Willy T. Ribbs

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Willy T. Ribbs
Ribbs in 1984
Born (1955-01-03) January 3, 1955 (age 69)
San Jose, California, United States
Achievements1976 Formula Ford Dunlop Championship Champion
Awards1983 Trans-Am Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Cup Series career
3 races run over 1 year
Best finish65th - 1986
First race1986 First Union 400 (North Wilkesboro)
Last race1986 Miller American 400 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
23 races run over 1 year
Best finish16th – 2001
First race2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Daytona)
Last race2001 Auto Club 200 (California)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of March 20, 2012.
IndyCar Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Team(s)McCormack Motorsports (1999)
Best finish47th - 1999
First race1999 Vegas.com 500 (Las Vegas)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 0 0
Champ Car career
46 races run over 5 years
Years active1990-1994
Team(s)Raynor Motorsports (1990)
Walker Racing (1991–1994)
Best finish17th - 1991
First race1990 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)
Last race1994 Toyota Grand Prix of Monterey (Laguna Seca)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 0 0

William "Willy" Theodore Ribbs, Jr. (born January 3, 1955 in San Jose, California) is a racecar driver who competed in many forms of auto racing. After retiring, he became a sport shooter in the National Sporting Clays Association.

Ribbs won the SCCA Trans-Am race at Portland International Raceway in 1983.

Following his graduation from high school in 1975, Ribbs moved to Europe to compete in the Formula Ford Series. He won the Dunlop Championship in his first year of competition, then returned to the United States.

Charlotte Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler entered Ribbs to drive a Winston Cup car owned by Will Cronkite in the 1978 World 600 at the Charlotte track. After Ribbs skipped two practice sessions and was arrested for evading police when he drove the wrong way down a one-way street, Cronkite replaced him with Dale Earnhardt.[1]

Ribbs went on to race Formula Atlantic cars, winning the pole in the Long Beach Formula Atlantic race in 1982. The following year, Ribbs won five races in the SCCA Trans-Am Series and was honored as Pro Rookie of the Year. Ribbs would attempt NASCAR again in 1986, running three races in the #30 Red Roof Inns car owned by DiGard Motorsports. His best finish came at his debut, a 22nd at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Also in 1986, Ribbs became the first black person to drive a Formula One car, when he tested for the Bernie Ecclestone-owned Brabham team at the Autódromo do Estoril, Portugal.[2] Ultimately, Ribbs was not given the drive for the upcoming season. Lewis Hamilton became known as the first and only driver of black heritage to compete in an F1 championship.

Ribbs driving at Laguna Seca in 1991

In 1990, Ribbs joined the CART circuit in a car funded in-part by comedian Bill Cosby.[3] Ribbs had one top-10 event that season. Also in 1990, Ribbs was involved in an unfortunate incident during the Molson Indy Vancouver where a track marshal was killed. The track worker, Jean Patrick Hein, was pushing another car off the track when he darted in front of Ribbs' car, was run over, and killed.

In 1991, he became the first African-American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.[4] He raced there a second time in 1993.[5] In 1994, he continued in the CART series with the team, finishing in the top 10 at the Michigan International Speedway[6] and New Hampshire International Speedway[7] races.

In 1999, Ribbs raced in an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for McCormack Motorsports as a try-out to join the team full-time in 2000.[8] However he crashed on lap four and finished in 26th and last place. After three top-10s the Trans-Am Series in 2000, Ribbs signed to drive the #8 Dodge Ram for Bobby Hamilton Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series. Driving 23 out of 24 races, Ribbs had a best finish of 13th, and finished 16th in points.

In May 2006, a newspaper column by Jason Whitlock of Knight-Ridder quoted Ribbs detailing his criticism of NASCAR and his lauding of the Indianapolis 500. Ribbs created controversy by referring to NASCAR as Al-Qaida, "Neckcar", and WWE.[9][10]

In May 2011, Ribbs announced he had formed Willy T. Ribbs Racing to campaign former NASCAR driver Chase Austin in the Firestone Indy Lights' Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which would coincide with Ribbs' 20th anniversary of breaking the color barrier at Indy.[11]

Trivia

In the Disney Channel cartoon The Proud Family, Penny Proud and her friends attend "Willy T. Ribbs Middle School," where the mascot is the "Racer."

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

PPG Indycar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points
1984 Doug Shierson Racing LBH
 PHX
 INDY
Wth1 		MIL
 POR
 MEA
 CLE
 MCH
 ROA
 POC
 MDO
 SAN
 MCH
 PHX
 LAG
 CPL
 NC -
1985 AMI Racing LBH
 INDY
Wth2 		MIL
 POR
 MEA
 CLE
 MCH
 ROA
 POC
 MDO
 SAN
 MCH
 LAG
 PHX
 MIA
 NC -
1990 Raynor Motorsports PHX
 LBH
20 		INDY
 MIL
 DET
20 		POR
 CLE
 MEA
23 		TOR
27 		MCH
 DEN
26 		VAN
10 		MDO
27 		ROA
 NAZ
 LAG
13 		26th 3
1991 Walker Racing SRF
 LBH
 PHX
 INDY
32 		MIL
 DET
11 		POR
 CLE
22 		MEA
10 		TOR
 MCH
 DEN
6 		VAN
21 		MDO
 ROA
10 		NAZ
17 		LAG
12 		17th 17
1992 Walker Racing SRF
 PHX
 LBH
 INDY
 DET
 POR
 MIL
 NHA
 TOR
 MCH
 CLE
 ROA
 VAN
 MDO
 NAZ
 LAG
25 		57th 0
1993 Walker Racing SRF
 PHX
 LBH
 INDY
21 		MIL
11 		DET
12 		POR
16 		CLE
27 		TOR
18 		MCH
10 		NHA
15 		ROA
12 		VAN
16 		MDO
11 		NAZ
19 		LAG
28 		20th 9
1994 Walker Racing SRF
18 		PHX
28 		LBH
18 		INDY
DNQ 		MIL
25 		DET
16 		POR
25 		CLE
12 		TOR
21 		MCH
7 		MDO
28 		NHA
10 		VAN
25 		ROA
24 		NAZ
18 		LAG
11 		22nd 12
1 Did not appear
2 Withdrew from rookie orientation

Indianapolis 500

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
1984 DSR-1 Cosworth Wth Doug Shierson Racing
1985 March 85C Cosworth Wth AMI Racing
1991 Lola T9000 Buick 29 32 Raynor Motorsports
1993 Lola T9200 FordXB 30 21 Walker Racing
1994 Lola T9400 FordXB DNQ Walker Racing

Indy Racing League

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
1999 McCormack Motorsports WDW PHX INDY TXS PPI ATL DOV PPI LVS
26 		TXS 47th 4

Indy Lights

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
2011 Willy T. Ribbs Racing STP ALA LBH INDY MIL IOW TOR EDM1 EDM2 TRO NHM BAL
13 		KTY LVS 29th 17

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ribbs' wrong turn helped open door for Earnhardt". Sporting News Wire Service. May 20, 2008. Retrieved 2010-07-31. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Keith Collantine (2006-09-24). "First black Formula One driver..." F1Fanatic.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  3. ^ "INDYCAR: Willy T. Ribbs: One Of A Kind, Pt 2". SpeedTV.com. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  4. ^ Graves, Gary. "Ribbs, Indy 500's first black driver, breaking ground again", USA Today, May 25, 2011. WebCitation archive.
  5. ^ "INDYCAR: Willy T. Ribbs: One Of A Kind, Pt 5". SpeedTV.com. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  6. ^ "1994 Marlboro 500". Champ Car Stats. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  7. ^ "1994 Slick 50 200". Champ Car Stats. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  8. ^ Willy T. Ribbs to compete at LVMS, Las Vegas Sun, September 16, 1999, Retrieved 2010-07-31
  9. ^ Moody, Dave, "Willy T. Who?", Sirius Speedway Blog, June 3, 2006, Retrieved 2010-07-31
  10. ^ Whitlock, Jason, Willy T. Ribbs loves Indy, loathes NASCAR, Mercury News, May 26, 2006, Retrieved 2010-07-31
  11. ^ Graves, Gary, Ribbs, Indy 500's first black driver, breaking ground again, USA Today, May 25, 2011

External links

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