Armani Williams (born April 14, 2000) is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang for MBM Motorsports, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 13 Toyota Camry for MBM Motorsports. He has also competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as well as what are now the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West in the past.
| Armani Williams | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Williams at Pocono Raceway in 2022 | |||||||
| Born | April 14, 2000 Grosse Pointe, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||
| ARCA Menards Series career | |||||||
| Debut season | 2020 | ||||||
| Current team | MBM Motorsports | ||||||
| Car number | No. 13 | ||||||
| Former teams | Fast Track Racing | ||||||
| Starts | 3 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Poles | 0 | ||||||
| Best finish | 45th in 2020 | ||||||
| Finished last season | 2020 | ||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
| 2018–2019 2018–2019 | NASCAR K&N Pro Series East NASCAR K&N Pro Series West | ||||||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 2 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 6 (MBM Motorsports) No. 35 (Joey Gase Motorsports) | ||||||
| First race | 2024 SciAps 200 (Loudon) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 (Homestead) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
| 7 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| 2023 position | 66th | ||||||
| Best finish | 65th (2022) | ||||||
| First race | 2021 Toyota 200 (Gateway) | ||||||
| Last race | 2023 Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 (Homestead) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCAR Canada Series career | |||||||
| 6 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| First race | 2017 Fast Eddie/CHOKO 250 (Delaware) | ||||||
| Last race | 2018 Visit New Hampshire 100 (Loudon) | ||||||
| |||||||
| ARCA Menards Series career | |||||||
| 3 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| First race | 2020 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Hard Rock Bet 200 (Daytona) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics current as of October 26, 2024. | |||||||
Williams is the first NASCAR driver openly diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Over the course of his NASCAR career, Williams' cars have often sported blue paint schemes with the blue autism puzzle pieces to symbolize his diagnosis on the spectrum and to raise awareness. He is also one of four African-American drivers currently competing in NASCAR, along with Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, Rajah Caruth, and Blake Lothian.
Racing career
editWilliams great-grandfather owned an auto-body repair shop creating the foundation for automobiles in the family. Williams in particular loved to play with Hot Wheels toy cars as a child, and later discovered NASCAR on TV and immediately began watching races. He soon decided it was what he wanted to do as a career, so he began racing go-karts at age 8, and eventually bandoleros after that.[1] Specifically, he attended a competitive go-karting school and then participated in go-kart races.[2]
Williams originally competed in the ARCA Truck Series,[3] which was shut down during his time racing in that series, so he moved to the NASCAR Pinty's Series in Canada in 2017. Driving for his mentor, D. J. Kennington,[1] Williams drove his No. 28 Dodge in five races (plus withdrawing from a sixth), with a best finish of eleventh in his debut race at Delaware Speedway. He made one start in 2018 for Peter Simone's No. 97 Dodge at New Hampshire, where he earned his first top-10 finish in the series with a ninth-place.
He raced once in both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West in 2018 for Calabrese Motorsports and Patriot Motorsports Group, respectively. He returned to the Patriot team, renamed Kart Idaho Racing, in 2019 (after a change in ownership), after not qualifying for the race at Irwindale driving the No. 35 for Vizion Motorsports. After Williams' DNQ, John Wood stepped out of his No. 38 for Williams to drive it, where he finished twelfth. In the East Series, Williams competed with Kart Idaho at New Hampshire, finishing eleventh in that race.
Williams in 2020 would make his debut in the ARCA Menards Series at Phoenix, where he drove Fast Track Racing's No. 01 car to a 17th-place finish. He would then run team's No. 12 car at Michigan, where he scored a top-ten finish.[4]
In 2021, he made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Gateway in the No. 33 Reaume Brothers Racing Toyota, finishing 21st.
In 2022, he will attempt two more races (originally 3 until Josh Reaume's Darlington throwback was released).
Personal life
editDiagnosed at age two,[5] Williams is on the autism spectrum and spoke his first word at three years old. He did have some social interaction and sensory issues growing up, as other people on the spectrum do, but quickly learned to improve and overcome them with the help of his parents.[6]
He and his father attended the 2010 Brickyard 400 when he was ten which sparked his interest in racing along with playing with toy cars at home and watching NASCAR races on TV. He attends Oakland University studying mechanical engineering.[6] His favorite driver growing up was Jimmie Johnson.[2]
He is from Grosse Pointe, Michigan[1] and had a 3.0 GPA at his high school while balancing school and racing.[5]
Motorsports career results
editNASCAR
edit(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Xfinity Series
edit| NASCAR Xfinity Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NXSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2024 | MBM Motorsports | 6 | Ford | DAY | ATL | LVS | PHO | COA | RCH | MAR | TEX | TAL | DOV | DAR | CLT | PIR | SON | IOW | NHA 33 |
NSH | CSC | POC | IND | MCH | DAY | DAR | ATL | GLN | BRI | KAN | TAL | ROV | LVS | 72nd | 6 | [7] | |||
| Joey Gase Motorsports | 35 | Ford | HOM 35 |
MAR | PHO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Craftsman Truck Series
edit| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Reaume Brothers Racing | 33 | Toyota | DAY | DAY | LVS | ATL | BRI | RCH | KAN | DAR | COA | CLT | TEX | NSH | POC | KNX | GLN | GTW 21 |
DAR | BRI | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO | 72nd | 16 | [8] | |
| 2022 | 43 | DAY | LVS | ATL | COA | MAR | BRI | DAR | KAN | TEX DNQ |
CLT | GTW | SON | KNO | NSH | MOH | POC 31 |
IRP | RCH | 65th | 10 | [9] | |||||||
| Chevy | KAN 35 |
BRI | TAL | HOM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Young's Motorsports | 20 | Chevy | PHO 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | G2G Racing | 46 | Toyota | DAY | LVS | ATL | COA | TEX 29 |
BRI | MAR | KAN | DAR | NWS | CLT 35 |
GTW | NSH | MOH | POC | RCH | IRP DNQ |
MLW | KAN | BRI | TAL | HOM 31 |
PHO | 66th | 16 | [10] |
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
K&N Pro Series East
edit| NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | NKNPSEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2018 | Calabrese Motorsports | 43 | Ford | NSM | BRI | LGY | SBO | SBO | MEM 16 |
NJM | THO | NHA | IOW | GLN | GTW | NHA | DOV | 53rd | 28 | [11] |
| 2019 | Kart Idaho Racing | 38 | Ford | NSM | BRI | SBO | SBO | MEM | NHA | IOW | GLN | BRI | GTW | NHA 11 |
DOV | 38th | 33 | [12] | ||
K&N Pro Series West
edit| NASCAR K&N Pro Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | NKNPSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2018 | Patriot Motorsports Group | 34 | Ford | KCR | TUS | TUS | OSS | CNS | SON | DCS | IOW | EVG 15 |
GTW | LVS | MER | AAS | KCR | 49th | 29 | [13] |
| 2019 | Vizion Motorsports | 35 | Chevy | LVS | IRW DNQ |
51st | 32 | [14] | ||||||||||||
| Kart Idaho Racing | 38 | IRW 12 |
TUS | TUS | CNS | SON | DCS | IOW | EVG | GTW | MER | AAS | KCR | PHO | ||||||
Pinty's Series
edit| NASCAR Pinty's Series results | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team owner | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Rank | Points | Ref |
| 2017 | DJK Racing | 28 | Dodge | MOS | DEL 11 |
CHA | ICA | TOR | WYA 14 |
WYA 13 |
EDM | TRO | RIV 12 |
MOS | STE | JUK 13 |
17th | 157 | [15] |
| 2018 | Peter Simone | 97 | Dodge | MSP | JUK | ACD | TOR | SAS | SAS | EIR | CTR | RIS | MSP | ASE | NHA 9 |
JUK | 42nd | 35 | [16] |
ARCA Menards Series
edit(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | Fast Track Racing | 01 | Ford | DAY | PHO 17 |
TAL | POC | IRP | KEN | IOW | KAN | TOL | TOL | 45th | 61 | [17] | ||||||||||
| 12 | Chevy | MCH 10 |
DAY | GTW | L44 | TOL | BRI | WIN | MEM | ISF | KAN | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | MBM Motorsports | 13 | Toyota | DAY 13 |
PHO | TAL | DOV | KAN | CLT | IOW | MOH | BLN | IRP | SLM | ELK | MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | GLN | BRI | KAN | TOL | 87th | 31 | [18] |
* Season still in progress
References
edit- ^ a b c Segal, Davey (August 20, 2018). "Armani Williams Defying the Odds and Living His Dream in NASCAR". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Get to know Armani Williams in 6 questions". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 31, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Elizabeth Ofosuah (June 12, 2019). "Meet the first autistic NASCAR driver who is only 18 years old". Face2FaceAfrica. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ Torres, Luis (August 9, 2020). "Armani Williams Scores First Career ARCA Top 10 at Michigan". Motorsports Tribune. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Campbell, Jason (June 30, 2017). "17-Year-Old Armani Williams is NASCAR'S First Driver with Autism". BlackDoctor.org. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Sandison, Ron (September 10, 2018). "An Interview With Armani Williams, The First NASCAR Driver On The Autism Spectrum". The Art of Autism. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2017 NASCAR Pinty's Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2018 NASCAR Pinty's Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2020 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ "Armani Williams – 2024 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website
- Armani Williams driver statistics at Racing-Reference