Willy T at the Brickyard Invitational

This is more of the series of original art created by David Story making its online premiere on First Super Speedway. This image is of Willy T. Ribbs, who took part in the Sports Car Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Brickyard Invitational race meet June 11-14, 2015 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is also part of David's Brickyard Invitational Sketchbook and given Ribbs' accomplishments this image is highly relevant to David's sketches of Indianapolis 500 race cars.
 
Ribbs became the first African-American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1991 and backed that up with a second successful run in 1993. He competed in 46 Indy car races, finishing in the top ten on numerous occasions.
 
His greatest success came in the Trans-Am series where he drove for legends Dan Gurney and Jack Roush.  During three seasons, 1983-1985, he scored 18 victories, more than any other driver.
 
Early in his career the then 19-year-old American driver created a sensation in Europe when he traveled to England and won the 1975 Dunlop Formula Ford Championship. In 1985 Formula One impresario Bernie Eccelstone gave him a test drive when he owned the Brabham F1 team. The versatile Ribbs has driven at the top tier of NASCAR as well as their truck series and in 2011 made a special one-time-only appearance in the Baltimore Indy Lights race. Willy finished on the podium in the inaugural SVRA Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am race in 2014, after sitting in the Corvette race car he drove for the first time when he jumped in it to race.
 
The image margin notes read:
 
"The incomparably authentic Willy T. Ribbs, the first African-American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 is a major figure in auto racing. While he is best known for breaking a ceiling at the world's most important race, his record in Trans-Am racing is second to none. Accomplished during an era of intense competition Ribbs raced for and won with teams owned by motorsports legends Jack Roush and Dan Gurney. In the course of just two and one half seasons Ribbs was undisputed master of the series as he amassed an incredible 18 major victories. A confidant of actor Paul Newman, Ribbs credits Newman with connecting him with the opportunity to become a true professional driver."