NORTH CAROLINA -- NASCAR XFinity driver, Ryan Reed, has loved racing since he was a kid, and he's competitive, but at just 17, he would face his biggest opponent off the track; Type 1 diabetes. 

Millions of people in the United States battle with Type 1 diabetes. 

Reed was told diabetes would prevent him from racing again, but he refused to let it stop him.

He found a doctor who put his diabetes management first and found a way to get back into the race car. 

Reed actually has glucose monitor mounted to his dash, so the whole time he's racing he can manage his diabetes. 

Reed says he wants to tell the more than one and a half million people diagnosed with diabetes every year not to let their diagnosis stop them from living their dreams. 

For more information on diabetes, and diabetes management please visit the American Diabetes Association's website.