Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett has died at the age of 39, leaving the NASCAR community in shock and mourning the loss of a respected competitor and teammate.
News of Annett’s passing was confirmed Friday by his representatives at Team RSMG.
As of now, no cause of death has been released.
Annett’s racing career spanned more than a decade across NASCAR’s national series’.
After transitioning from a promising youth hockey career in Iowa to motorsports, he steadily climbed the racing ladder, eventually making 436 national series starts.
He broke into the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (formerly known as the Xfinity) Series in 2008 and went on to record 321 starts in the division, earning one win, 19 top-five finishes, and 95 top-ten finishes.
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His lone victory came on the biggest stage of them all, in the 2019 season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Annett’s Daytona victory was a career-defining moment that marked him as a reliable superspeedway driver.
Annett’s most successful stretch came during his time with JR Motorsports from 2017 through 2021. Over those five seasons, he helped solidify the team’s four-car foundation and made multiple playoff appearances.
His steady presence and ability to deliver consistent finishes earned him the respect of teammates and competitors alike.
Following the news of his death, JR Motorsports released a statement expressing their condolences, calling Annett “a key member of JRM” and crediting him as an important part of the organization’s growth during his tenure.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett. Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”
Outside of the Xfinity Series, Annett competed in the NASCAR Cup Series for three full seasons, driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Motorsports.
He made more than 100 Cup starts, with his best finish coming in the 2015 Daytona 500, where he placed 13th.
Annett stepped away from full-time competition after the 2021 season, a year interrupted by a stress fracture in his right femur.
The injury ultimately led him to retire, though he managed a few memorable performances in the 2021 season, including a third-place run at Road America.
By the time he hung up his helmet, he had logged more than 90,000 laps at NASCAR’s national level.
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