Michael Annett, a veteran competitor across NASCAR’s national divisions and a former full-time Cup Series driver, has died at age 39. Annett built a lengthy career spanning more than a decade, earning a reputation for consistency and adaptability as he moved through the sport’s top levels.
Annett competed in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2014 through 2016, making 106 starts during that stretch. His best result in the sport’s marquee events came in 2015, when he finished 13th in the Daytona 500. He drove for both Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Motorsports during his Cup tenure, gaining experience while taking on some of stock car racing’s most demanding races.
The majority of Annett’s accomplishments came in NASCAR’s secondary division, where he made 321 starts between 2008 and 2021. Several of those seasons were spent with JR Motorsports, the organization co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. His lone national-series victory came with the team, capturing the 2019 season-opening race at Daytona. Annett also enjoyed one of his strongest seasons in 2012, placing fifth in the championship standings while driving for Richard Petty Motorsports.
Before rising into NASCAR’s top tiers, Annett competed in the ARCA Menards Series, scoring wins at Talladega in 2007 and Daytona in 2008. He also made limited starts in the NASCAR Truck Series, where he earned a runner-up finish at Kentucky in 2008, crossing the line just behind Johnny Benson Jr.
Annett’s final NASCAR start came in 2021, when he finished 11th in the Phoenix season finale. That season also included missed races due to a stress fracture in his right femur, one of several setbacks that marked the end of his full-time driving career.
JR Motorsports expressed condolences to his family, noting his role within the team during his tenure from 2017 until his retirement in 2021. No details have been released regarding the circumstances of his passing.
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