The son of an amateur race car driver in San Jose, California, William Theodore (“Willy T.”) Ribbs grew up around race cars and race car drivers. He dreamed of racing in either Formula One or IndyCar. During his racing career that spanned more than two decades, Willy T. Ribbs busted societal barriers and blazed his own historic trail in pursuit of his dream.

Let's take a look at some fast facts from Willy T. Ribbs's historic racing career.

1. In his first (and only) year driving in the series, he won the European Formula Ford championship in 1978, winning six out of the 11 races he started.
2. Actor and race car driver Paul Newman opened the door for Willy to race in the United States by helping him secure a team in the Trans Am series.
3. Willy was named Trans Am series Pro Rookie of the Year after winning five out of 12 races in 1983.
4. Beginning in 1984, Willy started climbing on top of his car to celebrate victories with the “Ali Shuffle,” modeled after his friend Muhammad Ali’s famous footwork.
5. During 1985 rookie orientation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Willy became the first Black man to ever drive official laps at the historic yard of bricks.
6. In 1986, he test drove for  Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham Formula One team, becoming the first Black driver to test a Formula One car.
7. On Bump Day in 1991, after a month full of mechanical issues, he became the first Black driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. And he did it in dramatic fashion. He earned the 29th position on the starting grid, with a  four-lap qualifying average speed of  217.358 miles per hour. Due to mechanical failure, he had to withdraw from the 1991 Indianapolis 500 on the fifth lap, finishing 32nd out of 33 drivers. 
8. Willy qualified again in 1993 for the 77th running of the Indianapolis 500. He started in 30th position, on the outside of row 10, with an average qualifying speed of 217.711 mph.
9. Willy finished in 21st place in the 1993 Indy 500, becoming the first Black driver in the track’s storied history to complete the 500-mile race..
10. In 2022, Willy was named Formula One’s Ambassador for Diversity and Inclusion.

The #75 Lola-Ford/Cosworth car that Willy T. Ribbs drove for Walker Racing when he made history in 1993 is currently on display in The World of Sport at The Children’s Museum. After examining this important piece of racing history, you can set your own new track record in our Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pedal Car Racetrack Experience in our outdoor sports wonderland—7.5 acres of "my sized" of sports opportunities for all ages and abilities! Closed-toe shoes are required to race our pedal cars. 

It's all included with museum admission. Outdoor areas are weather-dependent, and close for the winter. Check our hours page for open and closure dates.

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Archival image credits:

• Willy T. Ribbs at Sears Point International Raceway in 1984 Dan Wildhirt, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
• Willy T. Ribbs driving on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1991, Doctorindy, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons