Uppity: The Willy T Ribbs Story is racing history more people should know
A complicated figure, Ribbs was a trailblazing black athlete in an all-too white sport. …
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Willy T. Ribbs in victory lane at Daytona International Speedway after winning the Paul Revere 250 SCCA Trans-Am race, July 3, 1984.ISC Images Archives via Getty Images
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In 1984 (L-R) Tom Gloy, Greg Pickett and Willy T. Ribbs drove Mercury Capris for car owner Jack Roush during the SCCA Trans-AM season. The trio combined for 11 total wins during the year.ISC Images Archives via Getty Images
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Ribbs had the talent but never the equipment to win in IndyCar. In 1990 he ran a partial season, starting with Long Beach Grand Prix.Al Bello/Getty Images
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In 2001, Ribbs ran 23 races in the NASCAR truck series.Robert Laberge/Allsport/Getty Images
Even in 2020, motor racing is a sport with all-too little diversity. Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is the only black F1 driver I’ve seen compete in the 25+ years I’ve been watching the sport. NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace similarly stands out in a field of more than 40 full-time Cup series racers. But before either of them turned a wheel in anger, Willy T. Ribbs was blazing a trail in the sport. His is a story that deserves to be more widely known, and if you have a couple of hours free you can do just that by watching Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story, an engaging documentary that’s streaming on Netflix.
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