Acting
Willy T. Ribbs
Born 1956-01-03 · San Jose, California
Willy T. Ribbs, born on January 3, 1956, in San Jose, California, is a pioneering American racing driver renowned for breaking racial barriers in motorsport. He began his career in the 1970s, competing in various racing series, including Formula Ford in Europe, where he won the Dunlop Championship in his first year. Ribbs made history in 1991 by becoming the first African American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, driving for Walker Motorsports. He also competed in NASCAR and the Trans-Am Series, achieving multiple victories and earning the title of Pro Rookie of the Year in 1983. In 1985, Ribbs became the first black man to drive a Formula 1 car, testing for Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team at Portugal’s Estoril Circuit. His career is documented in the 2019 film "Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story," which highlights his challenges and triumphs in racing. Beyond racing, Ribbs has been an advocate for diversity in motorsport, inspiring future generations of drivers.
Acting credits
7.6The world knows Paul Newman as an Academy Award winning actor with a fifty-plus year career as one of the most prolific and revered actors in American Cinema. He was also well known for his philanthropy; Newman's Own has given more than four hundred and thirty million dollars to charities around the world. Yet few know the gasoline-fueled passion that became so important in this complex, multifaceted man's makeup. Newman’s deep-seated passion for racing was so intense it nearly sidelined his acting career. His racing career spanned thirty-five years; Newman won four national championships as a driver and eight championships as an owner. Not bad for a guy who didn't even start racing until he was forty-seven years old.
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman
2015
6.9An in-depth profile of the life and career of Willy T. Ribbs - the controversial Black driver who shattered the color barrier of professional auto-racing and became the first Black qualifier in the storied history of the Indy 500.
Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story
2020