Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett dies. He is 39 years old.
JR Motorsports posted the news of Anette’s passing on social media Friday night. Annett drove for the team for five seasons in the Xfinity Series from 2017 to 2021.
Annett made more than 100 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series and more than 300 starts in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series. Annett’s only Xfinity Series victory came in 2019 when he won the season opener at Daytona. He finished in the top five five more times that season and finished ninth in the standings.
advertise
His best season in the Xfinity Series came in 2012 while driving for Richard Petty Motorsports. Annett has six top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes, ranking fifth in the standings.
At JR Motorsports, he never finished outside the top 15 in the standings.
Annett appeared in 106 Cup Series games during the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons. During his time at NASCAR’s top level, he drove for underfunded Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Racing teams and had just six top-20 finishes in his Cup Series career. His best finish was in 2015 when he finished 13th in the Daytona 500.
Annett retired after the 2021 season as he dealt with a stress fracture in his right leg for much of the season. He missed seven games that year. He also missed the 2013 season after he suffered a fractured and dislocated sternum in a crash at Daytona when his car hit a wall head-on.
