AVONDALE, Arizona – Baked beans. Energy drinks. Insurance. Convenience stores. A range of companies pay to place their logos on anything that moves during a NASCAR weekend to move their products.
Friday at Phoenix Raceway, however, the logos attached to at least one car, trailer and driver focused on awareness, not sales.
Armani Williams is said to be the first known autism driver in NASCAR history. His ultimate goal is not only to move from the ARCA Menards series to the NASCAR Cup series, but also to inspire children and families living with autism.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a role model for these kids,” said Williams, 19, after a workout Friday before the ARCA Menards General Tire 150 party. “I want to give them as much support and encouragement as I can, to go whatever you want to do in life. To keep working hard. That’s what I do here with racing. “
That’s why Williams teamed up with Centria Autism, a national provider of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy for autistic children.
The Centria logo is on Williams’ car and on the polo shirt worn by his mother, Irena Politano, who stood in the shade near the team’s trailer on the circuit.
Armani, who was non-verbal until the age of 5, was diagnosed with autism at an early age. Experts at the time from their home state, Michigan, told his parents, Politano and Del Williams, that Armani would never graduate from high school and never live alone.
“Look,” was Politano’s attitude.
But at the time, there were no resources like Centria. Autism services were not covered by insurance, said Politano, and many therapies have not been studied and fully understood.
Armani’s parents have taken it upon themselves to help their son overcome obstacles.
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For example, when an Armani child hated loud noises, said Politano. Her voice was sometimes drowned out by race cars during our conversation on Friday, and she smirked.
“The doctors said, ‘Keep him at home where he is safe and calm. This is his bubble, “said Politano. “I said,” No, we’re taking him to a football game in Michigan where there are 100,000 fans. “”
In his first game, Armani was ready to leave before the match started. So they left.
The next match lasted until the first quarter.
Now Armani wants to stay to hear the group play after the games.
“There have been a lot of test errors and test errors, and finally he listens to that,” she said, pointing to the cars running on the track.
Politano and Williams divorced when Armani was young, but both played an important role in their son’s life.
Armani grew up enjoying a variety of sports and enjoyed watching NASCAR races on television. When Armani was 8 years old, a go-kart track near their home in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, organized a summer camp for the children. People who were running told the camp that Armani was a good driver and suggested that the family buy a kart for him.
“I don’t buy a go-kart so that my child tells me three days later that he doesn’t want to do that anymore,” she said.
So they loaned Armani an elder they had on their back. He won with this piece of junk, so they bought a used go-kart a year later. Ultimately, Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with autism and their families, became their first sponsor.
From go-karts, Armani has grown to mini-cars, trucks and road racing.
Much of this was accomplished before Armani obtained his driver’s license at age 16. On the roads, his mother said that he drives like a “grandfather” because it is very important for Armani that he respects the rules.
A speed limit of 55 mph means you’re not going 56.
On the track, it’s a different story. The cars of the ARCA Menards series can reach speeds of more than 180 mph on certain tracks.
Friday’s race was Armani’s first experience in the ARCA Menards series and his first race of the season.
During his race, Armani is enrolled at the University of Oakland and specializes in mechanical engineering.
Armani’s racing calendar for the rest of the year is not yet defined, but it is becoming a big problem for people and families living with autism.
“I find it hard to believe,” he said. “I just want to show people that even if I have autism, there are things I can do for a living and be successful. I hold my head high and focus on being the man I want to be and enjoying the life I want to have. “
Join Kent Somers at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @kentsomers.