Michael Annett was a professional driver who lived in Des Moines, Iowa. He competed in three of the best national series of NASCAR. He had a career span of over 10 years. He was reputed to have worked with major teams over the years.Annett started racing in the middle of the 2000s and gradually ascended the ladder. He was a participant in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series. He had a total of 436 starts in his career in these 3 series. In 2021, he retired from full time racing because of a leg injury.Michael Annett passed away at the age of 39. JR Motorsports and its management team confirmed the news on December 5, 2025. No official cause of death has been released. NASCAR has widely posted messages of respect and support to his family.Michael Annett's early life and racing beginningsMichael Annett was born and brought up in Des Moines, Iowa. He started racing at Hawkeye Downs Speedway after high school. It was a beginning place for quite a number of drivers in the Midwest. Annett joined the ARCA Menards Series in the year 2007. This move made him gain national attention. The same year he won two major races at Talladega and Daytona. Such victories opened the door for him to get NASCAR opportunities.Annett entered the NASCAR in 2008. His initial race was in Craftsman Truck Series. He later in the same year joined the Nationwide Series, which is now known as the Xfinity Series. At the beginning of his NASCAR career, he worked with Germain Racing. Read More: What landed Tekashi 6ix9ine another prison term? Judge gives rapper three months after latest guilty pleaCareer highlights and challengesNASCAR Xfinity Series ALSCO 300 - Qualifying - Source: GettyThe most successful season Michael Annett had in NASCAR was in the year 2012. He competed in the Xfinity Series as part of the Richard Petty Motorsports. He also made it to the top five six times in the same year. He also finished fifth in that season's rankings. This became one of his most successful years.In the year 2017, he took ninth place in the overall ranking in the Xfinity Series. In 2019, he was the sole winner in NASCAR at Daytona. He was the race winner with JR Motorsports. Annett also took part in the Cup Series from the year 2014 to 2016. His best performance in the Cup was at the time when he was ranked 13th at the Daytona 500 in 2015. He was never able to win a Cup Series but worked on the same level for a few seasons.Read More: Critics Choice Awards 2026 Nominations: Complete list of nominees exploredFinal years, injury, and legacyNASCAR Xfinity Series NASCAR Racing Experience 300 - Source: GettyMichael Annett came back to the Xfinity Series (2017-2021) with JR Motorsports. He contributed towards the expansion of the team to a four-car operation. He made it to the playoffs during this period. He was a full-time driver up until the point that he started having complications due to health problems.In 2021, Annett broke his right femur in a stress fracture. The injury rendered the racing difficult in full strength. He retired in October of the same year, after the injury got worse. He retired from full time competitions in order to recover.Read More: "Mind ur f***ing business" - Lizzo blasts body-shamers after a joke about her appearance recently went viral