Baked beans. Energy drinks. Insurance. Convenience stores. An array of businesses pay to place their logos on anything that moves during a NASCAR weekend in order to move their products.

On Friday at Phoenix Raceway, however, the logos attached to at least one car, one trailer and one driver were about raising awareness, not sales.

Armani Williams is believed to be the first known driver with autism in NASCAR history. His ultimate goal is to not only move up from the ARCA Menards Series to the NASCAR Cup Series, but also be an inspiration to children and families living with autism.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a role model to these kids,” said Williams, 19, after a practice run Friday prior to that evening’s ARCA Menards General Tire 150. “I want to give them as much support and encouragement as I can, to go for whatever you want to do in life. To keep working hard. That’s what I’m doing here with racing.”

That’s why Williams has teamed with Centria Autism, a national provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism.

Centria’s 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 at the raceway.

Armani, who was non-verbal until he was 5, was diagnosed as autistic at an early age. Back then, experts in their home state of Michigan, told his parents, Politano and Del Williams, that Armani would never graduate from high school and would never live alone.

“Just watch,” was Politano’s attitude.

But back then, there weren’t resources such as Centria. Autism services weren’t covered by insurance, Politano said, and many therapies weren’t studied and fully understood.

Armani’s parents took it upon themselves to help their son clear hurdles.

For instance, as a kid Armani hated loud noises, Politano said. Her voice occasionally was drowned out by race cars during our conversation on Friday, and she smiled at the irony.

“The doctors said, ‘Keep him at home where he’s safe and quiet. It’s his bubble,’” Politano said. “I said, ‘No, we’re taking him to a Michigan football game where there are 100,000 fans.’”

At his first game, Armani was ready to leave before the game started. So they left.

The next game, he lasted through the first quarter.

Now, Armani wants to stay to hear the band play after games.

“There was a lot of trial-error and trial-error, and eventually he’s listening to this,” she said, motioning to the cars whizzing by on the track.

Politano and Williams divorced when Armani was young, but both played large roles in their son’s life.

Armani played a variety of sports growing up and liked watching NASCAR races on television. When Armani was 8, a go-kart track near their home in Grosse Pointe, Mich., held a summer camp for kids. The people running told the camp said Armani was a good driver and suggested the family should buy him a go-kart.

“I’m not buying a go-kart to have my kid three days later tell me he doesn’t want to do this anymore,” she said.

So they loaned Armani an old one they had in the back. He won with that piece of junk, so they bought a used go-kart a year later. Eventually Autism Speaks, a non-profit dedicated to helping individuals with autism and their families, became their first sponsor.

From go-karts, Armani moved up to mini stock cars, trucks and road racing.

Much of that was accomplished before Armani got his driver’s license at 16. On the roads, his mother said, he drives like a “grandpa” because it’s very important to Armani that he follows the rules.

A speed limit of 55 mph means you don’t go 56.

On the track is a different story. Cars in the ARCA Menards Series can reach speeds of more than 180 mph at some tracks.

Friday’s race was Armani's first experience in the ARCA Menards Series and his first race of the season.

While he’s racing, Armani is enrolled at Oakland University and majoring in mechanical engineering.

Armani’s racing schedule for the rest of the year isn’t set yet, but he’s becoming a big deal to individuals and families living with autism.

“I kind of find it hard to believe,” he said. “I just want to show people that even though I have autism, there are things I can do in life and be successful at. I keep my head up and focus on being the man I want to be and enjoy the life I want to have.”

Reach Kent Somers at Kent.Somers@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @kentsomers. Hear Somers every Friday at 7:30 a.m. on The Drive with Jody Oehler on Fox Sports 910 AM.

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