Racing champion Willy T. Ribbs is a rarity in the world of auto racing as very few African-Americans have been embraced as race car drivers. Despite the odds, Ribbs made history not once, but twice, on the race track.
On May 19, 1991, Ribbs became the first Black race car driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Born William “Willy” Theodore Ribbs, Jr. on January 3, 1955, Ribbs grew up loving the sport race of race car driving in San Jose, Calif.
At the age of 18, Ribbs headed to Europe to compete in the Formula Ford series. After winning a championship his first year, Ribbs’ returned to the United States to race on a larger stage. In 1983, Ribbs won five races at the Kansas-based Sports Car Club of America (SCAA) Trans-Am Series.
In fact, the New York Times says that Ribbs was at one time the overall top money earner in SCAA series history. Although Formula One cars were not Ribbs’ specialty, he landed in the history books by becoming the first African-American to test drive a Formula One car in 1986, though he wasn’t selected to compete in an F1 race. (READ MORE)
