Zachary first drive in Autism Race Car
AUTISM AWARENESS CAR9/13/08
First win in Autism Race Car
Former race car driver works with autistic son to raise money, awareness By Tamara Henderson, Times Staff Writer Published January 4, 2008 Local retired race car driver Paul Noah is heading back to the track today, and he has a whole lot riding on his shoulders. Noah and his son Zachary have spent about six months preparing for the race of their lives. The two have dedicated their newly constructed, two-seat Pinto race car to running laps around a disorder called autism - and to finding a cure. Zachary has autism, but this 15-year-old has a way with words, especially when he describes what it is like to have the disorder. "It's difficult expressing thoughts, ideas and feelings because they're coming all at once," he said. "You get confused all the time." According to the Autism Society of America, autism is a developmental disability that stems from a neurological disorder that affects the functions of the brain, impairing social interaction and communication skills. Autism usually appears in children during the first three years of life. A child with autism may exhibit difficulty expressing needs and using words, make little to no eye contact, insist in repetition or sameness or show obsessive attachment to objects. The degree of impairment varies from child to child. Whereas one autistic child may not speak at all, another child may be capable of having a conversation. Zachary, for example, can interact and be social with his parents and others. He also attends regular classes at Southside High School and is in 10th grade. But, as his father describes, Zachary wasn't always a social child. "Zachary was perfect until about 18 months (of age)," Noah said. "Then he just went blank on us." Noah said the family has video of Zachary, during his first birthday party, playing in the birthday cake. They also have video of him laughing and playing in a swing. "But at age 2, he wouldn't even look at you," Noah said. Noah and his wife, Julianna, discovered their son is severely autistic. Zachary was treated with an experimental drug that was provided for him, but not without sacrifice. "The drug wasn't approved, so the insurance wouldn't cover it," Noah said. "I had to quit racing ... but (the drug) just turned him around. That was 10 years ago now." Now Zachary is a bright and happy kid who recently developed a love for racing. "He suddenly got into racing," Noah said. "I was building a race car for myself ... then he asked for one with two seats so he could ride." Later, the two visited Green Valley Speedway and saw a car there raising money for a benefit fund. "(Zachary) said, ..Let's do one for autism,'" Noah said. That's when Noah's plain ol' race car became the "Autism Race Car." Noah set up a MySpace page and a Web site about his and Zachary's plan to help raise money and awareness for the disorder. Donations began to come in, and Zachary and Noah began building the car with donated funds. Local businesses such as Simmons Sign Co. and Maxhub Inc. donated decals for the car and Web site hosting. "Everything done to the car has been through donation," Noah said. "People have donated parts and money, and we couldn't do it without them." The Noahs have just a few finishing touches before the car will be on the race track. But when it's completed, that's when the real fun will begin. "We'll auction rides and take the car to different car shows," Noah said. "We've already been invited to NASCAR events." That's right, NASCAR. The Autism Race Car is gaining popularity across the country thanks to the Internet. Noah said his MySpace Web page received more than 14,000 hits since Christmas Day and that the page was nominated for a MySpace Impact Award. According to the Web site, the award honors members for their positive impact. Noah and Zachary hope they indeed are helping to make an impact on the world. "Autism is not just another disorder," Noah said. "It used to be found in 1 out of 10,000 children, but now it's becoming rampant." AutismSpeaks.org reports that today, about 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with the disorder. "In 10 years, the odds of having autism will be 1 in 50 if we don't stop it," Noah said. "We're hoping to raise awareness so that people will ask their legislators to please help. We better catch it now, or we'll be in big trouble." The Noahs are well on their way to making their contribution toward a cure. They plan to display the race car today at the Talladega Ice Bowl. After that, they will display the car and set up a booth Jan. 18 at a racers' auction and trade show in Birmingham. The money raised will be split among several autism foundations using funds to research for a cure. "I just want to help find a cure," Zachary said. "If we don't find a cure, we will be hurting." For more information, contact Noah at 312-3164 or at [email protected]. Also, visit myspace.com/catch46 or autismracecar.com for more details.