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NASCAR World Mourns Passing Of Former Driver Michael Annett

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
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Michael Annett

Michael Annett — who last entered a major NASCAR series race in 2021 and enjoyed his best seasons as part of JR Motorsports — has passed away, according to RSMG, a brand marketing agency representing the former Cup and Xfinity Series driver’s longtime primary sponsor Pilot Flying J.

No cause of death was immediately given for Annett, who was 39.

Our condolences go out to the family of Annett, a Des Moines, Iowa native who had flown under the radar for several years since making his final NASCAR national series start at Phoenix Raceway in the 2021 Xfinity Series finale.

Looking Back On The NASCAR Career Of Michael Annett

Michael Annett’s career in NASCAR’s big leagues began in 2008 and continued over at least part of 14 consecutive seasons.

All told, Annett made 436 starts across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck divisions but spent the overwhelming majority of his time in the Xfinity Series, where he competed in 321 races.

Annett recorded one NASCAR national series victory, which came in the 2019 Xfinity Series opener at Daytona International Speedway. He finished a career-best fifth in the Xfinity standings in 2012 and placed ninth in final Xfinity points on four occasions.

Despite never being a consistent frontrunner, Annett recorded 95 top-10 finishes — including 19 top-fives — over 10 seasons as a full-time Xfinity Series driver.

During his final season of 2021, Annett missed seven races and underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right femur.

After competing full time in the Xfinity Series from 2009-2013, Annett spent three seasons as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. He led a total of 13 laps in NASCAR’s premier division, earning a best points finish of 33rd.

JR Motorsports, Brad Keselowski, Others Remember Michael Annett

Michael Annett returned to the Xfinity Series full time in 2017, joining Dale Earnhardt Jr. co-owned JR Motorsports (JRM). And that’s where he finished out his career in 2021, after running every Xfinity Series race for JRM from 2017-2020 and securing his lone major NASCAR victory along the way.

Annett shouted out JRM in a letter, which you can read below, that he penned at the end of his last season. The letter also highlighted other teams he competed for, including Richard Petty Motorsports, Bill Davis Racing, Germain Racing and Rusty Wallace Racing.

Late Friday, JRM mourned the loss of Annett, who registered three ninth-place points finishes over his four full seasons with the company. In a post on X, which you can read in full below, the organization called Annett “a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021.”

Meanwhile, others within the NASCAR world also used the social media platform to share tributes and express condolences to those most impacted by the death of Annett, who would have turned 40 on June 23 of next year.

Later, NASCAR itself issued a statement about Annett.

“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett,” NASCAR said. “Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. 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.”

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.
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