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Friday, September 17, 1999
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Ribbs to make racing history in Las Vegas
By Jeff Wolf
Review-Journal
Veteran Willy T. Ribbs is returning to the racetrack.
Ribbs, the first black American to compete in the Indianapolis 500, will become the first black to compete in the Indy Racing League when he starts in the Sept. 26 Vegas.com 500K race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Ribbs, who competed in the Indy 500 in 1991 and 1993, is one of 26 drivers who have filed entries to compete in the IRL race. He has not raced professionally since 1994.
"I have been the first at many things in my life," Ribbs said. "But the only first I'm really concerned about is being the first one to cross the finish line when they throw the checkered flag."
Ribbs, 41, will be driving for car owner Dennis McCormack.
"We are building this team for 2000 and beyond," Ribbs said. "This is perfect for us. We're going to a great track for Indy cars. And what better place to make the return of Willy T. than Las Vegas?"
-- U-10 GOES FOR THIRD -- Kim and Debbie Gregory of Las Vegas return this weekend to San Diego, where their Unlimited Hydroplane team made its debut.
One year later, with driver Mark Weber, the U-10 York International team is fighting for third place in the standings.
-- HURRICANE FLOYD -- Rainy weather forced NASCAR officials to cancel Thursday's racing at New Hampshire International Speedway after Hurricane Floyd terrorized the East Coast throughout the week.
While the brunt of Floyd's wrath was not felt full-force, NASCAR and several race teams prepared for the worst.
NASCAR closed its headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla., with employees traveling early to New Hampshire for this weekend's Winston Cup race. NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation, which owns Daytona International Speedway, among others, removed many computers and records to safer ground.
Jeff Motley, public relations director at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was working for NASCAR in Daytona when Florida wild fires were approaching the Daytona track around the Fourth of July in 1998, forcing postponement of the Pepsi 400.
"We filled four trucks, and everyone was carrying boxes," Motley said. "We moved all the records that could not be replaced and drove them to Jacksonville."
-- NYC CUP -- A NASCAR Winston Cup race has started in the New York City area.
The unlikely team of developer Donald Trump and Bill France, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of International Speedway Corp., is in a race with Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports Inc. to see which group can build a track near New York first. Both have said they are looking for land in the city or nearby New Jersey.
NASCAR officials want a race near New York City because it's the nation's No. 1 television market. A race near New York would give NASCAR events in or within a two-hour drive of each of the nation's 10 largest TV markets once the track near Chicago (the nation's No. 3 market) is completed and a date is assigned.
Meanwhile, ISC, in partnership with Tony George and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp., have formed Raceway Associates and will break ground Sept. 28 for the Raceway Associates Motorsports Park in Joliet, Ill., that will play host to a Winston Cup race in the 2001 season.
-- IRVINE TO JAGUAR -- On the day Jaguar Racing announced its return to Formula One, it also named current F1 points leader Eddie Irvine as its driver beginning next season.
The announcement in Frankfurt, Germany, confirmed that the 33-year-old driver has signed a three-year deal with the Jaguar (actually Ford) team formerly owned by Jackie Stewart, chairman and chief executive of Jaguar Racing.
-- HERTA RECORD -- Team Rahal driver Bryan Herta set a CART record when he became the 10th different winner through 17 events to win a CART race this season.
Herta led all 83 laps to win the Honda Grand Prix last weekend at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif., to become the first Champ car driver to do so since Las Vegan Paul Tracy in 1994.
Tracy's fourth-place finish moved him past Michael Andretti and into third in the standings.
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