09/06/2026
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I’ve started writing this post about ten times, and I still don’t know how to put Friday night into words.
Amazed. Humbled. Grateful. Overwhelmed.
None of them seem big enough.
Five years ago, this started as an idea to combine something I love — racing — with something that means more to me than I could ever explain: Autism awareness and acceptance.
Friday night, as I looked around Albany-Saratoga Speedway, I realized something.
This isn't my event anymore, it really never was.
It belongs to an entire community of people who have decided that they want to help us make a difference.
And there are A LOT of people I need to thank. I'm going to try not to miss anyone, but I already know that's probably impossible.
First, Upstate Chevy Dealers.
You believed in this when it was much smaller than what we saw Friday night. You helped us dream bigger and turn an Autism Acceptance Race into a $10,000-to-win event that attracts racers from all over.
You didn't just put your name on a race. You believed in the mission behind it.
THANK YOU.
And I absolutely cannot talk about how far this event has come without thanking the FOUNDATIONAL SPONSORS who have been there year after year.
These are the people and companies who believed in this event before it became what we saw Friday night. They supported the idea, came back again, helped us grow it and gave us the confidence to keep making it bigger.
Michael's Automotive and Trailer Sales
Stone Motorsports & Online Performance Parts
GT Toyz Motorsports & Marine
Crane's Outdoor Power Equipment
Express Employment Professionals of Albany & Saratoga
Classic Muscle Parts / Jay Fitzgerald
Camenga Construction / Devon Camenga
Andy's Speed Shop
M2 Metal LLC.
Jay's Landscaping / Casey Racing
Faith Trust & Pixie Dust Travel / April Stefanskil
Some have been with us virtually from the beginning, and their support has helped turn what started as an Autism Acceptance race into something bigger than I ever imagined.
When you support something BEFORE you know what it can become, that's belief.
To all of our foundational sponsors — THANK YOU for believing in Rachel, believing in me, believing in this crazy idea and, most importantly, believing in the mission.
You helped build this. ❤️🧩🏁
To everyone at Albany-Saratoga Speedway — thank you for allowing me to come up with crazy ideas and then helping us figure out how to actually make them happen. 😂
There were so many things Friday night that were NOT part of a normal race night, and it took track management, officials, scoring, tech, the pit gate, front gate, parking, announcers, track crew and countless other people working together to pull it off.
And a very special thank you to Marcy DeVore. Marcy continues to carry Lyle DeVore's legacy at that racetrack, and she worked incredibly hard to help us make this the best Autism Acceptance Race we've ever had.
To the DRIVERS AND TEAMS...
WOW.
You came from near and far. You raised money. You signed shirts. You participated in our crazy promotions. You raced hard. Some of you didn't even make the feature because the field was so strong, but you still came and supported what this night represents.
Thank you to our Canadian and Quebec racers who crossed the border to be part of it, and to our Albany-Saratoga regulars for welcoming everyone into your house.
And congratulations to our podium:
🏆 Shane Henderson — WINNER
🥈 Pete Stefanski — 2nd
🥉 Kim Duell — 3rd
And then Shane did something that tells you exactly what this racing community is about.
After winning $10,000, Shane is donating $1,000 BACK to the charity, keeping the tradition started by Rich Crane 5 years ago alive.
THAT is bigger than racing.
Thank you, Shane.
And how cool was it having Kyle Strickler come race with us?
Kyle, thank you for making the trip, racing with us and supporting what we're trying to accomplish.
Robert Bublak — THANK YOU for making the introduction to Kyle and helping orchestrate everything that went into getting him here.
And Kenn Van Wert and Beau Ballard — thank you for making sure that when Kyle showed up, he had a FAST race car to drive!
We also had some pretty special guests join us Friday.
Town of Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett — thank you for continuing to support what we're doing.
Senator Jim Tedisco — thank you for your incredibly kind words and for presenting a Certificate of Merit recognizing The 5th Annual Upstate Chevy Dealers Autism Acceptance Race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway to Rachel and me during opening ceremonies.
That is something I will remember for a very long time.
Now I need to talk about Duell Family Racing.
And this one STILL blows me away.
Duell Family Racing — Kim Duell, Denice Duell, Scott Duell — along with their sponsor Ralph Cook from Cook's Kitchen & Baths decided they wanted to do something.
Ralph had the idea to approach the DFR sponsors and others and ask them to support Racers 4 Autism.
And people said YES.
Cook's Kitchen & Baths
Steve Cook / State Farm
Goodson Interiors
EPS Enterprises
Mangino Chevrolet
Malta Development
Rowland Street Garage
Saratoga Fireplace & Stove
Harrison Drywall
Saratoga Masonry
ACR Heating & Cooling
Public House
J and K Trucking & Excavating
Randy DeVaney
Boyea's Deli & Grocery
Milton Tavern
Catz Excavating
Elliott Building & Remodeling
Bensons Pet Centers
Galway Golf Course
Monaco's Automotive Repair
Together they raised...
$8,375.
And then they surprised Rachel and me with a giant check during the driver autograph session.
I WAS SPEECHLESS.
And if you know me, you know that's not easy to accomplish. 😂
Ralph, Kim, Denice, Scott and EVERY business and person who contributed — I don't know how to properly thank you for that.
And DFR wasn't done.
They also donated a DEWALT toolbox loaded with approximately $600 worth of tools that we gave away to one of the drivers who didn't make the feature.
Scott Duell also designed our incredible winner's trophy, and JK Signworks brought his design to life.
And then there's Denice Duell.
Denice has been instrumental in this event EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Lap sponsors, puzzle pieces, fundraising, organizing and about 500 things behind the scenes that most people will never know happened.
Denice, THANK YOU.
And just so we're clear...
You're never allowed to stop. 😂
We had even MORE people decide they wanted to make race night special for the drivers.
Chase Aussicker and CJS Construction put up $250 for the fastest lap.
Megan Dumblewski and Megahites Catering & Events put up $100 for the Hard Charger.
Kyle Money put up $50 for the first flat tire.
Roman Hendrickson, Joe Achzet and Leeann Achzet gave us one of my favorite additions — the Drop Anchor Award. 😂 The driver who lost the most positions in the feature received $150 AND a custom trophy reminding them that...
Some nights it's just not your night. 😂
THIS is what I love about the racing community.
People kept asking, "What can I do?"
Trustco Bank did the same thing.
They supported Racers 4 Autism in a BIG way, created the $500 Winning Fan Experience with our signed driver T-shirts, and then, because apparently we weren't having enough fun already, they dropped off a T-SHIRT CANNON for us to use Friday night. 😂
Thank you to the entire Trustco team for not simply sponsoring something, but constantly looking for ways to make the experience better for our fans.
Thank you to VIVE Collision of Albany for stepping up and matching our driver entry fees with a contribution to our Autism mission.
Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in the Outside Pole fundraiser.
Drivers, race teams, businesses, families and fans turned that into a competition of its own. Every donation moved somebody up the leaderboard while raising money for Racers 4 Autism.
And thank you to everyone who sponsored one of our Puzzle Pieces.
Businesses. Race teams. Families. Memorials. Friends.
That program has become such a fun way to support both our racers AND the Autism mission, and once again Denice Duell was right in the middle of making it happen.
Then there was the Chance Auction.
SO MANY businesses and individuals donated items. Some were huge. Some were small. Every single one mattered.
Travis and Ashley Welch from Ted's Body Shop reached out because they wanted to help and quietly sent us a $500 donation.
Jessica Friesen messaged me and told me to stop by the One Zee Tees trailer at Albany-Saratoga. Waiting for us was a care package of items for our Chance Auction AND a $300 donation courtesy of Stewart and Jessica Friesen.
Thank you Travis, Ashley, Stewart and Jessica. Things like that mean more than you know.
And to EVERY person and business that donated an auction item, bought tickets, bought merchandise, Venmo'd us, dropped cash in somebody's hand or found another way to contribute — THANK YOU.
Now let's talk about the people who actually had to make all of this WORK.
Kyle Van Vorst, Treasurer of Racers 4 Autism.
Kyle spends an incredible amount of time behind the scenes keeping us organized, keeping track of everything and doing the work nobody sees. Then Friday night he was there doing whatever needed to be done.
Thank you, Kyle.
Naome and Emma — our Racers 4 Autism employees — thank you for being part of this organization and part of this mission.
One of the things I'm proudest of with Racers 4 Autism is that we aren't simply talking about opportunity. We're trying to CREATE it.
Thank you to Bring on the Spectrum, Lisa Audi and their team, and to The Autism Society and their team.
These organizations are doing the work 365 days a year. The race gets people's attention, but helping families find resources, community, acceptance and opportunity is what this is really about.
And then there were our VOLUNTEERS.
Chance Auction.
T-shirt sales.
Setup.
Cleanup.
Running things from one end of the speedway to the other.
Some of you arrived before the spectator gates even opened. Some worked throughout the event. Some simply asked, "Where do you need me?"
Stacie Marie is one of those people. Whatever needs to be done, wherever we need help, she's there.
THANK YOU, Stacy.
And thank you to every volunteer who gave us your time Friday. We literally could not do this without you.
My new assistant, Gianna Losavio...
You picked ONE HELL OF A WEEK to start working with me. 😂
Gianna worked tirelessly all week trying to keep me organized, keep everything moving and make sure the thousand things flying around in my head actually got accomplished.
PRICELESS.
Thank you, Gianna.
Then there are the people who helped us get all of this STUFF to the racetrack.
Phil DeFiglio and Michaels Automotive and Trailer Sales — thank you for loaning us a trailer to get our show car to the track.
Bob Hale — thank you for lending us the enclosed trailer that allowed us to haul all of the Chance Auction items.
Those things may sound small until you're the person trying to figure out how the heck you're getting everything to Malta. 😂
Dave Emigh from De Designs Inc. — thank you for designing and creating our Autism Acceptance shirts and signage and for continually discounting your work as your own way of donating to Autism.
Brett Horlacher — the amount of time you dedicate and sacrifice to our social media is unbelievable. Multiple posts EVERY SINGLE DAY promoting our drivers, sponsors and this event. People see the finished posts. They don't see the hours behind them.
Jordan Sheehan — thank you for creating so many of our driver and promotional graphics and spending countless hours sourcing driver and car photos so we could promote these racers the way they deserved.
Kyle John Fossé from Unspoken Art — thank you for coming out and capturing video for us so we'll have these memories and stories to continue sharing.
And the MEDIA...
You guys were AMAZING to us.
NEWS10 ABC / WTENEN — thank you for having Rachel and me on and helping us tell this story.
Ryan Peterson and Christina Arangio — thank you for giving us your platform and treating Rachel and our mission with such kindness.
PYX 106 and Quinn and Cantara — thank you for having us on, talking about the race and helping us reach an entirely different audience.
Upstate Living on WTEN — thank you for helping us spread the word.
WRGB CBS 6 News, Albany — thank you for the coverage and support.
Wheel People with Ed Lamberton — thank you for having us on the podcast and helping promote the event to the racing community.
And DTD TV — WOW.
The television coverage Friday night was AMAZING. Thank you for helping people who couldn't be at Albany-Saratoga experience what was happening and for giving this event and its mission that kind of exposure.
Every TV station, radio station, podcast, photographer, videographer, writer, page and person who shared our story helped us reach somebody we couldn't have reached ourselves.
THANK YOU.
I also need to thank the people and companies who support Modiano Motorsports all season long.
Express Employment
GT Toyz Motorsports & Marine
The TechBridge Group
Skyview Landscapes
WrapKingz
The Albany Firebirds
You are the people who keep this Autism Acceptance race car on the track week after week.
This car is a rolling billboard for Autism acceptance, and your never-ending support and dedication allow us to keep racing it, talking about the mission and reaching people.
And Greg and Jake from GT Toyz — thank you for everything you've done behind the scenes as well. Your involvement goes far beyond putting a logo on a race car.
My Express Employment Professionals team also deserves a huge THANK YOU.
There is another business that still has to operate while I'm running around promoting races, doing TV and radio interviews, answering a million messages and trying to build Racers 4 Autism.
My team allows me to do that.
They cover things. They help with R4A. They volunteer. They keep Express moving.
I couldn't do one without the other.
Now... my race.
Well...
That didn't exactly go according to plan. 😂
Things literally went UPSIDE DOWN pretty early in the race.
But I climbed out of that car without an injury.
So Nick Stone and Stone Motorsports — THANK YOU.
Nick built me a SAFE race car.
We talk all the time about making cars fast. Friday night reminded me that before anything else, they need to protect the person sitting inside them.
Mine did exactly that.
And then there is my Modiano Motorsports team.
Ryan Kendall
David Young Jr.
Scott Charnick
Ray Guiles
Guys, I don't even know what to say.
Nothing happens without your support, dedication, knowledge and expertise.
You sacrifice your own time to allow me to do something I love, and when things go wrong, you're standing there ready to pick up the pieces — sometimes literally. 😂
I am incredibly lucky to have you guys.
And then there are the two people who are really at the center of all of this.
Mindi.
My wife.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for supporting me.
And most importantly, thank you for the sacrifices you make that nobody else sees.
Racing takes time.
Express takes time.
Racers 4 Autism takes an unbelievable amount of time.
Being married to someone whose brain apparently believes every crazy idea needs to become reality probably isn't particularly relaxing. 😂
You have supported me through all of it.
I love you, and I couldn't do this without you.
And Rachel...
Where do I even begin?
You've taught me more in your 16 years than I could have ever imagined.
You've taught me patience.
You've taught me empathy.
You've taught me that different doesn't mean less.
You've taught me to look at what someone CAN do instead of what they can't.
You've taught me that sometimes the world needs to change instead of asking the person to change for the world.
Most of all, you've made me a better human being.
I started racing because I loved racing.
I put Autism on the race car because of you.
And somehow that race car started conversations.
Those conversations became an Autism Acceptance Race.
That race became bigger.
And eventually it helped create Racers 4 Autism.
I may be the driver...
But Rachel, you are — and always will be — the driving force. ❤️
And finally...
THE FANS.
You PACKED the place.
You donated.
You bought shirts.
You bought Chance Auction tickets.
You participated in the Trustco promotions.
You supported drivers.
You shared our posts.
You cheered.
You came up and told us your stories.
Some of you told me about your son or daughter. Your grandson or granddaughter. Your brother or sister. Your friend. Yourself.
THAT is why we do this.
And to my family, my friends and EVERYONE whose name I somehow didn't mention...
Please know that leaving your name out doesn't mean your contribution wasn't noticed or appreciated.
There are SO, SO, SO many people who sent donations, shared posts, volunteered, offered advice, made introductions, bought something, gave something, showed appreciation, told us their stories or simply asked:
"How can I help?"
THANK YOU ALL.
Five years ago, I wanted to use something I loved to help change the world for one person at a time.
Friday night, I looked around Albany-Saratoga Speedway and realized...
Maybe we're starting to change it for a whole lot more than one.
This was bigger than a race.
This was COMMUNITY.
From the bottom of my heart...
THANK YOU. ❤️🧩🏁
One Race. One Cause. One Community.
— Jordan
