It was recently announced that Richard Petty Motorsports has formed a new Nationwide Series team that will be run out of RPM’s Concord, N.C. race shop and contend for the Nationwide Series championship in 2012. The No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford will be driven by Michael Annett, a rising star in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
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[/media-credit]However, Annett may be more well-known for his drunk driving arrest than for his driving ability. He was arrested early in 2011 after rear ending a vehicle at a stop light. His blood-alcohol content proved to be 0.32 % which is four times North Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08 %. He ended up being charged with drunk driving, texting while driving, failure to reduce speed and resisting arrest. Annett has since then been under unsupervised probation, completed 48 hours of community service and has issued a sincere formal apology. He was also placed on probation with the now dis-assembled team of Rusty Wallace Inc. and did not end up missing any races for the team.
Annett replaced Brendan Gaughan in RWI’s No. 62 car last season. He ended up 9th in Nationwide Series points which is a personal best for the driver who has driven full time in the series for the last 3 seasons. He has also driven for Germain Racing, finishing 10th in points in 2009 and 13th in 2010 (with RWI).
The Des Moines Iowa native had this to say of the new opportunity:
“They say that when one door closes, another door opens, and that is most definitely true. We were left scrambling a bit because of the situation with RWI and were unsure what the future held, but I couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out. To have the chance to race for Richard Petty and to be under the RPM umbrella is amazing. It has all come together really quickly, but together with Pilot Flying J and Ford, this is the best opportunity I have ever had to race a Nationwide Series car. There is a lot to be done before we get to Daytona in a few weeks and I can’t wait to dive in and get started.”
Pilot Flying J, headquartered in Knoxville Tennessee, is a chain of truck stops and one of the nation’s largest wholesale fuel providers. The company is also a long-time partner of Annett’s. He reached Victory Lane with the Pilot Travel Centers machine in his 4th career ARCA Series start in 2007.
Richard Petty says that it sure has been an exciting couple of months for the team. “We are looking forward to getting back into the Nationwide Series full time and seeing what Michael Annett can do in an RPM Ford Mustang. Michael has improved every season he has raced in the Nationwide Series and has the dedication and drive to be a success.”
