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  • Annett to make 300th Xfinity start at Phoenix

    Annett to make 300th Xfinity start at Phoenix

    A significant milestone start is in the making for Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Phoenix Raceway, Annett will achieve 300 starts in the Xfinity circuit.

    A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Annett made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the 2008 season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. Driving the No. 03 Toyota Camry for Germain Racing, Annett started 29th and finished 36th in his series debut.

    The following season, Annett entered the Xfinity Series as a full-time competitor in Germain Racing’s No. 15 Toyota Camry and as a rookie contender. Throughout the 35-race schedule, Annett achieved a season-best sixth-place result at Auto Club Speedway in October, a total of four top-10 results and a 10th-place result in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2010 season, Annett only managed two top-10 results (ninth at Nashville Superspeedway in April and seventh at Iowa Speedway in July) and a 13th-place result in the final standings. 

    After two seasons with Germain Racing, Annett joined forces with Rusty Wallace Racing for the 2011 season as he piloted the No. 62 Toyota Camry. Throughout the 34-race schedule, Annett achieved two season-best sixth-place results, a total of seven top-10 results and a ninth-place result in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts in the Xfinity Series.

    When Rusty Wallace Racing shut down due to a lack of sponsorship, Annett joined Richard Petty Motorsports and drove the iconic No. 43 Ford Mustang. While Annett did not record a single victory throughout the season, he achieved his first six top-five career results, including a pair of career-best third-place results (Daytona International Speedway in July and Dover International Speedway in September). He also took home the Dash 4 Cash bonus following a sixth-place result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and a total of 17 top-10 results. When the 2012 Xfinity season concluded, he ended up in a career-best fifth place in the final standings.

    During the 2013 Xfinity Series season-opening event at Daytona, Annett was involved in a late multi-car accident and ended up dislocating and fracturing his sternum. He ended up missing the following eight Xfinity events as he recovered while Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson filled in as interim competitors. Returning for the final 24 events of the 2013 season, Annett managed to earn a season-best fifth-place result at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, a total of four top-10 results and a 15th-place result in the final standings.

    After spending the following three seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he competed for Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Motorsports, Annett returned to the Xfinity Series as he teamed up with JR Motorsports as driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro. Throughout the 2017 season, Annett notched a career-best runner-up result at Road America in August. He also achieved a total of seven top-10 results and qualified for the Playoffs based on points before settling in ninth place in the final standings.

    Returning for a second full-time season with JRM in the Xfinity Series, Annett struggled with on-track consistency as he only managed a total of three top-10 results throughout the 33-race schedule, including a season-best seventh-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He ended up missing the Playoffs and finishing in 14th place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 200 Xfinity career starts.

    Despite the struggles from the previous season, Annett remained at JRM for a third full-time season in the Xfinity Series. Only this time, he sported the number 1 alongside his Chevrolet Camaro. In his first race in the No. 1 car, Annett claimed his first elusive victory in NASCAR in the season-opening event at Daytona after leading a race-high 45 of 120 laps and holding off teammate Justin Allgaier in the final laps. Annett’s first career victory in the Xfinity circuit came in career start No. 230.

    Along with his maiden victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the 2019 season was a successful one for Annett, who went on to achieve a total of six top-five results and 19 top-10 results. He also made the Playoffs for the second time in three seasons and remained in title contention through the Round of 8, where he was eliminated prior to the finale. Nonetheless, he concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    Annett opened the 2020 Xfinity season with an 11th-place result in the season-opening event at Daytona after being involved in a multi-car wreck on the final lap. While he did not record a single victory throughout the season, he achieved four top-five results and a career-high 22 top-10 results. He made the Playoffs for the third time in four seasons, but was eliminated from title contention early. He settled in ninth place in the final standings for a second consecutive season and for the third time in four seasons.

    This season, which marks his fifth with JRM, Annett has recorded results of 36th, 15th, 13th and sixth through the first four Xfinity scheduled races. He and his No. 1 JRM Chevrolet team are ranked in 11th place in the regular-season standings.

    Through 299 previous starts in the Xfinity level, Annett has achieved a victory, a pole, 18 top-five results, 86 top-10 results and an average result of 15.8.

    Catch Annett’s milestone start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    A significant milestone is in the making for Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. When Annett takes the green flag this weekend at Darlington Raceway, he will achieve 400 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Des Moines, Iowa, who achieved two ARCA career victories from 2007 and 2008, Annett made his debut within NASCAR’s top three division series at the Milwaukee Mile in June 2008, where he piloted the No. 22 Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. He finished in sixth place in his series debut and two races later, he earned a career-best runner-up result at Kentucky Speedway. He made a total of eight starts in the Truck Series in 2008 (seven with Bill Davis Racing and one with Germain Racing). He also made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, where he drove the No. 03 Toyota for Germain Racing and finished 36th.

    In 2009, Annett campaigned on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series as a rookie candidate and in the No. 15 Toyota Camry led by crew chief Bruce Cook for Germain Racing. Throughout his rookie season, Annett achieved four top-10 results (best result of sixth place at Auto Club Speedway in October) and he concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings. He remained with Germain Racing for the 2010 Xfinity season, where he achieved two top-10 results and concluded the season in 13th place in the final standings and with crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle.

    In 2011, Annett moved to Rusty Wallace Racing to pilot the No. 62 Toyota Camry with primary sponsorship from Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Rick Viers in the Xfinity Series. For the first 13 races of the season, he finished no higher than 13th place. For five of the next six races, however, he achieved five top-10 results. He nearly won at Daytona International Speedway in July after taking the lead on the final lap with two corners remaining. He, however, lost the draft with teammate Steve Wallace and settled in sixth place. For the final 15 races of the season, he achieved two additional top-10 results and he concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    For the 2012 season and after Rusty Wallace Racing ceased operations due to lack of sponsorship, Annett made the move to Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 43 Ford Mustang sponsored by Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Philippe Lopez. Annett had a successful run in the series, where he achieved his first six top-five career results, led by a pair of third-place results at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Dover International Speedway in September. He also earned a total of 17 top-10 results and he claimed the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July following a sixth-place result. When the season concluded, he ended up with a career-best fifth place in the final standings.

    Annett started off the 2013 Xfinity season on a rough note, when he was involved in a late multi-car accident in the season opener at Daytona and had dislocated and fractured his sternum. Missing the first eight races of the season and while Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson filled in for Annett, he returned at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, where he finished 17th. For the remainder of the season, he achieved one top-five result and a total of four top-10 results before he concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings.

    Following a five-year run in the Xfinity Series, Annett moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 and he entered the series as a rookie candidate in the No. 7 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS for Tommy Baldwin Racing led by veteran Kevin “Bono” Manion. Making his series debut at the Daytona 500, Annett was involved in a late multi-car wreck and finished in 37th place. Throughout the 36-race stretch, Annett only achieved four top-20 results and he concluded the season in 33rd place in the final standings. He also competed in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway for NTS Motorsports, where he raced his way into the main event following a final qualifying race and finished 25th. By then, he surpassed 200 career starts across NASCAR.

    The following season, Annett remained in the Cup Series, but he made the move to HScott Motorsports to pilot the team’s second car, the No. 46 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS, led by crew chief Jay Guy. Annett achieved a career-best result of 13th place in the Daytona 500. The following week, however, Annett initially failed to qualify for the upcoming race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Nonetheless, Annett still got to race at Atlanta when Brian Scott relinquished his seat, the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS, since Annett was competing for Cup points. Driving under the Hillman-Circle Sport LLC banner, Annett finished 29th. The remaining 34 races of the season, however, was a disappointing one as Annett finished no higher than 23rd place and he concluded the season in 36th place in the final standings. He also failed to qualify at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

    Returning for a third season in the Cup circuit with Hscott Motorsports in 2016, Annett’s best result throughout the 36-race schedule was 20th, which occurred at Daytona in July. At Bristol Motor Speedway in August, Justin Allgaier filled in as an interim competitor when Annett suffered from flu-like symptoms. Prior to the season concluding, Annett declared himself a free agent for the 2017 season.

    After three seasons in the Cup Series, Annett scaled back down to the Xfinity Series for the 2017 season and joined forces with JR Motorsports to pilot the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro sponsored by Pilot Flying J, TMC Transportation and Allstate Parts & Service Group, and led by crew chief Jason Stockert. Annett started the season with a 14th-place run at Daytona followed by a 15th-place run at Atlanta. Two races later, he achieved his first top-10 result of the season at Phoenix (ninth place). Through the first 22 races of the season, Annett recorded a total of five top-10 results. At Road America in August, Annett achieved a career-best runner-up result behind Jeremy Clements. Following his result, Annett dedicated his run to Adam Wright, a mechanic at JR Motorsports who died in a car accident a week prior to Road America. Annett went on to make the 2017 Xfinity Series Playoffs before he was eliminated from title contention at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. He wrapped up the season in ninth place in the final standings and with seven top-10 results. By then, he surpassed 300 career starts across NASCAR.

    Returning for a second full-time season with JRM in 2018, Annett struggled with on-track consistency. For the first 21 races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. A week later, he recorded his first top-10 result at Bristol in August. By then, he was paired with new crew chief Travis Mack. He only achieved one additional top-10 result (10th place at Darlington Raceway) throughout the regular-season stretch while he also recorded five DNFs. Following the regular-season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September, Annett failed to make the Playoffs. He went on to conclude the season in 14th place in the final standings.

    For the 2019 Xfinity season, Annett remained at JRM, but assumed driving responsibilities of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Travis Mack remaining with Annett. To start the season and with American Heart Association co-sponsoring the No. 1 car along with Pilot Flying J, Annett responded back to all of his past struggles throughout his career by winning the season opener at Daytona and achieving his first victory across NASCAR’s three major series in his 230th Xfinity career start. The victory guaranteed Annett’s No. 1 team a spot in the Playoffs. His early success did not stop there as he recorded a total of five top-five results and 15 top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. He also achieved his first career pole at Talladega in April. During the Playoffs, Annett earned finishes of ninth, 15th and sixth in the first round, spanning three races, to advance to the Round of 8. He finished fourth, 11th and ninth in the second round, but he failed to transfer to the Championship Round at Homestead. He concluded the season with an 11th-place run at Homestead and a ninth-place result in the final standings. Though he fell short of the 2019 Xfinity title, Annett achieved a career-high six top-five results, 19 top-10 results and 94 laps led throughout the season.

    This season, his fourth consecutive season with JRM, Annett started off the season with an 11th-place run at Daytona and after being involved in a multi-car accident on the final lap. Through the first 22 races of this season, he has recorded three top-five results and 13 top-10 results, and he is in eighth place in the regular-season standings. He has also started on pole position for three consecutive races in the summer (Texas, Kansas and Road America) by virtue of a random draw amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    In addition to making his ninth Xfinity career start at Darlington this weekend and while he continues to secure one of 12 spots for this year’s Xfinity Playoffs, Annett is set to sport a special Oreo scheme to his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro that his boss and former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to an Xfinity win at Daytona in February 2002.

    Catch Annett’s milestone start at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, September 5, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Michael Annett Is Flying High Yet Under the Radar

    Michael Annett Is Flying High Yet Under the Radar

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Phil Cavali” align=”alignright” width=”172″][/media-credit]At Texas Motor Speedway, Michael Annett scored his second top-10 and fifth top-15 finish in just six races with his new team, Richard Petty Motorsports. And with that good run, he officially moved up two spots to fifth in the Nationwide Series point standings.

    Yet, as high as the young driver of the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang is flying early in the season, he still is very much under the radar in a series dominated by the likes of veteran Elliott Sadler, reigning champ Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., up and comer Austin Dillon, and Danica Patrick.

    “To me, that’s how I’ve lived my whole life,” Annett said. “Even when I played hockey growing up, I never did anything outlandish.”

    “I was just the guy that got the job done,” Annett continued. “That’s pretty much my M.O. and how it’s been for me in my racing career.”

    Although flying under the radar so far this season, the new Richard Petty Motorsports driver has had some impressive initial success, especially with his recent run at Texas. Annett finished ninth, rebounding from running into a lapped car and taking advantage of the lights going out at the speedway.

    “We probably could have won the race if I hadn’t run into a lapped car,” Annett said. “But I loved it when the lights went out because we were overheating and getting ready to pit.”

    “So, I liked that the lights brought out the caution,” Annett continued. “The whole night was about overcoming adversity, so to come out ninth and to see the guys faces with a top ten finish, it was cool.”

    Annett also contributes his early success at Richard Petty Motorsports with the team’s affiliation with Roush Fenway Racing, particularly in light of their driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning last year’s Nationwide championship.

    “I think the success started with what Roush Fenway built last year with the championship and the relationship we have with them,” Annett said. “That partnership is huge.”

    “At Texas, we unloaded and we were close but we were still missing a little bit,” Annett continued. “To be able to go and talk to the No. 6 team and use some things they found, it’s just a huge advantage to us.”

    In spite of early success at Richard Petty Motorsports, the reality for Annett was that he had to make a difficult  transition rather abruptly when his former team, Rusty Wallace Racing, shut down at the end of last year due to lack of sponsorship.

    “It was definitely tough, very unfortunate and a testament to the economic times,” Annett said of the demise of his former team. “They couldn’t find a sponsor for Steven (Wallace) with 5-Hour Energy leaving.”

    “Rusty said he didn’t want to do it out of his pocket,” Annett continued. “So, the month before Daytona, they announced they were shutting down and we had to go find a place to race.”

    Fortunately for Annett his long-time sponsor, Pilot Flying J, stuck with him and gave him the opportunity to seek out another team. He was especially pleased when Richard Petty Motorsports ended up being one of the teams interested in him.

    “I’m definitely blessed to have Pilot as a partner that I’ve had since I’ve started racing,” Annett said. “That enabled me to go to other teams and when I went to Richard Petty Motorsports, it just felt right.”

    “It felt like a family, listening to Richard (Petty),” Annett continued. “He and I saw eye to eye on everything and it felt right.”

    Annett said it hit him how fortunate he was to be with Richard Petty Motorsports when he and the team went out for their first race together at Daytona in the Drive4COPD 300.

    “It’s funny,” Annett said. “It didn’t hit home to me until Daytona when Richard (Petty) was standing on one side and Dale Inman on the other side, both giving me pointers before I got into the car.”

    “And all I could think was ‘this is crazy,’ Annett said. “I’ve ridden on the plane with Richard and talked to him and the best way to put it is that I’m blessed. It’s pretty cool.”

    The other ‘cool’ discovery for this low-key driver was his new crew chief at Richard Petty Motorsports, Philippe Lopez.

    “I had no idea about Philippe Lopez before this season started,” Annett said. “His name got brought up and I didn’t know a thing about him.”

    “When I asked around, there is always somebody who doesn’t like somebody, but not one person had anything bad to say about Philippe,” Annett continued. “That’s pretty cool.”

    “From Daytona to now, there hasn’t been one mechanical problem and his confidence on the radio is huge,” Annett said. “It’s been a really good relationship.”

    After his strong run at Texas with his new crew chief and team, Annett will have another off-weekend before heading to Richmond International Raceway next weekend for the NASCAR Nationwide Series 250.

    “Richmond is one of those tracks that I’ve struggled at,” Annett said. “But each time, we go back, I get better.”

    “I think I finished 11th or 12th last time so if I crack the top-10, I know that we’ll have had a good race,” Annett continued. “At Richmond, if you get the right car, you can come out of there with a top-5 or a win.”

    Yet even with his impressive start to the season and in spite of having total upheaval in his team, the young driver is not one often mentioned in the Nationwide Series discourse.

    “I don’t mind it, but I worry more about the guys on the team because I want them to get the credit they deserve,” Annett said. “I was hoping that at Daytona when Dale Jarrett started talking about me that would be the start of things.”

    “But I’ve fallen back into my old ways of just getting my job done, under the radar,” Annett continued. “But where we finish and the results will show themselves.”

    “And if they want to talk about us, they will,” Annett said. “My guys still know I’m driving my butt off for them and they’re doing the same back to me.”

  • Michael Annett to drive for a newly formed Richard Petty Motorsports team

    Michael Annett to drive for a newly formed Richard Petty Motorsports team

    It was recently announced that Richard Petty Motorsports has formed a new Nationwide Series team that will be run out of RPM’s Concord, N.C. race shop and contend for the Nationwide Series championship in 2012. The No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford will be driven by Michael Annett, a rising star in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

    [media-credit name=”LAT Photographic ” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]However, Annett may be more well-known for his drunk driving arrest than for his driving ability. He was arrested early in 2011 after rear ending a vehicle at a stop light. His blood-alcohol content proved to be 0.32 % which is four times North Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08 %. He ended up being charged with drunk driving, texting while driving, failure to reduce speed and resisting arrest. Annett has since then been under unsupervised probation, completed 48 hours of community service and has issued a sincere formal apology. He was also placed on probation with the now dis-assembled team of Rusty Wallace Inc. and did not end up missing any races for the team.

    Annett replaced Brendan Gaughan in RWI’s No. 62 car last season. He ended up 9th in Nationwide Series points which is a personal best for the driver who has driven full time in the series for the last 3 seasons. He has also driven for Germain Racing, finishing 10th in points in 2009 and 13th in 2010 (with RWI).

    The Des Moines Iowa native had this to say of the new opportunity:

    “They say that when one door closes, another door opens, and that is most definitely true.  We were left scrambling a bit because of the situation with RWI and were unsure what the future held, but I couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out. To have the chance to race for Richard Petty and to be under the RPM umbrella is amazing. It has all come together really quickly, but together with Pilot Flying J and Ford, this is the best opportunity I have ever had to race a Nationwide Series car. There is a lot to be done before we get to Daytona in a few weeks and I can’t wait to dive in and get started.”

    Pilot Flying J, headquartered in Knoxville Tennessee, is a chain of truck stops and one of the nation’s largest wholesale fuel providers. The company is also a long-time partner of Annett’s. He reached Victory Lane with the Pilot Travel Centers machine in his 4th career ARCA Series start in 2007.

    Richard Petty says that it sure has been an exciting couple of months for the team. “We are looking forward to getting back into the Nationwide Series full time and seeing what Michael Annett can do in an RPM Ford Mustang. Michael has improved every season he has raced in the Nationwide Series and has the dedication and drive to be a success.”

  • Michael Annett: From Brake Pedal to Full Throttle for Rusty Wallace Racing

    Michael Annett: From Brake Pedal to Full Throttle for Rusty Wallace Racing

    Michael Annett, driver of the No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota for Rusty Wallace Racing, is moving from stepping hard on his brake pedal at the Nationwide road course race last weekend to the upcoming full throttle action of Daytona International Speedway in this weekend’s race.

    [media-credit name=”Autostock Images” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]And on his way, he just happened to score the best finish of his season so far, seventh place on Wisconsin’s 4.048 mile Road America course.

    Annett was Rusty Wallace Racing’s top finisher, earning his second top-10 finish and the team’s fifth top-10 finish for the year.

    “It was definitely unexpected and I consider myself a survivor of that race,” Annett said. “We were down in the 20’s in the timing charts and I felt if we kept the fenders on the car and stayed on the track, we’d have a chance for a top-15 and then get to the end, and maybe have a chance for a top-10.”

    “And we did and it was definitely exciting and good for our whole team.”

    In spite of getting a top-10 finish, Annett still does not consider himself an accomplished road course racer.

    “I definitely don’t consider myself a road course racer, but pit strategy and steering clear of trouble on the track brought us to another well-deserved top-10 finish,” Annett said.”My crew chief, Rick Viers, made some great calls, and working our way around the mayhem during the three attempts at a green, white, checkered there at the end was to our benefit.”

    “We’ve got a great group of guys assembled for our No. 62 team, and their hard work really paid off this weekend,” Annett continued. “We made smart moves throughout the race, and bringing home a car with no damage and a seventh place finish is pretty awesome.”

    “I’m excited to give Pilot Flying J and Rusty Wallace Racing another top-10.”

    As excited as he was, Annett admitted that he was disappointed for his teammate Steve Wallace, who had what looked to be a potential winning car. Wallace was caught up in an accident later in the race and finished 26th.

    “I definitely knew that he deserved a better finish than what he got,” Annett said of Wallace. “He had a really good car and he is a really good road racer. He surprised me this weekend I’ll be honest with you.”

    En route to the road course race this weekend, Annett also celebrated another milestone, his 25th birthday.

    “I flew on a plane from Concord Airport to Wisconsin for my birthday,” Annett said. “We landed and my mom went to a very good Italian restaurant in Elkhart Lake and her, myself and Reed Sorenson had pasta and pizza and cheese bread.”

    “We were all full and then she whipped out an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen for dessert,” Annett continued. “It worked out very nice.”

    After his birthday celebration and his great top-10 run, Annett was also very excited for his best friend Reed Sorenson’s victory at Road America.

    “As soon as he finished, I pulled up next to him to be the first to congratulate him,” Annett said. “I ran down to Victory Lane and congratulated him there too.”

    “He told me the odds would have been a thousand to one for him to win that race,” Annett said. “Better yet, me finishing seventh was even longer odds than that.”

    Annett is now ready to move from pumping the brake pedals to running full throttle on the high banks of Daytona. While he has high hopes, he is not so fond of the two-car tandem draft that has become the norm at the superspeedways.

    “To me, I enjoyed the chess match being in the big group in the draft, with the driver making the decision about what line to be in and where to be,” Annett said. “I really do not like the racing the way it is now. I don’t like relying on someone else to have success and that’s where we are right now.”

    “I am fortunate enough that I have a teammate and we work really well together,” Annett continued. “Going to Daytona we have the same plan to work together. I don’t like it but having a teammate is fortunate going into it.”

    While Annett felt that he had some control at the road course, he most certainly feels that it is just a roll of the dice at Daytona.

    “I am looking at a top-10 finish to keep this momentum going,” Annett said. “But it’s always a crap shoot at Daytona.”

    “I got taken out on lap 15 at Daytona this year and in the last few laps of Talladega,” Annett continued. “It’s really a crap shoot but we definitely have the potential to have both cars in the top-10 at the end. We’re going into the weekend planning on that.”

    Annett heads to Daytona in the 10th position in the Nationwide Series championship point standings. He has a win at that track from back in his days with the ARCA Racing Series.

  • Steve Wallace and Michael Annett See Light at the End of the Tunnel Leading to Iowa

    Steve Wallace and Michael Annett See Light at the End of the Tunnel Leading to Iowa

    As Steve Wallace and Michael Annett put Dover in their rear view mirror and head to the stand alone Nationwide race in Iowa, the teammates of Rusty Wallace Racing agree that they both see the light at the end of the tunnel for Rusty Wallace Racing.

    [media-credit name=”nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]“Well, I’ll tell you the whole deal,” Wallace, driver of the No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota, said.”We thought we were going to start the year pretty good.”

    “We got a new teammate this year and built a bunch of new race cars,” Wallace continued. “We thought we were going to be really fast and felt like we had a pretty good idea going into this year.”

    “But as it turned out we didn’t,” Wallace said. “And we really, really struggled early there in the year.”

    Wallace’s teammate Michael Annett, driver of the No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota, could not agree more with the assessment of their early going this season.

    “We went into the season doing a ton of stuff thinking we had the best thing we could bring to the track,” Annett said. “And then we unloaded and realized we had a lot of work to do.”

    Both drivers and teams went back to the drawing board and after multiple meetings and changing up some personnel, they hit on another idea. They signed up one of the Cup drivers, David Reutimann, to help them shake out the problems on their team.

    “We went to Nashville and we ran a third car with David Reutimann,” Wallace said. “He had a completely, way different, odd-ball set up and it ran really, really good.”

    “He ran good and I struggled so we went back to the shop and we mended all the set ups and ever since then our cars have unloaded a lot better,” Wallace continued. “We’re still not where we need to be but we’re definitely going in the right direction.”

    “We’re getting better and better,” Wallace said. “It’s exciting knowing that we’re not so lost as we were before.”

    “There is light at the end of the tunnel.”

    Annett used almost identical language regarding the difference the third car of Reutimann has made for both he and his teammate.

    “We started having our Monday morning meetings and we made a list of what we needed to do,” Annett said. “We did all on the list and moved some people around and added the third car.”

    “They went completely different and they were better,” Annett continued. “They just hit on something and from then on we hit on something. Both teams went that direction and from then on, we started running better.”

    “All the hard work is paying off and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Annett said. “For awhile there at the beginning of the season, it was a small light but we knew we had the people, the parts and the cars to get the job done.”

    “We are getting closer and closer to the end of that tunnel and everything’s finally moving in the right direction.”

    While both Rusty Wallace Racing teammates did not have the best of days at last weekend’s race at Dover’s Monster Mile, with Wallace wrecking hard at the end and Annett never quite finding the handling on his car, the duo managed to salvage top-20 finishes when all was said and done.

    Both now go to the track designed by their team owner Rusty Wallace, Iowa Speedway, for this weekend’s stand alone Nationwide race. Again, Annett and Wallace agreed that the John Deere Dealers 250 presented by Pioneer might just be their best chance to head to the winner’s circle.

    “I have a big bull’s eye on Iowa,” Wallace said. “That’s my favorite track,”

    “We had a really good shot there to win last year and had a problem in the pits,” Wallace continued. “We’re taking a brand new car, our best most state of the art piece.”

    Interestingly, Wallace will be running for the first time ever the chassis matching his car number, RWR-066, this weekend in Iowa.

    “It’s lighter and better and it’s been in the wind tunnel,” Wallace said.” That’s going to be a good deal.”

    For teammate Annett, Iowa Speedway is coming home. The Des Moines, Iowa native has already scored an 11th and 7th place finish in 2009 and 2010 respectively at his home track.

    “I take a lot of pride in my home track,” Annett said. “With the race just down the road from where I grew up, it’s a fun weekend.”

    The teammates are convinced that the Nationwide race, with only two Cup drivers competing, is also the best chance for a Nationwide-only driver to take the checkered flag. And both are motivated by that opportunity to have that Cinderella finish.

    “It drives me 100% to be the first Nationwide driver to get a win,” Wallace said. “It makes you feel really good when you can run up front with those guys. That’s what I’m excited about.”

    “Trevor Bayne winning that race was amazing because he’s such a young kid and a Nationwide guy,” Annett said. “But Regan Smith winning at Darlington is really something.”

    “Steven and I were talking about it and we agreed,” Annett said. “Him winning that race shows that if you do your job right, you can get the job done.”

    With both Annett and Wallace headed into a track that means so much to the team owner and father respectively, one question that many have asked is if the two feel any added pressure.

    “I get that question a lot,” Wallace said. “Iowa’s a cool track, but not just because my Dad’s involved with it.”

    “As far as I’m concerned, we can’t let any of that change the way we approach the weekend at all,” Wallace continued. “We still have to keep our focus on the race.”

    “We’ve had a real chance to win there the last two years in a row,” Wallace said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to put our team in Victory Lane and win one for the Nationwide guys.”

     

  • NASCAR Needs Ounce of Prevention in Substance Abuse Policy

    NASCAR Needs Ounce of Prevention in Substance Abuse Policy

    Before the official start of the 2011 NASCAR season, the issue of substance abuse again made headlines for the sport, with the arrest of up and coming driver Michael Annett for driving under the influence.

    [media-credit name=”FMCM” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Annett, age 24, allegedly blew a .32 in the breath alcohol level test. This is four times over the legal limit in North Carolina, where he was pulled over after an accident.

    Rusty Wallace Racing, the team for whom Annett drives, took immediate action.  The team announced that Annett will not be allowed to drink alcohol at all and will get no ‘second chance’ if he violates that requirement.

    “It’s real serious to me what happened,” Rusty Wallace, principal of the team, said. “We’re doing the right things with Michael. NASCAR trusts we’re doing the right things.”

    “It’s some alcohol awareness, it’s some community service, he’s at that race shop at 7 a.m. every morning,” Wallace continued. “We’ve got him polishing the freaking drive shafts because I’m pissed at him.”

    NASCAR has also imposed its own sanctions on Annett as well.  The sanctioning body announced that is has paced Annett, driver of the No. 62 race car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, on probation until December 31, 2011.

    Annett will be evaluated by a certified drug and alcohol professional at NASCAR’s discretion.  The young driver will also be subject to random testing throughout the year as well.

    Unfortunately for the sport, Annett is not alone in having an alcohol-related driving incident prior to or during the racing season.

    In 2009, Richard Petty Motorsports young gun AJ Allmendinger was arrested for driving under the influence.  Even veteran driver Michael Waltrip has had his share of incidents, one in 2009 and another in 2007 where alcohol was suspected to be a factor in crashes behind the wheel. However, Waltrip was never charged.

    With all this attention to alcohol-related issues, especially with drivers getting behind the wheel of a car after imbibing, NASCAR has indeed reacted swiftly and decisively to the various incidents.  NASCAR, as well as the race teams involved, should be commended for that.

    Yet, in addition to the reaction, the sport must also seriously consider adding some prevention strategies to the mix.

    Let’s face it, while not excusing it in any way, shape or form, anyone can make a mistake when it comes to having a few glasses of wine or a few beers and then getting behind the wheel.  Most of us, particularly in our youth, could claim the phrase, “There but for the grace of God go I” when it comes to those situations.

    But the element that the sport may be missing when it comes to their substance abuse policy is that element of prevention. What is NASCAR really doing to educate those who participate in the sport at whatever level as to the dangers of drinking, drugging and driving prior to it happening?

    As a licensed clinical social worker, as well as someone who has run programs for those who have been convicted of driving under the influence, it has been my personal experience that most individuals have no clue how little alcohol they have to have in their bodies in order to be impaired behind the wheel of any vehicle.

    In fact, most folks that I have worked with in my professional career have had no idea of the alcohol content in one drink, whether it be beer, wine or other spirits.  They are also stunned when they learn of the amount of alcohol that it takes for their particular body type to be considered legally and functionally impaired.

    NASCAR must consider being more proactive when it comes to prevention of substance abuse in the sport.  This is true especially in a sport where the majority of the drivers are young, male, and fearless as they need to be to even participate as a race car driver.

    NASCAR, as well as the various race teams, should run regular substance abuse education and prevention courses that are required for drivers at every level. This should be a part of the licensing requirements, where not only do the drivers declare which Series they are running for championships in but they also check off that they have participated in at least one substance abuse awareness seminar or course.

    Having said that, these substance abuse prevention and education requirements should not just be made for the Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series.  They should also be required in the Camping World East and West Series, and yes, should even be required in the up and coming series where those teenagers and even pre-teens are now racing.

    Perhaps if substance abuse prevention and education programming was added to NASCAR’s substance abuse policy, situations like with Michael Annett will become a thing of the past.  And that would be great not only for the sport, where the athletes serve as role models to so many youth, but for the athletes themselves who can avoid having to be punished or sanctioned, to the detriment of all.

    Best of all, alcohol and drug prevention and education might just save a life.  And that truly is the most powerful argument of all for NASCAR to add that ounce of prevention to the sport’s substance abuse policy.