in Grand-Am in 2001, often racing with his brother, Don.
He was working for his brother at World Jet at Ft Lauderdale Executive airport at the time of his death on Fathers Day in 2003. He was found by his son at his home in Fort Lauderdale. The Broward County Coroner's report listed a drug overdose as the cause of death.
historicracing.com