THE NARCOS RACERS who won Le Mans 😱

An incredible story. What do 3 criminal brothers, Pablo Escobar and actor Paul Newman have in common? Simple: the 24h of Le Mans. It sounds like a made-up story, but it's all true! One of the most absurd episodes in the history of motorsport.
Today I tell you about the Whittington brothers: Don, Bill and Dale. 3 brothers drivers, famous for winning the 24h of Le Mans, but not only that.
In their lives they also raced airplanes and bought the Road Atlanta circuit.
And Pablo Escobar and Paul Newman, how do they fit into this?
It is not the Narcos series...but it is something even more incredible.
Stories from another time, far removed from today's Formula 1.
Collaboration: [e-mail]

[@BigOleMatty]

they need to make a movie about this lmao

[@david_pittard]

Imagine Rush and Narcos. What a combination 🤯

[@mortenfrosthansen84]

About how the 5 years in jail went? How he never raced again? These guys are not cool.. they have working with columbian cartels, only for money. And they were so concerned about their necks, that they pleaded guilty

[@Sugar_K]

@@david_pittard the brothers still work for the CIA... lols when that's over there will be movies

[@LeeePowers]

"Lmao" not necessary. It needs to be made. Especially with all the CGI advancement.

[@lunardawnimages6838]

Absolutely, a proper film needs to be done! Even more intriguing than Rush it would certainly be.....

[@sdx3918]

I guess this is the reason why Americans jokingly call the 70s to 80s era of IMSA the "International Marijuana Smugglers Association"

[@user-bf9co9qo8i]

First off, the peeing on the turbo part did not happen. It was an injection belt that broke and Don had to fix it on track and figured out how to use the alternator belt to get it working- then got back to the pits to do a proper repair.....So that said, I also need to add a tag onto the "what happened to them?", 1999 Don and Dale decided to get back into racing. They bought a Riley and Scott WSC car from Jim Matthews and raced it in the 1999 Rolex 24 at Daytona with the 1985 Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan and Hurley Haywood as their-codrivers. Then again in the 1999 12 hours of Sebring with Hurley Haywood co-driving. Don then bought a brand-new Lola WSC prototype that raced at Road Atlanta (yes, the track he once owned with his brothers), Portland and Sears point. Then raced it in the 2000 Daytona and Sebring races with Dale and John Field before hanging up his racing helmet for good. I only know this because I was front row center for the whole thing- I knew Don for years post prison time and was the crew chief at the race shop that ran them in the 1999 Daytona, Sebring and Atlanta races.

[@NaskaAlbertoENG]

Thanks for all the details you provided! I really appreciate that. I have one question: Why so many press articles mention the peeing part if it never happened?

[@SitChoahhDownTV]

​@@NaskaAlbertoENG😂(because it happened 🤫) great video keep up the great work

[@LilSebastian_]

They raced to launder their drug money. They didn’t sell drugs to race. One of the brothers spoke about the entire thing and his time in prison.

[@jclive2860]

Thats actually such a smart way to launder money. I wouldn't doubt if a lot of the racing sponsors did the same. Maybe even some tax evasion is possible for sponsoring a racing team.

[@raramcgee4982]

@@jclive2860 lmao take a Econ criminal class at a college, people have done everything to try and wash money, most recently using quarter million dollar bongs

[@Streetw1s3r]

Pablo Escobar was a motorsports enthusiast, he even tried to sponsor an F1 driver but Bernie Ecclestone caught on after one practice session because the sponsor on the car just said "Colombia" and he became curious.

[@iannplifier]

Didnt think i will hear Pablo Escobar here..

[@ernestomarquez6655]

Naska always delivers

[@qorrri]

Now that’s a movie worth making

[@yangolehman]

So good to see your channel comeback after the old channel not engaging to car viewers.

[@samdajellybeenie14]

Wow what an incredible story, seems so unbelievable but it's true! Surprised this hasn't been made into a movie yet!

[@solomonsignet]

Wow, I haven't been so glued to a video than what I just saw. Great video!!

[@dutchdude1985]

The 935's they used to race long afterward got into different hands where it was found they also seem to contain secret compartments used to hide or stash stuff this was a detail i had expected to see covered in this famous tale and their iconic 935's.

[@nololol]

sounds pretty dumb.... a race car on the road will get you pulled over in 30 seconds. Most drugs are moved in mini vans or 18 wheelers because they DON'T draw attention. I don't see why you would need to hide drugs in a race car assuming you have a trailer/trucks/crates even if they brought drugs to the track. sounds like a dumb drunk guy rumor from the 80s or something lol

[@briankearn6991]

The secret compartments were for hiding a bottle of nitros oxide to illegally make more engine power.

[@feeshtacos]

In drag racing there was allot of cocaine use ... i have dirt but i aint mentioning names ... from what i know about the Whittington bros was the didnt deal with Escobar coke ... the smuggled weed ...

[@Airplanefish]

I unknowingly at the time worked on Bill Whittingtons P51 Mustang (P51H which is very rare model) about 9 years ago. I mean I knew who owned the plane and he asked me to but I didn't know his history at the time

[@samuelgarrod8327]

There are several successful Motorsports teams that wouldn't have made it to where they did without illegal cash, mentioning no names because of litigation. Motorsport by it's nature is risky so I'm not surprised that some took chances like this.

[@extec101]

lots of different teams in different parts of motorsport got a backside of being dirty, prestige and cost need to be covered somehow.

[@thesquirrelchroniclesakare7808]

I grew up in the wrong era

[@thomasroth84]

Great video! I‘ve always thought the Kremer brothers wanted Ludwig to start because of rain on the horizon. As already mentioned, Randy Lanier also funded his racing with Marihuana. His story is on Netflix in a sports cheating documentary. You’ll laugh your rear end off about the Ford/Mike Kranefuss part. And another racer serving prison time. Scott Tucker with his Level 5 team (GT2, LMP2). He’s also on Netflix with his payday loan crimes.

[@DiogeneDeSin0pe]

Something similar happened with powerboat racing, people running multi millions teams funded by narco dollars, showing off on TV and bringing too much attention to themselves.

[@guitarguymi]

Joke back in the day was that IMSA stood for International Marijuana Smugglers Association. They weren't the only ones doing it.

[@michaelrasmussen9679]

Most on here agree...The New Crime is there is NO movie about this, I remember the Family Racing on Tv as a kid and adult...Front Straight as a Runway, Epic shit right there!

[@ralphcooper236]

IMSA was known then as the International Mar

[@htrspsupra2102]

Smugglers Association LOL

[@supermccnasty4176]

Lmao I love Road Atlanta and Le Man and have never heard this story lol. Great video brother!

[@lunardawnimages6838]

Excellent video mate....👍

[@bosse-1760]

Amazing storytelling. I love you ❤

[@sleebanger]

how do you think F1 got so big so quickly in the 1980's??????

[@JStryker7]

Worth it

[@jvds_btg]

Great story, had never heard of it! That kind of money finds it way in allot of sports and businesses

[@scottklandl488]

Who did the graphics for the thumbnail!? I love the backdate 993 and would to see more

[@pipimontana]

John Ficarra is a less annoying storyteller ;)

[@extec101]

heard it from ficcara first.

[@wilbywise]

Literally “copy & paste” of something that was already done 10x better.. 🤦‍♂️

[@eduardocaicedo7654]

amazing this deserves more views

[@erichaskell]

Very well done, like your driving.

[@mikebyers1873]

Love how you know from the start its drugs smuggling but he keeps saying you will find out at the end of the video

[@Bungowungo]

Just subscribed, great narration and an awesome video. Love your accent as well. Keep it up bro💪🏾

[@basstard13]

Unbelievable, an Italian with decent English. Regards from Italy.

[@JoaoSilva-jb9sq]

great video, lets keep growing

[@benw3046]

OMG!😮😮 That is an incredible story. Alberto, as good a racer as you are, you are an amazing storyteller. Keep up all the great content, but you may want to get a talent agent, too.

[@nick2128]

This is hilarious , What a bunch of characters

[@astramorikes224]

Incredible story! Thank you !

[@theabyssaldemon]

Okay. This was NUTS

[@moncefecw3131]

My man dont stop making the vid

[@mears120]

The brothers competed at Indianapolis as well.

[@henrymorgan3982]

What happens when you get careless with your hard "earned" money! LOL!! BTW, $500K in 1979 = $2,181,077.14! American Heroes!

[@dylank337]

There's one similar on Netflix, cocaine cowboys kings of Miami

[@sabercruiser.7053]

Much greatful thank you 👍👍

[@DocMagoo]

So Randy Lanier wasn't the only one who funded a (briefly) successful racing career this way, interesting

[@pedrofreitas4262]

Its better than that! Don Whittington and Randy Lanier were co-owners of the "Blue Thunder Racing Team"!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@user-bf9co9qo8i]

Randy Lanier, John Paul Sr and Jr. and the Whittington's all funded their racing this way.

[@mmack647]

There was a reason back in the 1970s and 1980s people said of IMSA, the sanctioning body all of them raced in, that the initials stood for International Marijuana Smugglers Association.

[@cartoonfan959]

they should make a movie about them

[@maxmax9722]

Wow Pablo was every were😅

[@zsimps1829]

They were trafficking truck all the money came from truck trafficking... Sounds like to me 😂

[@sabercruiser.7053]

We need a movie ❤❤

[@brunodavidferreira5781]

Omg ..many rich always many drugs 😂🤣😂😂💩

[@adampach982]

what a story!

[@filipnemec2568]

Wtf😂 I wouldn't though about landing planes on racetrack for drug smuggling. Lol

[@jasonmeehan1269]

Your years late to the party with this story.

[@gretsky3463]

I would go to jail to win le man

[@tylers82]

Your accent sounds just like Jean-Claude Van Damme’s. You Belgian?

[@andrewjetmitchell7203]

Whaaaat! lol

[@twu1751]

bet they loose if they did a drug test

[@donwest5387]

pot. not narcotics

[@samuelgarrod8327]

'Narcotic, noun a drug or other substance that affects mood or behaviour and is consumed for non-medical purposes, especially one sold illegally. "cultivation of a plant used to make a popular local narcotic" '

[@NaskaAlbertoENG]

“Narcos” mean “drug trafficker”. Whatever is the drug

[@samuelgarrod8327]

@@NaskaAlbertoENG It's a label invented by Umurica.

[@MaciusSzwed]

Eat less pasta! Ride more DUCATI

[@marklangren3142]

Por-sha

[@marklangren3142]

Wrong, longest straight is brainerd

[@davezizka]

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@Formaldehydex]

Grass isn’t a narcotic. It looks like you don’t really know much about the Whittingtons, or you are intentionally distorting the facts. Actually true story: IMSA used to be called the International Marijuana Smuggling Association.

[@NaskaAlbertoENG]

I don’t understand what you mean with “marijuana isn’t a narcotic”. So?

[@bobbybishop5662]

Weed is not a narcotic by definition , narcotics are opiates . Weed is not an opiate . In the US it is scheduled in the same category as far as criminal penalties go from trafficking and illegal growing.

[@NaskaAlbertoENG]

Ok but “narcos” means drug smuggler in general, whatever the drug is

[@bobbybishop5662]

@@NaskaAlbertoENG Didn't know that one .

[@Brooks22n]

Old News

[@razvanmatt]

Mate that was the worst way of someone buying time to get a video to 15 mins. Also seeing you face closeup every 5 seconds because you don t have enough video footage or you are being a narcisist is very off putting. I would say more but please wait for it, i promise is coming.

[@NaskaAlbertoENG]

😂😂😂 dude it’s christmas, your life must be really sad

[@nordimejia5790]

checo perez money is all drug money. His father is a croocked politician here in Mexico