At age nine, Armani Williams ’18 first started watching NASCAR races on television, and this fueled his dream to get out on the track himself. The energy and hype surrounding the races wasn’t like anything he had ever seen before.

Williams spent his summer traveling all over the North America to show off his talent in racing.

“I started racing when I was about nine years old,” Williams said. “I would watch the sport on TV and see the drivers passing each other on the track at high speeds. They would do anything to win. That competition really caught my eye and lead to me racing.”

According to Williams’ father, Del Williams, this past summer included big races and even bigger competition.

“Armani really improved on his skills over the summer,” Del said. “He made lots of competitive passes and would finish on the lead left. I’m proud to go to every single one of Armani’s races to support him and his dream.”

Armani looks to have a big career ahead of him in the world of racing. He is constantly improving and sharpening his skills on the track, and these past few months are proof of this, according to longtime friend, Max Bryson ’18.

“As long as I’ve known Armani, he’s had an interest in racing,” Bryson said. “He has always been so focused on racing. I think Armani has a huge future in the sport. He will represent Grosse Pointe on a national level.”

Armani said that he’s happy with the heights that he’s reached within racing, but that he will continue to push his skills until he reaches the top. Racing is his main focus in life, and this shows in his ability to compete with next-level racers.

“I am proud of what I’ve accomplished in my career so far,” Armani said. “Hopefully in the near future, I’ll be able to race at one of NASCAR’s elite levels in the United States.”