Motorsports
Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett dies at 39
Michael Annett, who competed in NASCAR’s three national series, has died at 39, according to CBS Saturday.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Michael Annett, a former NASCAR driver who made 436 combined starts across the sport’s three national touring series, has died. He was 39, according to CBS Saturday.
No cause of death was announced.
JR Motorsports, one of Annett’s former teams, announced his passing on social media Friday.
NASCAR confirmed the news on its website, calling Annett a “respected competitor, whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage.”
Annett made 321 starts in the Xfinity Series, 158 of them with JR Motorsports. He joined the team in 2017 when co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. signed him, and he remained a key member until retiring in 2021.
Among his career highlights, Annett won the 2019 season-opening Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. A stress fracture in his leg forced him to miss parts of the 2021 season.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Annett was also a two-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series, taking victories at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and the Daytona season opener in 2008.