[media-credit name=”RichardPettyMotorsports.com” align=”alignright” width=”180″]
[/media-credit]DAYTONA RACE PREVIEW
Michael Annett• No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang
Annett will make his sixth career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona Annett will be making his first start for Richard Petty Motorsports this weekend Annett’s best finish (sixth) came in 2011 at Daytona International Speedway
Michael Annett on Racing in Daytona: “I love going to Daytona. It’s a great way to kick-off the year and get everyone excited for the 2012 season. I’ve always enjoyed racing at Daytona, I can just feel the electricity and excitement in the air. I feel like I have a good grasp on superspeedway racing, so I can’t think of a better way to start the year.”
Annett on Racing for Richard Petty Motorsports: “I’m really excited to get behind the wheel of a Richard Petty Motorsports Ford for the first time this weekend. To be racing for “The King” is just unbelievable. I feel very fortunate to be in the historic No. 43 and to have partners like Pilot and Flying J on the car. I know I’ve got a great group of crew guys backing me up and a knowledgeable and talented crew chief in Philippe Lopez. I just can’t wait to get out on the track and see what my Ford Mustang has this weekend.”
Crew Chief Philippe Lopez’s Thoughts on Racing in Daytona: “There is a whole lot of excitement going into Daytona. I love superspeedways and I especially love Daytona. I’ve always seemed to have good success at superspeedways and to be with Richard Petty Motorsports for the first time going into Daytona, is just incredible.
“I watched Michael (Annett) do a really good job in the draft last year at Daytona. He was running in the top-five for the majority of the race and I was really impressed with what I saw. Michael is going to have to find himself a good drafting partner this weekend and I think he really excels at drafting, so that shouldn’t be a problem. We just need to make sure we get a committed partner and we will do just fine.”
Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM NASCAR Nationwide Series team has prepared chassis No. 641 for the 300-mile race at Daytona. This Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang is brand new to Richard Petty Motorsports this season.
Notes: Annett has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway. His best finish (sixth) at the 2.5-mile tri-oval came in 2011. His best start (ninth) at the superspeedway came in 2009. Annett has completed 545 of 664 laps attempted at Daytona.
Can’t get enough of Annett? Michael will visit the Ford Display at Daytona International Speedway on Friday at 12 p.m. for a 15 minute Q-and-A session.
Don’t forget to check out the Richard Petty Motorsports website at www.RichardPettyMotorsports.com for the latest news, updates and weekend race reports.
Race Information
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Laps: 120 Laps/300 Miles
Track Size: 2.5-Miles
TV Information: 12 p.m. ET on ESPN
Radio Information: 12 p.m. ET on MRN
Be sure to follow Richard Petty Motorsports on Twitter @RPMotorsports for behind the scenes updates, driver appearance information and qualifying and race updates. You can also check us out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/
