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 S ...