Willie T. Ribbs

[Joe Fan]

I hate to say this as it almost seems politically incorrect but Willie T. Ribbs is living off his name and minority status in the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS). I was at the Kansas Speedway NCTS race and Willie was a real turtle out there and was lapped before you could say his name. He ended up with a 15th place finish but it was mostly due to being slow, not pressing his equipment and staying out of trouble. It isn't like he doesn't have good enough equipment because he is driving the Dodge Motorsports Dodge in a series that is being dominated by Dodges. If NASCAR wants an African-American driver in a top echelon series, then they need to promote Tim Woods III who is driving for Jack Roush in the Winston West series. I did see Woods last month at the Kansas Speedway and I was impressed with Tim's performance despite getting a lap down early.

Back to Ribbs, I will be shocked if he is retained for next season with the way he has performed this year. It isn't like he is a spring chicken so I see no real upside from retaining him unless he turns it around real quick.