Giancarlo Fisichella – January 14th, 1973

Roman born Italian Formula One driver “Fisi”  has driven for 5 different teams over the last 10 years.  While one of the most naturally talented drivers on the grid he has never really seemed to match his early promise. Fisichella has won three Grands Prix to date. Outside of driving, he runs his own GP2 team, FMS International.

Like most current Formula One drivers, he began kart racing as a youngster. In 1992, he competed in the Italian Formula Three series. He finished runner up in 1993, and in 1994 he won the championship. He left open-wheel racing briefly in 1995, to drive for Alfa Romeo in the International Touring Car Championship series.

Fisichella (Renault) 2005 Turkish GP

In 1996 he arrived on the Formula One grid with Minardi, although did not complete a full season with the underfunded team.  The following year he joined Jordan, before moving on to Benneton from 1998 to 2001.  He rejoined Jordan for the following two years, scoring his first GP win at a chaotic Brazilian GP.  In 2004 he joined Sauber hoping that it would provde a path to a longed for drive at Ferrari. (Sauber were using rebadged Ferrari engines that year.) It wasn’t to happen and “Fisi” arrived at Renault with aspirations to be a team leader. However he was overshadowed by the arrival of double World Champion Fernando Alonso.  With Alonso’s departure to Mclaren in 2007 Fisichella assumed the role of team leader but was once more overshadowed by a younger team mate. With Alonso’s return to Renault in 2008 it seemed that Fisichella was left without a ride.

Fisichella does a lap of San Marino

Last week it was announced that he would race for the new Force India F1 team in 2008. 

The Official Giancarlo Fisichella Website

Other Birthday Drivers today:

• Don Garlits  – drag racing legend (1932)
• Tom McEwen  – drag racer (1937)

Willy T. Ribbs -  3rd January 1956

Perhaps the best known African-American driver who over the years competed in many forms of racing. After retiring, he became a sport shooter in the National Sporting Clays Association.

Willy was born in San Jose, California,  and  after his graduating high school in 1975,  he moved to Europe to compete in the Formula Ford Series. He won the Dunlop Championship in his first year of competition, then returned to the United States. NASCAR owner Will Cronkite hired Ribbs to drive his Winston Cup car, but fired him after Ribbs skipped two practice sessions. Ribbs went on to race Formula Atlantic cars, winning the pole in the Long Beach Formula Atlantic race in 1982.

The following year, Ribbs won five races in the SCCA Trans-Am Series and was honored as Pro Rookie of the Year. Ribbs would attempt NASCAR again in 1986, running three races.

Here’s  onboard footage of Willy T. Ribbs driving an IMSA GTO Toyota around the temporary circuit at Del Mar Fairgrounds in 1988.

Also in 1986, Ribbs drove a Formula One car, when he tested for the Brabham team. In 1990, Ribbs joined the CART circuit in a car owned by comedian Bill Cosby. Ribbs had two top-10 events that season, and in 1991, he became the first African-American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. He raced there a second time in 1993. After being released from the team in 1994, he continued in the CART series with another two top 10 finishes.

In 1999, Ribbs raced in an Indy Racing League event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finishing 26th after a crash. After three top-10s in the SCCA in 2000, Ribbs signed to drive in the Craftsman Truck Series. Driving 23 out of 24 races, Ribbs had a best finish of 13th, and finished 16th in points.

 The official Willy T. Ribbs website.

Other Driver Birthdays today

• Russell Spence F3000 and occasional F1 driver (1960)
• Michael Schumacher  – Seven Times F1 World Champion (1969)

Happy Birthday today to former F1 World Champion Jody Scheckter (born 1/29/50),

and to former Atlantics and new ChampCar driver Alex Figge (born 1/29/82)

Happy Birthday to sports car racer, Champ-Car team owner and sometime actor Paul Newman (born 1/26/25)

(and that number 80 on the side of the car – that was his age – and he won the race!)

Happy Birthday to NASCAR legend Buddy Baker (born 1/25/41),

drag racer Gary Bolger (born 1/25/44),

sports car racer Doc Bundy (born 1/25/46),

and ex-Grand Prix driver and long time Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer (born 1/25/71).