(NewsNation) — At 23, Armani Williams lives life at 180 mph while holding a unique platform as NASCAR’s first openly autistic driver fueled by the motivation to make a difference.
Williams was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 2, becoming one of 75 million people worldwide and 1 in every 100 children who are diagnosed with the condition, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.
Behind the wheel in a 130-degree NASCAR cockpit, Williams has found a meaningful space that provides him a platform to encourage others living with autism to dream big.
Yet, Williams, who is Black, is doing so in a world that has long been largely dominated by white drivers and owners. In NASCAR’s 76-year history, only three Black drivers, Wendell Scott, Bubba Wallace and Rajah Caruth, have posted victories in more than 2,800 national series races.
Williams dreams of one day adding his name to that list.
While he’s chased his professional racing aspirations for much of his life, Williams is still finding his way. After competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Menard’s ARCA Series on a limited basis, Williams is now focused on finding a full-time sponsor on NASCAR’s Xfinity Series.
He has already raced at Daytona International Speedway, where he was running well until he got caught up in a crash on the race’s penultimate lap, moving closer to checking off bucket list destinations is proof Williams is exactly where he needs to be.
Williams wants to build on that experience and someday race in the sport’s largest events, like this weekend’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
“Now I’m living a dream of (doing) everything I grew up wanting to do,” Williams told NewsNation. “Really, it’s just about continuing to find the opportunities to make sure I’m out there on the racetrack more often than not.”
Living with autism, chasing NASCAR
His father, Del Williams, gets emotional when he watches his son live out his auto racing dream in ways he never imagined was possible.
“It’s hard to describe just how proud I am of him for just having a dream and just doing everything he possibly can to make it happen,” Del told NewsNation.
Williams was in middle school before his parents explained what he had been living with.
Del and Williams’ mother, Irena Politano, allowed their son’s instincts and high-speed dreams to dictate their navigational process. They relied on resources from organizations like Autism Speaks for guidance, but said that ultimately, Williams guided Del and his wife through the journey as much as they directed their son.
“All we had to do was to pay attention to what he wanted to do and just support that,” Del said.
That led the family to their local Go-Kart track. Williams quickly developed a laser-focused interest in cars and racing.
That attraction intensified when his parents gave him tickets to the Daytona 500 for Christmas when Williams was 11 (even though the race rained out for the first time in its history).
Away from the track, Williams struggled to understand why he was different from his peers and why he found difficulty connecting with and making friends with other kids. As much as he tried to understand his disorder, he found things that made sense when he was behind the wheel of a car.
But because of his autism, Williams says he still views racing from a different perspective, shifting him into a different lane of experiencing the sport in ways that provide direction rather than distractions both in his racing strategy and his desire to win.
“I’m just always focused on every time just getting into the racecar and just pushing the car to the absolute limit,” Williams said.
Navigating NASCAR as a Black driver
For Del, his son’s focus is a source of equal parts pride and anxiety. Del spends race weekends near the pit wall, providing a different perspective than most observers.
While the speed of the sport helps to fuel fan interest, the sport’s intensity also serves as a realization that his son is the one caught up in the middle.
That has been the case throughout Williams’ journey, including times when he and Del were the only Black participants in a race weekend at smaller racing venues around the Midwest. Those occasions were reminders of the challenges Williams faced — not only because of his race but because of his autism.
In the past, NASCAR officials acknowledge that the sport has struggled to break racial barriers with its massive fanbase. But over time, more drivers of color, including Williams, have added themselves to the sports’ driving roster, giving Williams hope that he can help spark change.
“There are millions of people in this country and in this world that are into NASCAR, and it doesn’t matter what you look like,” Williams said.
“NASCAR is definitely trying to pave the way for people who are minorities to get into the sport and be able to share that same passion. I think it’s just something we have to continue to build upon. It’s growing, but there’s definitely more that we can do.”
NASCAR has recently pushed to create more diversity and inclusion within the sport with current drivers like Wallace, Caruth and Jesse Iwuji.
Historically, Wendall (one victory) and Wallace (two) are the only two Black drivers to win in NASCAR’s Cup Series. Wallace has also posted six wins in the Craftsman Truck Series, where Caruth also captured the checkered flag, adding his name to the small list of Black national series winners.
Team owners, like former NBA star Brad Daugherty and Rev Racing’s Max Siegel, have further expanded the effort to diversity the sport into the ownership ranks to help promote up-and-coming drivers like Williams.
Brandon Thompson, NASCAR’s vice president of diversity and inclusion, told NewsNation that Williams gives the sport an additional story to tell in inspiring others in their push to overcome their own obstacles.
But as the sport moves to include more drivers of color along with women into their ranks of professional drivers, Thompson says the biggest thing drivers like Williams, Wallace and Caruth can do is to remain true to themselves.
“When you look at it from Armani’s perspective, it’s like, yes, you can see that there are other Black drivers, but there are not other autistic drivers,” said Thompson, who first got to know Williams as the director of NASCAR’s Touring Series. “So I think it adds a layer and enables him to be himself and do it his own way. I think that’s the biggest responsibility he has.”
Being part of his son’s journey makes Del Williams more emotional on race days. He finds himself unable to take his eyes off the scoreboard as he tracks his son’s progress while hoping Williams remains safe in the midst of so much happening around him at such a high rate of speed.
“It’s a very difficult thing to watch your kid do,” Del Williams said. “I’m happy when he gets started and I’m happy with he’s done.”
As he pursues a full-time ride while getting more races under his belt, Williams is trying to appeal to potential team owners and sponsors. The meetings can be stressful for someone who has never felt entirely comfortable in social environments. But Williams says he has found a unique sense of calm and confidence when it comes to his passion.
The meetings provide him with a chance to leave a strong first impression, not only as someone who can win but who can also handle living with the title of being the sport’s first openly diagnosed autistic driver who also happens to be Black.
Part of carrying that title also involves carrying the dreams of others living with autism who may be looking for inspiration to overcome their obstacles. It’s a role Williams is proud to embrace while he continues to try to fast-track his success.
“In racing, it’s always about going out on the racetrack and competing at a high level and trying to win the race,” Williams told NewsNation. “But there’s more to me than just achieving that.”
NewsNation’s partner The CW Network will exclusively broadcast the final eight races of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season this fall, starting Sept. 20. Starting in 2025, The CW Network will become the exclusive home to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, extending through the 2031 racing season.