Annett seeks to qualify for Dash 4 Cash bonus at Chicagoland

Michael Annett
• No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang

Michael Annett on Racing in Chicago: “Chicago is another track I really enjoy going to during our summer swing. It’s a fun 1.5-mile speedway. It’s got a lot of character, so the racing always seems to be exciting. We get another shot to qualify for the Dash 4 Cash program this weekend, so that’s our goal. I want to be racing for that $100,000 bonus again in Indy next week. We’ve been really consistent the past few weeks, and it would be really great to get another top-five finish for Pilot Flying J, Richard Petty Motorsports and my whole crew.”

Crew Chief Philippe Lopez’s Thoughts on Chicagoland Speedway: “Chicagoland Speedway has character to it, which from a driver’s perspective means it has bumps. Turns 1 and 2 aren't too rough, but getting into Turn 3 is very tricky with all the bumps. Other than the rough track upsetting the race car, the biggest challenge we face is tire wear. The tires really seem to fall off quick at Chicago. We have to be mindful of how much speed we have in the beginning of the race, and see if we can continue to keep that speed throughout the day. The racing groove moves around a lot in Turn 3 and 4, the drivers will start at the bottom and then work their way to the top as the day goes on. We’ve got to have a good handling Pilot Flying J Ford, we need a car that can run on both the top and bottom of the racetrack. The tire fall-off at Chicago is significant enough that it can really play into how our team approaches the race as far as tire strategy. I expect we will see four-tire pit stops for the majority of the day. Hopefully at the end of the day we’ve got enough rubber on our tires to stay up front and bring home a good finish this weekend.”

Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM NASCAR Nationwide Series team has prepared chassis No. 635 for the 300-mile race at Chicagoland Speedway. This Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang was run previously this season at California and Charlotte.

Michael Annett, Richard Petty Motorsports Ford a group of cars

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

Notes: Annett has four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway. His best finish (ninth) and his best start (11th) at the 1.5-mile track came in came in 2011. Annett has completed 799 of 803 laps attempted at Chicago. His average start is 21.0 and his average finish at the Illinois track is 14.0.

Tune into Sirius XM Radio Channel 90 on Friday, at 1:30 p.m. CDT for Tradin’ Paint with Pat Patterson and Buddy Baker, to listen to Michael talk about the upcoming race on Sunday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway.

Don’t miss out on your chance to meet Michael. Annett will participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series autograph session on Saturday from 3—4 p.m. The session is located in Champions Park, directly behind the frontstretch.

Annett’s 11th-place finish last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway marked his ninth finish of 11th or better this season.