Modified driver Brandon Kinzer helped found the Will Kinzer Foundation. He named it after his son, who has autism. Kinzer understands the issues facing families with members dealing with the neurodevelopment disorder.
“My son was diagnosed with autism when he was about three years old,” said Kinzer, 44, originally of Allen, Kentucky. “That was 14 years ago. There were not a lot of resources, especially in rural eastern Kentucky.”
If there were resources, they were often unattainable.
“It can take years for even a diagnosis,” Kinzer said. “Three to seven [years old] are the golden years [for intervention to help those with autism]. A lot of these places [treating autism] have three-year waiting lists. Then, you have to have the $60,000 to pay per year for an advanced behavioral analysis (ABA) school, with intense one-on-one therapy. Some public schools are just babysitting [when it comes to handling students with autism]. We have way more need than we have service.”
Kinzer struggled to help Will. He tried to help open a school in eastern Kentucky, but it failed after several years. Now Kinzer and his family reside in Florida, where his son gets help to better serve his needs.
After his struggles, Brandon Kinzer created the Will Kinzer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to help others dealing with autism.
“We couldn’t sponsor the $60,000 [needed for school tuition per year] — we couldn’t raise enough money for that,” Kinzer said. “But, we can bridge gaps. If somebody can’t make [tuition] for a month, the foundation can pay it. We bought a service dog for a young man in Pennsylvania.”
However, the bigger mission for the foundation is to provide something far harder to find than money — guidance.
“If anything else, we counsel and help folks going through the same things we’ve been through,” said Kinzer.
At the track, Kinzer said those with autistic family members often come up to him to speak with him. Those people may be fans, crew members, or even drivers.
“I don’t go to a race where I don’t get approached about it,” Kinzer said. “People have called me from Iowa, Nebraska, California, everywhere. I feel like I can help. I may not have all the answers, but I can point them in the right direction.”
This weekend, Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia, hosts the “Let’s Get Dirty … Autism Weekend.” The two-day show — April 29–30 – will see Brandon Kinzer compete on both nights in the Brucebilt Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Series. More importantly, proceeds from the event will go toward the Chattanooga Autism Center and Will Kinzer Foundation. However, Kinzer said money’s not the main goal.
“The biggest thing I’ve seen with dealing with autism is that there’s so much uncertainty and you are at a lot of people’s mercy,” said Kinzer. “We always hope that we can help somebody get some answers and get a better night’s sleep.”
(For more on an autistic driver who won a championship, read “Tucker Clark: Racing Helps Teen with Autism”.)
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
