MICHAEL ANNETT
NATIONWIDE 43 TEAM DRIVER
Birthday: June 23, 1986
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Current Residence: Mooresville, N.C.
Career Highlights:
• Finished fifth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings in 2012
• 2012 marked his best season in the Nationwide Series with six top-fives and 17 top-10s
• In 2012, he had his career-best NASCAR Nationwide Series finish of third at Daytona (July)
• In 2009, he finished 10th in the Nationwide Series point standings in his first, full season
• Finished second in 2008 in his third start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
• In 2008, he won the season-opening ARCA Racing Series event at Daytona
• In 2007, he earned his first career win in the ARCA Series in just his fourth career start
• In his 2007 ARCA Racing Series debut, he captured the pole award and finished third
Born into a family with racing ties, Michael Annett didn't waste any time attending his first race, The Knoxville Nationals, just days after his birth. With his family owning and sponsoring a car driven by Sprint Car legend Sammy Swindell in the World of Outlaws Series, Annett has been involved in racing nearly his entire life.
Growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, Annett dreamed of one day becoming a professional athlete. He had a natural talent for hockey at a young age, and quickly advanced through the ranks. Annett caught the eye of regional and national talent scouts and joined a tier one AAA team, Team Illinois, at the age of 16 and led them to the 2002 Calgary Mac's AAA Hockey Tournament Championship.
After a successful season with Team Illinois, Annett moved on to play for the Waterloo (Iowa) Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League and earned honors as the 2004 "Most Improved Player." After remaining with the team for two seasons and earning a Clark Cup Championship, Annett decided to trade in his skates for a driver's seat.
Annett entered the ARCA Racing Series circuit in 2007 with a bang, competing in four events that year. Driving for Country Joe Racing, his Series debut came at his home track, Iowa Speedway, and Annett didn't disappoint. He impressed the crowd by earning the pole and finishing third in just his first career start. Partnering with Bill Davis Racing in his last event of the season, the Iowa native quickly added to his success when he captured the victory at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in just his fourth Series start with veteran crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. atop the pit box.
In 2008, Annett made the decision to move from his home state of Iowa, to North Carolina after agreeing to drive for Bill Davis Racing in select ARCA Racing Series superspeedway events and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events. Winning the ARCA Racing Series season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Annett added three top-five and four top-10 finishes to his resume.
While Annett's 2008 season started with Bill Davis Racing, he competed under the Germain Racing banner in his finial NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event of the season at Phoenix International Raceway. Annett finished the 2008 season with a debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in a Germain-fielded entry at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Annett continued his relationship with Germain Racing for the 2009 and 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series seasons. Finishing out the 2009 Nationwide Series campaign in 10th place in the championship point standings, Annett scored four top-10 and 10 top-15 finishes. His 2010 Nationwide Series season produced two top-10 and 11 top-15 finishes.
For the 2011 season, Annett drove the No. 62 Pilot Flying J car for Rusty Wallace Racing. Contending in his third full season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Annett finished the year ninth in championship points with seven top-10 and 14 top-15 finishes.
In 2012, Annett announced he would be joining forces with Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the iconic No. 43 Ford Mustang for RPM's newly formed NASCAR Nationwide Series team. Paired with veteran crew chief Philippe Lopez, Annett’s 2012 campaign marked his best performance in the NASCAR Nationwide Series to-date. Overall, the pair earned six top-five, 17 top-10 and 28 top-15 finishes. The stellar season allowed Annett to finish the year fifth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings, earning him the opportunity to speak on stage at the Champion’s Awards banquet for the first time.
With his first season at RPM in the books, Annett hopes for even greater accomplishments in 2013. With Lopez back at the helm, the No.43 team is poised to have their most successful season yet.
