The Headlines:
Michael Annett and Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 Pilot Flying J team will travel to the North Carolina based team’s neighboring Palmetto State this weekend as the NASCAR Nationwide Series competes in the Royal Purple 200 on Friday night at Darlington Raceway. The South Carolina track is known as one of the toughest racetracks on the NASCAR circuit, therefore it boasts the well-respected “Too Tough to Tame” slogan. The distinct 1.366 mile track can be compared to no other oval the NASCAR Nationwide Series visits, which produces a challenge for both teams and drivers.
Proving his talent with an 11th place finish in last season’s Nationwide Series event at Darlington, Annett’s strong showing at the Lady in Black eases the intimidation brought on by the track’s tough reputation. Friday’s Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 will be the 24-year-old racer’s third career attempt at the track “Too Tough to Tame.”
Not only is the track demanding, but Darlington also marks the second consecutive one-day show for the NASCAR Nationwide Series with practice, qualifying and the 147 lap race all slated for Friday. Fitting everything into one day in the South Carolina heat can be tough, yet another reason why it’s “Too Tough to Tame” at Darlington.
Michael Annett on Darlington Raceway:
“You’ve got to be on top of your game heading into the Darlington race. There’s a lot of give and take there and hitting your marks is key. I’m up for the challenge it carries and excited to get on track with Pilot Flying J and Rusty Wallace Racing.”
“When conversations get going on Darlington, you’re guaranteed to hear the ‘Darlington Stripe’ come up. The track is well-respected for the fact that it’s unlikely to leave there without the right side of your racecar scraped up. I definitely earned my stripe in my rookie season at Darlington two years ago, but last year we came out with the car in one piece and with a strong 11th place finish. I’m hoping this week we can pull off another respectable finish at the Lady in Black.”
The Machines:
Team 62 Primary: RWR-053 – Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 Pilot Flying J team has raced this car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway this season.
Team 62 Back-Up: RWR-051 – The No. 62 team’s last race competing with this chassis was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.
Pilot Flying J Locations on Your Way:
Pilot Flying J provides 16 Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J locations along the roads of the state of South Carolina. 12 of these locations are conveniently positioned within a 100 mile radius of Darlington Raceway. For more information on Pilot Flying J and to map their nearest locations along your route, please visit www.pilotflyingj.com.
Pilot Travel Center
1-95 and US 52 Exit 164
2015 West Lucas Street
Florence, SC 29501
Flying J
I-95 Exit 169
3001 TV Road
Florence, SC 29501
Pilot Travel Center
I-95 Exit 170
306 North Williston Road
Florence, SC 29506
Flying J
I-95 Exit 181A
111 Mill Branch Road
Latta, SC 29565
Pilot Travel Center
I-20 and US 601 Exit 92
522 Highway 601 South
Lugoff, SC 29078
Flying J
I-20 Exit 70
5901 Fairfield Road
Columbia, SC 29203
Pilot Travel Center
I-26 Exit 159
2064 Homestead Road
Bowman, SC 29018
Flying J
I-77 and Highway 901 Exit 73
2435 Mount Holly Road
Rock Hill, SC 29730
Pilot Travel Center
I-26/I-77 Exit 115
3008 Highway 321
Cayce, SC 29033
Pilot Travel Center
I-85/I-77 Exit 39
3807 Statesville Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28206
Pilot Travel Center
I-85 Exit 63
2825 Lane Street
Kannapolis, NC 28083
Pilot Travel Center
I-26 Exit 199
1521 North Main Street
Summerville, SC 29483
About Pilot Flying J:
Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 locations in North America. The company employs more than 20,000 people and is the largest retail operator of travel centers in North America. Follow Pilot Flying J on Twitter at @pilottravel.
Broadcast Info:
Nationwide Series Qualifying
Friday, May 6, 3:30 p.m. ET
ESPN2
Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200
Friday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. ET
ESPN2
