Everyone has an origin story: a collection of those seminal moments or life events that defines their ultimate narrative.
For comic book heroes, it’s pretty simple: Watch someone murder your parents in an alley, get kidnapped by a bunch of terrorists that use the weapons you designed t…
Great article JG. And if you think you could reach him without exhausting all 7 connections, I'll bet he'd appreciate the story and a quick note of thanks. He seems like a guy who really is in it for the love.
But I always kind of felt like if you don’t want an athlete to dance on the roof of their car after they win a race, or spike a football after scoring a game-winning touchdown, or pump their fists after sealing a Wimbledon victory, all you have to do is outcompete them. If you can’t, well, enjoy the dance.
This is the best line I have read regarding winning in a long long time
Great article JG. Ribbs was the man in the '80's. I loved the jumping on the roof, he looked so happy to win. I was a big fan. Too bad he never got a better shot in Indycar. It would have been fun to see what he could have done with a Penske or Newman Haas.
When I was five I declared "I want to be a race car driver". Ribbs' experience in one of several that make me appreciate being an amateur; hugely talented guy, who if he'd had better backing would be a household name. He's a racer's racer for sure.
I was a fan of Willy t back in the old days. Not a huge fan of the Ali-esque behavior, but I think at the time, that's probably the kind of guy it took to be a black dude in a race car.
He was fast. Too bad about not getting the ride with Eccelstone in F1.
J.G. : make those phone calls.
Yep, for me, those were the 'good old days' of motor racing.
In reply to DjGreggieP :
I was about to post the same thing. I'll quote it again:
But I always kind of felt like if you don’t want an athlete to dance on the roof of their car after they win a race, or spike a football after scoring a game-winning touchdown, or pump their fists after sealing a Wimbledon victory, all you have to do is outcompete them. If you can’t, well, enjoy the dance.
Aside: that was the prettiest era of Indycars, right?
Made me tear-up.
Genuinely.
Easy to forget sometimes why we play with cars.
Last time I saw Willie T the security guards at the LB Grand Prix were escorting him out of the garage. John Timantis (head of tech at the time) was friends of the father of the guy I was with, he invited us into the working garage area. Willie tried to follow us and got stopped - after a little "do you know who I am" yelling and pushing he got the bums rush out of the building.
ZOO (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to DjGreggieP :
........ if you don’t want an athlete to dance on the roof of their car after they win a race,.....
A lot of times that dancing was done as the blame for the roof not matching the templates post race.
there is a recent documentary on on Ribbs- 'Uppity; the Willy T Ribbs story'
It is very worth watching but it is not all roses and giggles.
Oh- I now see the movie is in the article.
ZOO (Forum Supporter) said:Aside: that was the prettiest era of Indycars, right?
I'd have to say the rear-engine, no wing era was prettier. I'd even go with the 70's, when there were several different chassis, and you could actually tell them apart.
Great Article J.G....Willie T. Is and always has been one of my heros. I only have engaged him on one or two occasions from afar when I lived in California.
I feel the point of this inquiry / example is to hold on to the childlike enthusiasm that one expresses around a job well done. I can and could never under or innerstand why anyone or sanctioning body would restrict a winning celebration.
NFL... end zone celebrations
ATP & WTA...winning shot screams or fist pumps
MLB...bat flips & and home run slow trot
Motorsports...Willie T. (But yet champagne spraying is ok)
Do you not exuberantly celebrate your child's success?!
So why shouldn't we celebrate our own with the same zealous unbridled joy?!
MH...
So you've worked your whole life to achieve something pretty big. Aren't you going to celebrate some?
Also, Fist Pump:
And some who saw a guy do a back-lit off the roof of a NASCAR race car thought it so cool...
Willy T doing some hosting duties on the last SRX series was... mostly fun? Some weird moments, but it's great to watch him grow into a completely new role and hopefully have fun doing it. He very much reminds me of my grandfather, except, god love grandpa, Willy T is way cooler.
I wouldn't put him on the live commentary again though, that wasn't great. His tour of the record pressing plant in Nashville was absolutely great though.
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