First published on curbs-magazin.com
Originally published on curbs-magazin.com – now part of slickpix.de.
Through drug smuggling, IMSA got the nickname „International Marihuana Smugglers Association.“
The American GT and sports car elite competed against each other in racing series under the auspices of the IMSA in the 70s and 80s. The IMSA GT era, in which Gr. 5 cars like the Porsche 935 held sway, was followed by the IMSA GTP era in 1981. Sports prototypes, which essentially followed the regulations of the new Gr. C, were now the order of the day. The Gr. 5 cars were granted a grace period. On classic American road courses like Road Atlanta, Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio, and Laguna Seca, fans were treated to first-class sports car racing. Both phases of the American sports car championship are generally summarized by the abbreviation „IMSA.“ This stands for „International Motor Sports Association.“.
The IMSA series sometimes struggled with the not-so-honorable nickname „International Marihuana Smugglers Association.“ Some drivers had financed their motorsport through drug smuggling – and thus ultimately through the addiction of others. „It was a dangerous time. Many rumors circulated in the paddock, and you knew who you'd better not mess with. Some drivers kept a revolver in their travel bag for safety,“ said former IMSA driver and current journalist Michael Keyser.
Randy Lanier
Randy Lanier was a wealthy man and the champion of the IMSA Camel GTP championship in 1984. In a March 84G – Chevrolet, he relegated top drivers like Al Holbert, Derek Bell, and Bob Akin in the new Porsche 962 to secondary positions. Lanier had first-class equipment and a capable team. The 1984 title was his greatest success.
In the early 1960s, he moved to Florida with his parents. As a teenager, he quickly got involved in the marijuana party scene. Florida was very open at the time, and the Flower Power movement advocated for the legalization of drugs and free love. At some point, Randy Lanier reached a point where he not only consumed drugs but was also asked if he could procure them. The sale of small packages was followed by increasingly larger ones.
„About six months after the first sale of baggies of marijuana, I was asked if I was interested in taking a boat to the Bahamas to smuggle larger quantities. It was like an adventure to me. So I did it.“ Not only was it an adventure, but it was also a profitable source of income for him. The excursions to the Bahamas increased from that time on. As a cover, Randy Lanier operated a jet ski rental business, but smuggling increasingly took over in the background.
Randy Lanier came to motorsports rather by chance. „In 1979, I went to a car show in Miami and the SCCA (Sportscar Club of America) had a booth there. I thought, a bit of racing would be quite nice. It was just supposed to be a hobby, something to do on the side,“ he explained in an interview. After getting his license, he bought an old, rusty 1957 Porsche 356. He turned it into a simple race car, entered it in an amateur race in West Palm Beach, and won. After that, he was hooked and wanted more. But „more motorsport“ also cost more money. For Randy Lanier, that wasn't a problem.
In the late 70s, Florida was something of a stronghold for marijuana smugglers. Over 1000 kilometers of coastline, many small coves, and tropical marshland like the Everglades offered ideal conditions for undisturbed illegal transport. Naysayers claimed that drug trafficking in the 70s in Florida was almost a kind of „national pastime.“ This was not without danger, as gangs like the „Black Tuna Gang“ defended their territories – with armed force if necessary. Randy Lanier teamed up with Ben Kramer, a speedboat pilot who loved speed as much as he did. Over time, the boats became faster and larger. Later, Lanier and Kramer operated a fleet of several tugboats, which also pushed small barges. They hid the marijuana in the ballast tanks. Legitimate goods were transported as a cover. Over the years, an estimated 300 tons of marijuana were smuggled into Florida this way.
As a race car driver, Randy Lanier mostly bought his way into different teams. In 1984, he formed the „Blue Thunder Racing Team“ for himself, bought two brand-new March 84Gs, had Ryan Falconer build new Chevrolet engines after each race, and instructed his team manager, Keith Leyton, to hire the best mechanics – no matter the cost. He hired Bill Whittington as his second driver, who also had plenty of money. They took second place in the 12 Hours of Sebring race. They stood on the podium for the first time at the Riverside race. Further victories followed in Laguna Seca, Charlotte, Sears Point, and Michigan. Randy Lanier won the IMSA GTP Championship driver's title in 1984. „Those were fabulous days,“ Lanier recalled in an interview. While ships shuttled between the Caribbean and Florida, he and his family followed the racing circuit in a large motorhome. Even then, many wondered where someone running a small jet ski company, without sponsors or other support, could possibly get the budget for it. The FBI also wondered.
Two years later, Randy Lanier had his sights set on the Indy 500, signing with Frank Arciero for the 1986 season. Just weeks before the Indy 500, his former teammate Bill Whittington was arrested for drug trafficking and tax evasion. A journalist wrote at the time: „Randy Lanier is in an uncomfortable position as a former team owner, as his former colleague Whittington had bought his way into his team through drug trafficking.“ Lanier denied any knowledge of this to the press, which Lanier still claims today. Perhaps there were suspicions – based on his own experience.
In the mid-1980s, US President Ronald Reagan declared war on drug trafficking. Times had changed. Randy Lanier felt this too and planned his last shipment for the fall of 1986 – the largest yet – to then withdraw from the business. He secretly hoped to get away with it unpunished and focus on his career as a race car driver thereafter. On August 2, 1986, at 340 km/h during an IndyCar race in Michigan, a tire burst on him. The impact was so severe that he broke his femoral neck. Shortly after, he was arrested and, in 1987, accused in court of being the head of a drug cartel, involving eleven other people. He was released on bail and fled to the Caribbean on one of his boats, where the FBI caught him again some time later. Lanier was considered one of the biggest drug lords nabbed by the FBI in the mid-1980s. At their sentencing, Lanier and Kramer were prophesied that they would likely never see the light of day again. Both received „life sentences.“ It seemed likely to him that he would die of natural causes in prison.
However, in the fall of 2014, after 27 years in prison, Randy Lanier left Coleman prison in Florida and was a free man again, as Judge Phil Gilbert had previously signed a report for his early release on parole. Lanier stated that he had been able to find remorse and inner peace in prison through sports, painting, and yoga.
The Whittington Brothers
And then there were the Whittington brothers, Bill, Don, and Dale. They too smuggled marijuana to fund their racing activities. Don and Bill Whittington were not top-tier drivers, but they were good enough to regularly get into good cars as pay drivers. In Europe and Germany, the brothers Bill and Don became known for their overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979, along with Klaus Ludwig, in the Kremer Porsche 935 K3. However, their past in the drug business became known in Germany through the following anecdote: Ludwig was considered the top driver for the Kremer-Porsche 935 at Le Mans, driving 10 seconds faster than Don and 18 seconds faster than Bill Whittington. Therefore, the chance of a good overall classification was slim. Because of this, the young driver from Roisdorf was supposed to start. Bill Whittington saw it differently; he wanted to start. Manfred Kremer flatly refused until Bill suddenly and seriously asked him what the car would cost. Erwin and Manfred Kremer quickly conferred and named the price: $290,000! Bill went to the pits and returned with a suitcase. The astonished Kremer brothers agreed and had made the biggest deal at the starting grid in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans – likely a record yet to be broken. Bill Whittington had bought his way into getting his will instantly. An incredulous Klaus Ludwig had to give up his cockpit shortly before the start. Over the course of the 24 hours, the favored sports cars from Porsche, Rondeau, Welter, and Mirage-Ford faltered. Ludwig and the Whittington brothers, thanks to Klaus Ludwig's incredible lap times, moved to the front. They won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979 with a seven-lap lead.
Bill, Don, and Dale Whittington regularly competed in IMSA at the end of the '70s through the mid-'80s in various Porsche 935s, mostly with moderate success. Although Don was the faster of the three brothers, Bill, along with Randy Lanier, achieved greater success in IMSA in 1984. All three brothers also started the Indy 500 in 1982 and 1983. They are the only sibling trio to have started the race in its history, despite having little oval experience. During the pace lap, Kevin Cogan and Mario Andretti collided. The entire field braked and tried to avoid the wrecks. Dale Whittington lost control of his March and took out Roger Mears, Rick's older brother. Before the restart, a heated argument broke out between Mears, Dale, and the other two Whittington brothers. He threatened to expose their alleged drug dealings. Even then, rumors circulated about their activities, as they supposedly also supplied some drivers with marijuana.
US authorities had also been keeping an eye on the three brothers by then. Investigations proved their involvement in the drug business. In 1986, Bill and Don were indicted for drug trafficking and tax evasion. Bill pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine equivalent to 7 million US dollars. A year later, Don also pleaded guilty and received a comparatively lenient sentence of 18 months because his brother had confessed. Don was released early in 1988, and Bill in 1990. Dale Whittington was never indicted and resumed sports car racing in the 90s. In 2003, he died of a heroin overdose. Since the early 90s, the Whittington brothers had established their own Learjet airline in Fort Lauderdale called „easy Jet.“ The Whittingtons have persistently refused to answer inquiries about their past to this day – including for this article.
John Paul Sr. and John Paul Jr.
The abysses behind John Paul Sr. came to light in the mid-eighties. In American IMSA, he was known by the nickname „the Old Pirate.“ He was born Johan Lee Paul in the Netherlands in 1939. During the Nazi occupation, the family had to endure many hardships. When John Paul Sr. was 15 years old, his parents emigrated to the USA and settled in Muncie, Indiana. After studying at Ball University, he received a coveted scholarship to Harvard University. By 1970, he had already earned a fortune as a real estate agent, investment banker, and stockbroker. In the same year, his first wife, Joyce, left him and took their son, John Paul Jr., born in 1960, to Indianapolis.
John Paul Sr.'s passions were sailing and auto racing. In the mid-70s, the name John Paul Sr. became increasingly well-known in American motorsport. Even then, it was noticeable that his team, JLP Racing, fielded various top-tier race cars at short intervals, sometimes within a single season. In 1977, it was a Porsche 911 RSR, and at the end of that season, he started with a Chevrolet Monza in the IMSA. A year later, it was a brutal Protofab Chevrolet Corvette C3, which was mothballed during the 1978 season in favor of the newest Porsche 935 model from Zuffenhausen. In the following years as well, the JLP Porsche 935 was always technically state-of-the-art. And here too, the yellow and baby blue design lacked a main sponsor – a phenomenon noticeable with almost all "drug barons" in IMSA. John Paul Sr. wasn't necessarily one of the fastest drivers in the field, but he was consistent, and that contributed to various successes in the IMSA and TransAm series.
His team was based in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The transporter was always painted black. Malicious tongues claimed at the time that it represented John Paul Sr.„s character. In the paddock, “the old pirate„ was not very popular among his fellow racing drivers. Arrogant, condescending, temperamental, quarrelsome, and bossy – that's how witnesses still describe him today. His son John Paul Jr. gradually grew into the team over time. Initially, he was the “go-to guy„ and always had to respond to his father with “Yes, sir.„ and “No, sir." He would flinch, just like the JLP crew, when the team boss dictatorially gave angry instructions. John Paul Jr. contested his first races, naturally financed by his father, in Formula Ford. Victories were not long in coming. Soon, father and son competed together in a Porsche 935 K3 and won their first IMSA GT race together at Lime Rock Park in 1980. In the same year, they finished ninth overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. John Paul Jr. was just 20 years old at the time and was considered a promising talent.
In 1981, he secured pole position nine times in his father's Porsche 935 at IMSA races. He had led in all 18 races of the season. However, due to his inexperience, perhaps also youthful exuberance, the Pauls stumbled repeatedly and only won two IMSA races. In Europe, John Paul Jr. was first noticed when he accepted an invitation from Ford and Zakspeed and finished second in the Mustang GTX at the high-stakes race at Norisring.
A year later, the JLP-Racing Team had the fastest cars in the IMSA field. In addition to the Porsche 935, a Lola T600 Chevrolet was added. John Paul Jr. had learned from his mistakes. Father and son Paul won five races together, including the two endurance classics at Daytona and Sebring. John Paul Jr. alone also won nine out of 18 races in the Porsche 935. In 1982, he became the youngest IMSA GT champion to date. Five months later, his father was on the run.
The Pauls first came into conflict with the law in 1979, six months after the father took his son to live with him. In a bay in Louisiana, John Paul Jr. and Christopher Schill were stopped while loading packages onto a pickup truck. During questioning, officers smelled marijuana. His father, John Paul Sr., was arrested a short time later on his sailboat, the „Lady Royale,“ where marijuana and $10,000 in cash were found. Additionally, a rented truck containing 710 kg of marijuana was confiscated. John Paul Sr. had rented it under the false name „John Davis.“ All three pleaded guilty in court and received a three-year suspended sentence and a $32,500 fine each. Various rumors about the Pauls circulated in the racing paddocks from then on. However, the incident didn't truly come to light until journalist Steve Potter reported on it in „Autoweek“ magazine in May 1983.
In 1983, John Paul Sr. was also wanted for attempted murder. The victim, Stephan Carson, an informant for the police, had testified against an accomplice and provided information about upcoming smuggling operations. In return, he was assured immunity in drug deals. Three months later, on May 19th, he was shot in the chest, leg, and abdomen after docking his boat near Crescent Beach at night. Carson told the police that John Paul Sr. had ambushed him and shot him five times. In court, John Paul Sr. pleaded „not guilty“ and refused to disclose his whereabouts in recent months. He was released on bail of $500,000 and, as might be expected, did not appear for his scheduled incarceration on December 12th. He remained at large until January 1985, when he was apprehended by police in Geneva. The police received a crucial tip from a prostitute. In Switzerland, he had several accounts under a false name, with approximately $100 million USD deposited. Furthermore, he had used a false passport for entry, which led to his six-month imprisonment in Switzerland immediately after his arrest.
As the escape progressed, the FBI in Florida also made increasing progress in their investigation of John Paul Sr. He was indicted for attempted murder, kidnapping, bribery, and extortion. Investigators discovered that John Paul Sr. was the organizer of a drug ring. Between 1975 and 1983, 90 tons of marijuana were smuggled from Colombia to the USA via the Bahamas. Apparently, a not insignificant number of ships, crab boats, tugboats, trucks, and warehouses were used for this. After 1982, John Paul Sr.„s smuggling ring no longer used the so-called “Colombia route." The transport had become too dangerous. In the future, smuggling across state borders was to be avoided. Investigators discovered an 8,000 square meter hall 20 meters beneath a large farm in Georgia. John Paul Sr. had acquired steel beams for approximately 150,000 US dollars, the heat lamps had cost him 30,000 US dollars, and according to the police, the generator amounted to about 50,000 US dollars. However, his underground plantation was never put into operation.
The police in Switzerland received the crucial tip in January 1985 from a prostitute with whom he had... well... . In March 1986, John Paul Sr. was extradited to the USA. At his hearing before the court, he pleaded „guilty“ and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He served his sentence at the prison in Leavenworth until his pardon in 1999.
In addition to drug smuggling and associated violent crimes, John Paul Sr. also appears in an extremely questionable light due to two further cases. In 1978, flight attendant Chalice Alford fell in love with him. She was impressed by the restless luxury life in five-star hotels, with expensive limousines and the adventure of motorsports. They married in 1980 after the IMSA race at Lime Rock. The marriage quickly fell apart when Chalice caught her husband „in flagrante delicto“ with another woman during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1981. A short vacation in Key West was meant to bring reconciliation. Chalice Paul was last seen in Key West in 1981 and has been missing without a trace ever since. Her then-friend Lisa Collomb has a simple answer to the question „Why?“ today: „She knew too much!“ John Paul Sr. feigned ignorance, and nothing could be proven against him.
Shortly after his release in 1999, dubious rumors surfaced again. Together with his new partner Colleen Wood, he wanted to sail around the world. In December 2000, she was also last seen in Key West. Did she also know too much? The „why“ remains unexplained in both cases to this day. John Paul Sr. has been on the run since 2001. It is suspected that he is staying in Asia. He was reportedly seen in the Fiji Islands and in Thailand. Others claim he is living in Amsterdam under a false name. There are rumors of several facial surgeries. He allegedly has more than five passports with different identities. John Paul Sr. has firmly cemented his reputation as a hardened criminal over the years.
His son, John Paul Jr., was also sentenced to five years in prison in 1986 for participating in his father's drug ring, or in the eyes of some, being forced to participate. When he was indicted, several race car drivers rallied around John Paul Jr. and even wrote letters to the judicial authorities. Where did this support come from at the time? John Paul Jr. was essentially the complete opposite of his father in nature – calm, well-mannered, courteous, and conscientious. However, this repeatedly put him at odds with his father. At times, the conflicts escalated to the point where the father wanted to kick his son out of his own team. He didn't, because John Paul Sr. knew what he had in his son – he was extremely fast. For his fellow race car drivers, it was clear at the time: he was forced to participate in the drug smuggling.
Because the court had labeled him a „fellow traveler,“ he served his sentence in a minimum-security prison. In October 1989, he was released early for revealing information about his father that he had refused to disclose at his trial three years prior. He was then able to resume his racing career. From 1990 to 1994, he regularly competed in the Indycar Series and the Indianapolis 500. Afterward, he refocused on sports cars and GT racing. In 2001, he was scheduled to start in a Chevrolet Corvette at the 24 Hours of Daytona. John Paul Jr. found that he could no longer coordinate his legs and arms. The diagnosis was „Huntington's disease,“ a hereditary, currently incurable disease that progressively destroys parts of the brain. The loss of basic mental functions and muscle control progressed, marking the end of his racing career. He currently lives in Southern California, has founded a foundation, and, as a patient, advocates for research into this disease.
All three cases are characterized by several similarities. Lanier, Paul Sr., and the Whittington brothers mostly conducted their drug operations through the states along the Gulf of Mexico. Florida served as a sort of gateway for drug trafficking. Lanier, Paul Sr., and the Whittington brothers first became involved in illegal trade in the mid-70s. During this time, there was intense debate in the US about the legalization of marijuana. Many wanted to make big money from legalization and built up their infrastructure and connections beforehand. Their hope for legalization was dashed after the Senate voted against it. Nevertheless, they made a lot of money and spent it largely on motorsports.
Under US President Ronald Reagan, things changed. The golden age for smugglers began to draw to a close in 1984. John Paul Sr., his son Randy Lanier, and the Whittington brothers inevitably saw their motorsport activities come to an end after the FBI caught on to them. The IMSA was able to distance itself from the derogatory title „Int. Marihuana Smugglers Association.“ Top-tier sports car races in city streets and on American road courses brought the IMSA back into the right light.