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Willy T. Ribbs

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The Resume

    (January 3, 1955- )
    Born in San Jose, California
    Birth name is William Theodore Ribbs Jr.
    Competed in Formula One and the Indianapolis 500
    Raced in the IndyCar, IMSA, NASCAR Cup and Truck series

Why he might be annoying:

    His name sounds like a steakhouse.
    He was criticized for referring to NASCAR as ‘Al-Qaida,’ and ‘Neckcar.’
    When he was fired from driving the Winston Cup car for skipping two practice sessions, he was replaced by Dale Earnhardt.
    He feuded with other black race car drivers, whom he likened to Stepin Fetchit.
    He was fined $1,000 for throwing a punch at fellow driver Bob Lobenberg (1984).
    He was suspended by the International Motor Sports Association for one month after throwing a punch at driver Scott Pruett (1987).
    The Netflix documentary on his life is titled ‘Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    His racing career was supported by Bill Cosby and Paul Newman.
    He was honored as Trans-Am Series Rookie of the Year (1983).
    He became the first African-American driver to test a Formula One car (1986).
    He became the first African-American racer to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 (1991).
    After retiring from racing, he became a sport shooter in the National Sporting Clays Association.
    He opened the door for future black race car drivers like Lewis Hamilton.
    He is the namesake for the school setting in The Proud Family.
    He was nearly killed at the age of eight after an out-of-control car at a race struck him.

Credit: BoyWithTheGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying