MOORESVILLE, N.C. – With a career spanning 16 years in the top tiers of NASCAR competition, Michael Annett announced Wednesday his retirement from full-time driving duties at the conclusion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
“I’m just so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had,” the 35-year-old Annett said. “Being able to drive racecars for a living is honestly a dream come true for me. It’s been a privilege to work with some great teams and alongside some of the most talented folks in the garage. None of which would have been possible without the support of my partners, which I’m happy to call lifelong friends. It’s those relationships and friendships that are the most rewarding.”
Annett, from Des Moines, Iowa, began his NASCAR national career in 2008 with starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. He raced full-time for the first time in 2009 by running the full Xfinity Series schedule for Germain Racing.
He remained with Germain Racing through 2010 before departing to drive for NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace in 2011. He drove for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012 and ’13 in the Xfinity Series before moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series with Tommy Baldwin Jr. in 2014. He shifted to HScott Motorsports for 2015 and ’16.
Annett returned to the Xfinity Series in 2017 with JR Motorsports, with whom he has spent the remainder of his NASCAR career. He earned his lone victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019 when he won the opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway. He’s missed several races this year due to a lingering leg injury, but Josh Berry drove Annett’s No. 1 Chevrolet to victory on Sept. 25 at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.
In 316 NASCAR Xfinity Series races to date, Annett has one victory, 19 top-five and 93 top-10 finishes.