Photo by: Eric Gilbert
PHOENIX RACE PREVIEW
Michael Annett • No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang
Annett will make his sixth career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Phoenix
Annett enters Phoenix in 16th spot in the Nationwide driver point standings
Annett’s best finish (10th) came in 2011 at Phoenix International Raceway
Michael Annett on Racing in Phoenix: “Phoenix is one of my favorite tracks to race on. I really like the flat one-mile tracks and PIR is really fast. I had a strong top-10 finish last year on the new configuration and I think since the track has been repaved it puts on a really good show for the fans, especially when we’re racing on the dogleg on the backstretch. At Phoenix it is really important to have good horsepower to drive off of the corners and I’m really looking forward to having a Ford powerhouse under the hood of my Pilot Flying J car this weekend.”
Annett on Racing at Daytona Last Week: “Racing at Daytona is always fun, but it didn’t quite turn out the way we wanted it to last weekend. I had a great car with a lot of horsepower under the hood and my Pilot Flying J Ford could run up front. It’s a shame we got caught up in a wreck at the end because I know we had a good chance of finishing really well.”
Crew Chief Philippe Lopez’s Thoughts on Racing in Phoenix: “I’m excited to go out west and get on a flat one-mile track to see what our Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang is capable of doing. Daytona is always kind of a chess match and we can’t always control what happens on the track. Phoenix will be a true test of what Michael and the car are capable of doing. Michael has run really well at Phoenix in the past and had a top-10 finish last fall on the newly paved track. I know the crew has worked really hard the past month to get this program put together and we are all anxious to get unloaded and see what we’ve got this weekend.”
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 is brand new to Richard Petty Motorsports this season.
Notes: Annett has six NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway. His best finish (10th) at the one-mile track came in 2011. His best start (14th) at the Phoenix-area track came in 2009. Annett has completed 1,157 of 1,203 laps attempted at PIR.
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