23-year-old Armani Williams is not the run-of-the-mill NASCAR star. Diagnosed with autism as a child, he has overcome quite the struggle to make it into the higher rungs of motorsports. Today, Armani is a strong voice that creates awareness of autism and helps families impacted by the disorder. He is also one of the few Black drivers in the sport, running part-time for MBM Motorsports in ARCA Menards.
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He recognized his love for speed early after visiting a local amusement park and trying out go-karts. The discovery pushed him towards watching NASCAR races on television. “It amazed me how fast those cars were going,” he said in a 2022 interview with CNN. “I’d never seen speed quite like this. It became apparent to me that this is something that I wanted to do.”
After attending competitive go-karting school and running races, Armani eventually became a part of the ARCA Truck Series at the age of 16. His performance there drew the attention of NASCAR suits and he was invited to race in the Canadian Pinty Series as a part of the Drivers Diversity Program. In 2021, he made his debut in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Talking to News Nation about how he uses the disorder to his advantage, Armani said, “I just have the kind of laser light focus that not other people have. You talk about race cars that are going 180-190 miles an hour or something. That can be a little frightening to everybody, right? But I just always had that need for speed.” He is currently trying to find a sponsor to run in the Xfinity Series.
Armani’s struggle, motivation, and goal as the first autistic driver in NASCAR
Armani has mentioned in different interviews that he felt “weird” and “out of place” as a child because of his condition. He believes that other children who are now in the same place as he once was shouldn’t undergo similar challenges. “I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, autism can be a strength, not a weakness,” he said to CNN.
As he grew older and became a known person in the professional motorsports environment, Armani began realizing the power of the platform that he had earned. He hopes to create an impact in the lives of more like him and show the path towards a better life. For this young driver with a noble purpose, seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is the hero.
He says, “Everything about his [Johnson] persona, what he did on the track, the talent, and what things he did outside the track as far as helping in the community really inspired me to be more like him.” Armani’s latest appearance on the track was at the Daytona International Speedway earlier this year for an ARCA Menards race.
