MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Armani Williams, the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver openly diagnosed on the autism spectrum will return to the tour for the 2022 season finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on Friday, November 4, 2022, with local support from Visit Mesa.
For his third Truck Series start of the season, Williams, the Grosse Point, Mich. native will compete for Mooresville, N.C.-based Young’s Motorsports and pilot the No. 20 Visit Mesa Chevrolet Silverado RST for the 150-lap race.
Visit Mesa, the leading destination marketing organization for Mesa, Arizona, helped establish the Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion to enhance and implement equity, diversity and inclusion for youth and adults within the Mesa community.
The new partnership was orchestrated by fgrACCEL, a full-service sports marketing and management agency.
“There are not words to express how appreciative I am to everyone at Visit Mesa for their support and belief in me as a driver to partner with Young’s Motorsports for the final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race of the season at Phoenix Raceway,” said Williams.
“Visit Mesa has so much to offer not only to their locals but tourists and race fans alike. I’m honored to have the opportunity to represent them during Championship 4 weekend and look forward to a productive race in my Young’s Motorsports debut.”
While the Avondale, Ariz. race track is a new venue for Williams in Truck Series competition, the 22-year-old participated in the 2020 General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series event for Fast Track Racing.
Williams is hoping for his previous experience at the 1.0-mile track to be beneficial as he aims for a career-best effort in his fourth career Truck Series race.
“Phoenix is a very competitive race track,” Williams added. “For it is a smaller track, there is plenty of room to race which should put on a good show for the Truck Series fans on Friday night.
“Like any smaller track though, track position will be important, so I am hoping that we have a strong practice and qualifying session with our No. 20 Visit Mesa Chevrolet Silverado RST.
“From there, we can make gains throughout the race and keep up with the expected track changes and hopefully contend for a top-20 finish when the checkered flag waves on the season.”
Surrounded by the Sonoran Desert, visitors to Mesa can enjoy an inclusive destination focused on accessibility, ease of travel for all and an assortment of resources and expert trip planning.
Mesa’s outdoor recreation, culinary attractions and the city’s vibrant downtown are all experiencing record visitor attendance as increased travel demand for the area continues to take place.
“As America’s first autism-certified city, we are thrilled to partner with Armani Williams for next Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway,” offered Alison Brooks, Director, Destination Experience & Advocacy for Visit Mesa.
“Armani exemplifies what it means to truly live life without limits and is an inspiration to us all. We wish him and the entire Young’s Motorsports team the best of luck in the race.“
Tyler Young, team principal for Young’s Motorsports added, “We are thrilled to welcome Armani Williams to the Young’s Motorsports lineup for Phoenix. We understand how important this race is not only for him but for Visit Mesa too.
“We look forward to seeing him continue to strengthen his Truck Series resume behind the wheel of one of our trucks and have a good performance to give our team some momentum heading into the offseason and looking ahead to 2023.”
To commemorate his expanded presence in the Truck Series this season, fgrACCEL and partner EAT SLEEP RACE are launching William’s first line of Motorsports apparel. The Armani Williams tee shirt is available for pre-order here through Tuesday, November 8, 2022, with an expected ship date of December 6, 2022.
Williams, 22, graduated to the Truck Series after stints in the premier ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West and the Canadian-based NASCAR Pinty’s Series.
To learn more about Mesa, Arizona’s designation as an Autism Certified City and Visit Mesa’s mission to promote the value and vitality of Mesa’s visitor economy to create a better community, go online to VisitMesa.com.
For more on Armani Williams, please visit teamarmaniracing.com, like him on Facebook (Team Armani Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@TeamArmaniRacin).
For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).
The Lucas Oil 150 (150 laps | 150 miles) is the 23rd of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Thursday, November 3, 2022, from 5:05 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.
Qualifying will take place on Friday, November 4, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag later that night shortly after 7:00 p.m. (10:00 p.m. ET) with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (MT).
