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[/media-credit]RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY RACE PREVIEW
Michael Annett• No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang
Annett has six career starts in the Nationwide Series at Richmond
Annett enters RIR in fifth-place in the Nationwide Series driver point standings
Annett’s best finish (11th) came in 2011 at the .75-mile speedway
Michael Annett on Going to Richmond: “I’m ready to get back in the car. It’s hard to keep momentum when you have a week off right after a top-10 finish. We had an awesome car in Texas and it was great to get our second top-10 of the season there. We’re excited to head into Richmond this weekend after having such a great car the last time we raced. Richmond is just a fun little three-quarter-mile track. There is no other track on the circuit like it and I enjoy going to places that are different than anywhere else we visit.”
Crew Chief Philippe Lopez’s Thoughts on Racing in Richmond: “I’m really proud of Michael and the whole crew. We overcame adversity in Texas after sustaining damage to the right front fender late in the race, and we ended up with another top-10 finish. That gives us great confidence going into Richmond this weekend. Our Pilot Flying J cars have been really fast the past couple of weeks, and I expect the same this weekend at RIR. Richmond is a unique .75-mile track and I’m excited to see where we end up at the end of the night on Friday.”
Special Guests in Attendance at RIR: The No. 43 crew will have a special young man attending the race this weekend, Joseph “Sepp” Shirley, a 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy from Mechanicsville, Va. “If you think something is impossible, keep trying. If you like it, keep doing it, because you are succeeding,” said Sepp, a boy who eats, sleeps and breathes sports. He’s on football, baseball and swim teams, and also dabbles in skiing and basketball – all while living with cerebral palsy. Sepp and his family will be guests of the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Nationwide team this weekend, sitting atop the pit box and cheering on his favorite driver.
Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM NASCAR Nationwide Series team has prepared chassis No. 644 for the 250-lap race at Richmond. This Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang is brand new to Richard Petty Motorsports this season.
Notes: Annett has six NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Richmond International Raceway. His best finish (11th) came in 2011 and his best start (19th) at the .75-mile track came in 2010. Annett heads to Richmond in the fifth position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings. His average finish at the Virginia track is 22.0.
Looking for a Pilot or Flying J store near Richmond? There are 6 Pilot or Flying J stores within 100 miles of Richmond International Raceway. The nearest store is 30 miles away from the race track. (Pilot Travel Center (I-95 Exit 58) 2126 Ruffin Mill Road, Colonial Heights, VA 23834.) There are 37 stores within 250 miles of the track. Go tohttp://www.pilotflyingj.com/locationsfind the nearest locations.
Can’t get enough of Annett? Michael will visit the Ford Display at Richmond International Raceway on Friday at 3 p.m. for a 15 minute Q-and-A session.
Two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway, Michael Annett scored his second top-10 finish and fifth top-15 finish in just six races while driving the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang for Richard Petty Motorsports.
Race Information
Track: Richmond International Raceway
Laps: 250 Laps/187.5Miles
Track Size: .75-Mile
TV Information: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Radio Information: 7:30 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 our Facebook page at Richard Petty Motorsports
