This year’s ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway is looking to be one of the biggest fields in recent years, with now 50 cars slated to attempt to make the field. The latest entry comes from Carl Long’s MBM Motorsports and driver Armani Williams.
Williams is joining forces with Long to pilot the No. 13 BlueSpring Toyota Camry around the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
The 23-year-old Williams tested at the track back in January with Emerling-Gase Motorsports, but this isn’t his first time around the series. This marks his first start since the Michigan race back in 2020 where he took home his first career top-10 in the ARCA Menards Series.
Since 2020, Williams has raced several NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races between Reaume Brothers Racing and G2G Racing.
Breaking News! I am super stoked to get the call to pilot the #13 BlueSprig Toyota for MBM Motorsports at Daytona in the ARCA Menards Series on Feb. 17th. Thank you @BlueSprigAutism and @MBMMotorsports for this opportunity. #BlueSprig #MBMMotorsports #ARCA #VisitMesa #Autism pic.twitter.com/TNSJGP9UGF
— Armani Williams (@ArmaniWilliams_) February 2, 2024
“This truly is a dream from my childhood to race at Daytona,” the Grosse Pointe, MI native said.
For Williams, his partnership with BlueSpring runs deeper than most. Armani is the first major professional stock car driver to race openly with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). BlueSpring is a leader in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in therapy for children dealing with ASD. Ranging from toddlers to teens, BlueSpring crafts individual plans to help “improve socialization, communication, learning skills, and achieve developmental
milestones.”
“I’m thankful for the great people at BlueSprig who are with us on this journey and for the awesome work they do for families impacted by autism. I also want to thank Carl Long and MBM Motorsports for giving me this opportunity. Can’t wait… Let’s go, Autism Nation,” Williams added.
For Carl Long and MBM Motorsports, this will be the first time since 2018.
NEWS: MBM returns to @ARCA_Racing for @Daytona, with @ArmaniWilliams_ piloting the @BlueSprigAutism #13 Toyota Camry at the World Center of Racing!
? @SMD_racing
?? https://t.co/aUjhCxkqteMBM will have more Speedweeks news soon, stay tuned!#ARCA #Speedweeks pic.twitter.com/Ghbj4atOj4
— MBM Motorsports (@MBMMotorsports) February 2, 2024
“We are proud to head back into the ARCA garage. Armani has a story to
share. MBM is here to give this young man some valuable Daytona experience with the draft,” team owner Long stated.
“We have a lot of key pieces in place to put Armani in a very competitive
car. I am excited about this race and others to follow,” he added.
You can catch Armani’s debut at Daytona, and the return of MBM Motorsports to the ARCA Menards Series live on FS1 on February 17th at 1:30 PM ET.
