Ribbs Racing With Dodge

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.--Veteran race car driver Willy T. Ribbs, 41, is the first African-American to join the Dodge Motorsports team. Driving the Hamilton-owned No. 4 Dodge Ram NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Ribbs’ first race is Feb. 16.

“I am honored to join the Dodge family and to have the support of this factory-backed effort,” said Ribbs. “This is a unique opportunity to compete for such a reputable series and to be with a team as successful as Bobby Hamilton Racing,” he said.

Ribbs was selected from among a number of candidates who were evaluated for eligibility based on guidelines that included racing experience, professional background, and character.

“Willy T. Ribbs is a real winner and we’re proud to be associated with him,” said Jim Julow, vice president at Dodge marketing.

“We hope that Willy will prove to be a success in this and future seasons, and that he will move to the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series, and subsequently to his ultimate goal of racing in NASCAR’s premiere circuit, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series,” he said.

“Willy T. Ribbs is seen as an inspiration for many aspiring African- American drivers,” said NASCAR Vice President Brian France. “The Dodge program not only embraces NASCAR’s diversity goals, but sets the standard that others may follow.”

To enhance opportunities for African-Americans seeking to enter NASCAR racing as crew members, Dodge will fund a scholarship program that provides NASCAR-based racing technology education and career placement with a Dodge Motorsports race team. The initial nine-month curriculum provides general automotive theory and practice.

Coursework can be completed at one of the five Universal Technical Institute (UTI) campus locations in Phoenix, Ariz.; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Glendale Heights, Ill.; Orlando, Fla.; and Houston, Texas. UTI is the only technical school in the U.S. that is officially licensed by NASCAR.

After graduating from high school in 1977, Ribbs began a racing career that has enabled him to compete with some of greatest drivers in history. Driving Formula Ford Cars in Europe, he won the Dunlop Championship during his first year of competition. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the U.S. to race Formula Atlantic cars.

In 1982 his career experienced a tremendous boost when he won the pole at the Long Beach Formula Atlantic race. In fact, he outpaced veteran drivers such as Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti before engine failure pre-empted his race to the finish line. Nevertheless, that race opened the door to the SCCA Trans-Am in 1983, where he won five races and was named Pro Rookie of the Year.

In 1984, Edsel Ford asked Ribbs to drive for Jack Roush in a factory effort. Between 1984 and 1985, he won 17 Trans-Am races before leaving the series at the end of the 1985 season. In 1986 he competed in two NASCAR Winston Cup races for DiGard Racing. However, the team was not able to complete the season due to financial difficulties. Ribbs finished the 1986 racing season in the IMSA series, winning two races at Columbus, Ohio and Sears Points, Calif.

In 1987-1988, Ribbs raced in the IMSA series. While a member of Dan Gurney’s Toyota team, he was named Driver of the Year for both seasons and won four races. In 1989 he drove Gurney’s developmental IMSA GTP Eagle HF prototype. That same year, Ribbs became the star driver on the newly created Raynor-Cosby Motorsports team. Actor-comedian Bill Cosby funded this effort.

In 1990 Ribbs made his CART Indy car debut at Long Beach. He competed in ten CART races and won two top-ten events. In 1991, he qualified for the Indianapolis 500 on the last day, earning the 29th starting position. Throughout 1994 Ribbs raced in the Cart series and achieved top-ten finishes at Denver and Michigan Grand Prix races.

In 1998 Ribbs competed against Mark Martin for the lead in the NASCAR Street Race in Los Angeles.

He ran the Las Vegas 500 IRL race in 1999 before signing with Victoria Motorsports SCCA Trans-Am team for the 2000 season. He finished second at Long Beach, third at Detroit and fourth at Las Vegas where he was awarded the Johnson Control Triple Crown.

Ribbs will enter an entirely new form of racing with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the 2001-racing season. His entry into the series races the profile of diversity in motorsports. Along with driver Joe Ruttman, he will compete on the Dodge factory-backed team for Bobby Hamilton Racing.