Willy T. Ribbs was the first African American driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500 when he made the field in 1991 when he started 29th and finished 32nd driving for team owner Derrick Walker. Ribbs returned with Walker in the 1993 Indianapolis 500, starting 30th and finishing 21st.
This year’s Indy 500 will mark the 30th anniversary of Ribbs breaking the color barrier at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I’ve been really fortunate enough to have known Willie, was around before he came to Indianapolis,” Reid recalled. “He actually was running Trans-Am when we were doing Super Vee.
“I think it’s fantastic this celebration for him next year. I’m hoping there are a lot of opportunities for him to kind of showcase who he is. I know he’s got a movie out and things like that.
“We definitely applaud his efforts.”
Another African American, George Mack, competed in the 2002 Indy 500, starting 32nd and finishing 17th for 310 Racing.
Drivers from all over the world have competed in the Indianapolis 500, but to date, Ribbs and Mack are the only two African American drivers who have raced in the biggest race in the world.
“I’ve had an opportunity to see the sport from back when I was in my teens coming to the Indianapolis 500 all the way through to being involved with one of the first African Americans to run in Super Vee,” Reid said. “We always dreamed of having a black enterprise that would be oriented towards people of color.
“I want to be clear. This is not the first time that we’ve had black ownership in cars or teams. But I think this is one of the first times we will be able to do something that’s sustainable because of the support and the interest from folks like Roger Penske and the Penske organization, we’ve been able to start on this path.”
Reid sees the program through two different lenses.
“One is that we are inviting the black community to come into motorsports through our effort as Force Indy,” Reid said. “We are also inviting the motorsports industry to embrace seeing and having the presence of African Americans and people of color in the pits, in the paddock, in other places in motorsports.
“I want to be very, very clear that we are about diversity. We are about more than just me as a principal and the drivers. As a matter of fact, one of our core projects that we’ve engaged in in terms of putting this team together is to make sure that we have those positions like mechanics and engineers and others in the mix.”
The plans are to field a one-car effort in USF2000. Three key members of Force Indy include Stu Kelly, Nadeem Ali and Derek Morris.
“They are part of the beginning and initial core crew that we’re having,” Reid continued. “They have been spending a tremendous amount of time working so far to get us to where we are today.
“I just want to mention very quickly that they’re not just guys that love racing. They all individually have been doing that. Stu has been drifting. That Nadeem has been involved heavily in go-karts. Derek has run stockcars. They have good backgrounds from the university level, both in engineering, management, etc.
“They’ve all come through Nexgeneracers, the NXG Youth Motorsports. That’s what this is about, to bring those and give opportunity to those who not only deserve it but have worked towards this opportunity, getting a chance from us being able to say, I can now be involved in motorsports.”