Don Whittington drove Hamby's CAPRICE in the Daytona 500. Though the Caprice was a short-track warrior, I can't believe how much of a brick it must have been in the wind at Daytona. With a couple of laps to go, the engine let go in Neil Bonnett's Mercury. Whittington whoa'd down and pushed Neil back to pit road.
The car Don raced (and wrecked) in the 125 at Daytona was Waltrip's Riverside-winning Monte Carlo. Waltrip was none too happy when Don said he had a five year contract with DiGard. But sounds like Whittington's contract was contingent on his finding a sponsor for the car.
Who knows the real truth, but everyone soon parted ways. From what I can tell, Don didn't race for DiGard again. And Waltrip left at the end of 1980 to join Junior Johnson's team.
From February 14, 1980 Gadsden Times . (How appropriate to have a broken "bromance" story between Waltrip and Whittington in the Valentines Day newspaper.)
Warner Hodgdon, DiGard, and Ulrich must have liked what they saw from the Whittingtons at Riverside.
Don got another opportunity with the 55 Monte Carlo at Daytona. He raced in the first 125, but he failed to transfer the car to the 500. He was caught up in a big wreck along with Kyle Petty and others after rookie and future owner of Nashville and Bristol speedways, Gary Baker, spun coming out of turn 4. Don did race in the 500 when he took the seat of Roger Hamby's #17.
David Allio photo.
http://www.racingphotoarchives.com/classic/2015/05/14/daytona-international-speedway-1980-whittington-kyle-petty-finney-brooks/
Bill again raced Ulrich's #40 car (a Buick at Daytona vs. the Monte Carlo). He finished poorly in his 125 but still transferred to the 500. I presume Ulrich had enough 1979 owner points to make the field with a provisional start for Bill. The #40 lost an engine in the 500, Bill finished 32nd, and the 500 became his second and final Cup race.
The Whittington brothers earned double chicken money with their pair of top 10 finishes. Don drove a back-up car from Darrell Waltrip's DiGard team. D.K. Ulrich provided the car for Bill.
Pretty good day for the two. But as racy as they were, they couldn't outrun the leaders. Coincidentally, they continued to be racy but couldn't outrun the law. Don and Bill were arrested in March 1986 for tax evasion and drug smuggling and sentenced to prison in January 1987.
A couple of pre and post-race articles from the San Bernardino County Sun about Dan Gurney's return to stock car racing.
Dr. David Hill won the Stock Car Products 300 support race the day before the originally scheduled date for the Cup event. Sadly, the race may be better remembered for the death of driver Tim Williamson. The 1980 season really got off to very sad beginning with Williamson's death in January followed by Ricky Knotts' death at Daytona about a month later.
From Daytona Beach Morning Journal
Race program from Motor Racing Programme Covers . The 43 made the cover. The image was from the 1979 summer Riverside race when the STP decal was returned to the hood. The team ran the 1979 WW500 without STP on the hood.
Dave Marcis displayed a special message on his car in the January 1980 race. Unfortunately another full YEAR passed before the remaining American hostages held in Iran were released.
Craig Bontrager has a pic of Dave's car with the message visible on the rear quarter panel.
Race report following the postponement because of rain. From Spartanburg Herald .
Race report of Waltrip's win from the Herald .
Gurney's return after a 10 year layoff was featured on the cover of the April 1980 issue of Stock Car Racing vs. Waltrip's win.
