Ribbs, Brabham, Papis, Skinner Enter Brickyard Vintage Pro-Am Aug. 3 at IMS
July 03, 2019 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Mike Skinner, Max Papis, Geoff Brabham and Willy T. Ribbs – the top four contenders for the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Vintage Race of Champions (VROC) Charity Pro-Am presented by Chopard Watch championship – have filed entries for the next race, the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational on Aug. 3-4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Skinner and Papis won the A Production and B Production class races, respectively, at the first race of the season in March at Road Atlanta. Brabham and Ribbs, who scored podium finishes at Road Atlanta, are also in the running for Chopard luxury watches that will be awarded to series champions in September at Virginia International Raceway.
1995 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Skinner’s first taste of SVRA racing came at last September’s VIR Charity Pro-Am. Skinner was promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series in 1997 with Richard Childress Racing as a teammate to Dale Earnhardt. He earned Rookie of the Year honors that season. Skinner also made 11 starts in the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard at IMS, with one top-five finish.
Papis has competed in Formula One, NASCAR, Indy car racing, sports cars, V8 Supercars and IROC. He is a two-time Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starter and made one start in the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard at IMS.
Ribbs is the first African-American driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. He did so twice, in 1991 and again in 1993. He also tested for a Formula One seat, in 1986 with Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team. He was Trans Am’s most prolific winner from 1983 through 1985, when he scored 18 of his 19 career-total victories. After Trans Am, he moved to Dan Gurney’s IMSA Toyota team for two years and picked off 10 race wins.
Brabham was a master of sports car racing and the star driver of the dominant Nissan team that won four successive IMSA GTP championships from 1988 through 1991. During this time, he scored 27 overall victories. He also won the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 1989 and 1991 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1981 Can-Am series championship. Brabham is a 10-time starter in the Indianapolis 500, with a best finish of fourth in 1983.
The VROC Charity Pro-Am presented by Chopard Watch is a Saturday, Aug. 3 feature event at the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational. The cars are 1963 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros, and Mustangs of SVRA “Group 6” A and B Production. The professionals will be paired with amateur drivers. Amateurs will start the race and be required to drive a maximum of seven laps.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational VROC Charity Pro-Am will benefit the Morgan Adams Foundation. The foundation supports laboratory and clinical research for pediatric cancer, with an emphasis on tumors on the brain, spine and central nervous system.
In addition to the Pro-Am, there will be a festival of other activities at the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational, including professional Trans Am by Pirelli series races Saturday and Sunday. The weekend also presents the Hagerty Insurance “cars & caffeine” car corral, and 300-plus vintage racers ranging over 100 years of automotive history racing in SVRA Groups 1 through 12.
Fans can order Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational tickets for either or both days of the event online through the Speedway or by calling 800-822-INDY or 317-492-6700 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday. Fans can also visit the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at 4790 West 16th Street between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Children 15 and under are admitted free each day when accompanied by an adult.
About SVRA – The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association is the premier vintage racing organization in the United States. Founded in 1978, SVRA has grown steadily to 2,500 active members with a database of over 11,000 race cars. The 2019 schedule consists of 14 events at some of the finest racing venues in the United States, including: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, Auto Club Speedway, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Portland International Raceway and Virginia International Raceway (VIR). SVRA hosted the first U.S. Vintage Racing National Championships at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas in 2013. Further information on SVRA, a complete annual schedule, and entry lists can be found on the SVRA website. Also be sure to check our Facebook page and YouTube channel which currently boasts a library of over 300 action-packed videos of events.