When Annett Finally Got His Most Memorable Win At Daytona

When Michael Annett was signed to the best team in Xfinity, JRM, many had their doubts. He had opportunities in both the first and second divisions before signing with the #1 car in 2017. But on the opening day in 2019, he showed everyone why he got the 1.

Annett Coming Into 2019 Opening Day

He began racing in NASCAR in 2008, going part-time with Bill Davis’s truck team. He even got promising results in his PT stint. Finishing second in his first-ever race in Kentucky. But in 2009, he made a costly decision. After not even doing ten truck races, he signed with Germain Racing in the Nationwide Series.

Germain Racing has only one year of full-time experience in the Nationwide Series. So yeah, the duo struggled. Annett did worse thanMike Wallace did the last season in the same car. He got tenth in points, but that was in the thick of the bushwhacking era. Where most drivers didn’t even bother going full-time, and with four top tens in thirty-five races, it was a shallow tenth.

After a regression to thirteenth and two top tens the following year, he went to Rusty Wallace Racing, where he showed improvement. Getting a career high in top tens with seven top tens in the 62.

The Next RPM Move

His next move to RPM, however, was when he really improved. He got his first career top-five in the Nationwide Series and finished fifth in the Nationwide Series standings. In 2014, though, he moved to Cup, which was another ill-sighted move.

Spending his time in the Cup with underfunded teams in three seasons from 2014 to 2016, he didn’t earn a single top ten. In fact, Annett had two different DNQs during the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series season.

But that wouldn’t stop Dale Jr. from signing Annett to JRM. His solid time at RPM, with Nationwide and Pilot Flying J sponsorship, made it a no-brainer. However, his first two years at JRM were a struggle. Only having one top five in that time. In 2019, things would turn around, though.

Annett’s Day Comes in 2019

Nobody picked Annett to win the opening race that weekend in 2019. All you had to do was look at his record at the opening race heading into that weekend. He never finished in the top ten once that whole time.

Even finished outside the top thirty twice, three times if you count his Cup stats. It’s also zero top tens if you counted his Cup stats, by the way. But he did finish third at the summer Daytona race with RPM. And a few more plate track top tens showing he didn’t lack speed here.

Annett would lead forty-five laps total on the day after qualifying in an awe-inspiring third place. But none of that would be necessary to anyone other than him and his team if he didn’t lead the most important lap, the last one.

On the white flag lap, Annett was in the lead, leading a train that had his teammate Allgaier behind, way back. He was impatient and worried, thinking that a second line would form, but it wasn’t meant to be.

On the backstretch, his teammate got a huge run and got right to his back bumper. A smart block by Annett cut off his momentum, though. On the frontstretch, Allgaier tried to make a move, but he couldn’t get anything going.

Final Thoughts

And that’s how Annett finally became a NASCAR winner and got the one car in victory. For 2019, his team’s motto was “one team, one dream, one goal,” and he accomplished his dream and goal of winning a NASCAR race with a fantastic team. And went on to have a career year, having nineteen top tens en route to a ninth-place finish in points. Thanks a bunch for reading!