Willy T. Ribbs is a legendary pioneer for African-Americans in the race car industry.

Also known as Uppity, he broke the color barriers in a sport that was dominated by white drivers. Just like Jackie Robinson, he faced certain adversaries, discrimination, and racism from fans and fellow athletes.

Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story documents his life as an athlete through the many hurdles in the industry that didn’t want him.

Co-directors Adam Carolla and Nathan Adams helmed the project with interviews from Willy T. Ribbs, his friends, his family, and other race car drivers.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Willy T. Ribbs was the Jackie Robinson of auto-racing who shattered the color barrier in the all-white sport. Willy was referred to as “Uppity” behind his back by mechanics and other racers. He overcame death-threats, unwarranted suspensions, and engine sabotage to go after his dream. Ultimately, Willy beat the haters and became the first black driver to win a Trans-Am race, test a Formula One car, and race in the Indy 500.

Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD, digital download, and streaming on Netflix. For more information, visit the official site for Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story here.

LRM Online interviewed Willy T. Ribbs, co-director Adam Carolla, co-director Nathan Adams, and executive producer Van Lathan on the red carpet of the special screening of Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story.

Watch the exclusive interviews below.

Willy T. Ribbs (Subject) Red Carpet Interview

Retired from racing, Willy T. Ribbs is best known for being the first African-American man to have tested a Formula One car and compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed in different auto-racing leagues, including Trans-Am Series, IndyCar, Champ Car, IMSA, the NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and Gander Outdoor Truck Series. Ribbs’ highest success came in the Trans-Am Series, winning 17 races.

Adam Carolla (Co-Director/Producer) Red Carpet Interview

Best known as an American comedian and radio personality, Adam Carolla hosts The Adam Carolla Show, a talk show distributed as a podcast. In 2011, the podcast set a record with the Guinness World Records as the “most downloaded podcast.”

Carolla appeared in a couple of reality television programs Dancing with the Stars and The Celebrity Apprentice. He appeared in many movies, including The Hammer and Road Hard. On the radio, he was best known for Loveline in the 1990s with Dr. Drew Pinsky and The Adam Carolla Show. During the late 1990s, he co-hosted The Man Show with Jimmy Kimmel on Comedy Central.

As a director, he helmed the documentaries Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman and Now Safe Spaces, a film about political correctness at universities.

Nathan Adams (Co-Director/Producer) Red Carpet Interview

Nathan Adams is the president of Chassy Media, a full-service production and distribution company, with his partner Adam Carolla. He directed The 24 Hour War, Shark Fights: The Countdown, and Shelby American. He won awards at 2017’s DOC LA for Mind Over Matter and 2017’s Freep Film Festival for the Spirit of Michigan Award.

Van Lathan (Executive Producer) Red Carpet Interview

Van Lathan is a host and media personality, which was known for reporting at TMZ. He has a weekly The Red Pill podcast, generating over 50,000 listeners per episode.

Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD, digital download, and streaming on Netflix.

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Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD, digital download, and streaming on Netflix.

Source: LRM Online Exclusive