Past Gas #188: Willy T. Ribbs: The First Black Driver to Test a F1 Car

After blowing three engines, Willy T Ribbs was about to give up on his dream of running in the Indy 500. With only hours left to get into the race, his team disassembled the engine, assessed the situation, and tried for a fourth time. They succeeded. That was the day Willy became a part of racing - and more importantly - American history. But why did it take so long for Willy to get the start he deserved? Where did he get his brash attitude and how did that affect his career? And how did he finally become the first African-American driver to race in the Indy 500? Today on Past Gas, we look at a legend of both racing and civil rights, Willy T Ribbs. You asked for it -- and we listened. We're filming Past Gas again! Head to our Youtube channel and check us out in the stu! https://www.youtube.com/c/donutpodcasts Thanks to our sponsors: You need to hire? You need Indeed. Go to https://Indeed.com/PASTGAS Find your drive. Forget boring rental cars at https://Turo.com Get started at https://Chime.com/GAS More about Show: Follow Nolan on IG and Twitter @nolanjsykes . Follow Joe on IG and Twitter @joegweber . Follow Donut @donutmedia , and subscribe to our Youtube and Facebook channels! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or using this link: http://bit.ly/PastGas . If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be helpful! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: http://bit.ly/PastGas . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices