PHOENIX RACE PREVIEW
Michael Annett• No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang
Annett will make his eighth career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Phoenix
Annett enters Phoenix in the fifth spot in the Nationwide driver point standings
Annett’s best finish (10th) came earlier this season at the one-mile track
Michael Annett on Racing in Phoenix: “We’ve only got two races left to try and finish out the season with a win, and I think we’ve got a good shot at it this weekend. Phoenix has been a good track for me and I’ve run well there the past couple of races. It’s a fast little flat one-mile track and I really enjoy racing on short-tracks like PIR. It’s really important to have good horsepower to drive off of the corners well, and I know our Ford engine will provide us with that this weekend. We’re in a tight points battle with Justin (Allgaier), so every position we can gain on him during the race is crucial to us staying in the top-five and making it on stage in Miami. My Pilot Flying J crew really deserves a top-five points finish for how hard they have worked this season and I’m going to do my best to make that happen.”
Crew Chief Philippe Lopez’s Thoughts on Racing in Phoenix: “Our season is winding down and we’ve got a tight points battle going on with the No. 31 (Allgaier) with only two races remaining. We had a decent race in Phoenix early in the year finishing 10th, but I was still learning a lot about these race cars at that time. I feel like we’ve come a long way since the first Phoenix race, and I feel like we can improve and come home with a top-five finish this weekend. The biggest challenge at PIR is track position, we’ve got to have some pit strategy to make sure we stay up front. The keys to a good finish Saturday will be having a fast Pilot Flying J Ford, being patient and making sure we have great track position.”
Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM NASCAR Nationwide Series team has prepared chassis No. 644 for the 200-mile race at Phoenix International Raceway. This Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang has been run previously this season at Phoenix, Richmond, Iowa and New Hampshire.
Notes: Annett has seven NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway. His best finish (10th) at the one-mile track came in both 2011 and earlier this season. His best start (14th) at the Avondale, Ariz., track came in 2009. Annett has completed 1,357 of 1,403 laps attempted at PIR. His average starting position is 21.6 and his average finish is 18.0.
Looking for a Pilot or Flying J store near Phoenix? There are 5 Pilot or Flying J stores within 100 miles of Phoenix International Raceway. One store is only 10 miles away from the racetrack. (Pilot Travel Center (I-10 Exit 133) 900 North 99th Avenue, Avondale, AZ 85323)There are 16 stores within 250 miles of the track. Go tohttp://www.pilotflyingj.com/locationsfind the nearest locations.
Don’t miss out on your chance to meet Michael. The driver of the No. 43 Ford will participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series autograph session on Saturday from 9-9:45 a.m. MT. The session is located in outside of Turn 1, adjacent to the Budweiser Roll Bar.
Race Information
Track: Phoenix International Raceway
Laps: 200 Laps/200 Miles
Track Size: One-Mile
TV Information: 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Radio Information: 3:30 p.m. ET on MRN
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