Motorsports
Former NASCAR Driver Michael Annett Dead at 39
Michael Annett, a veteran NASCAR driver who won the series’s season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, has died at age 39. JR Motorsports announced his passing on Friday.
Annett, originally from Des Moines, Iowa, spent his professional racing career climbing the competitive ranks of stock car racing. According to NASCAR, he accumulated 436 combined starts across the sport’s three national touring series.
The pinnacle of Annett’s racing career came in 2019 when he captured the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona, driving the No. 1 car for JR Motorsports. This victory was his only win at the national level.
His professional racing journey began when he entered the Xfinity Series in 2008. He went full-time the following year with Germain Racing before moving to Rusty Wallace Racing and later Richard Petty Motorsports. His career also included three seasons in NASCAR’s elite Cup Series, where he competed for Turner Scott Motorsports from 2014 through 2016, making 106 starts.
In 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team signed Annett to drive for JR Motorsports.
Annett’s time with JR Motorsports ended following the 2021 season, after a stress fracture in his leg sidelined him for portions of that final year before he stepped away from full-time competition.
Before committing to stock-car racing, Annett had pursued competitive ice hockey. He played as a defenseman for the Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League. His 2004 season earned him a “Most Improved Player” award as the team won the Clark Cup. His team that year included future National Hockey League star Joe Pavelski.
“The entire Black Hawks organization joins with Michael’s family, friends, teammates, and fans in mourning his loss,” Waterloo Black Hawks said in a statement published online on Saturday.
Success ran in Annett’s family. According to NASCAR, his late father, Harrold, served as CEO of TMC Transportation and co-owned a sprint-car team. That team fielded cars for renowned dirt-track racer Sammy Swindell and accumulated 35 wins during their four years together.
Throughout his career, Annett earned recognition in multiple racing series. He was a two-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series, scoring victories at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and at the Daytona series opener in 2008.
The NASCAR community mourned his death on social media.
NASCAR said in its statement: “Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage,” the organization said. “Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”
Annett’s cause of death has not yet been made public.