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Ex-Black Hawk getting up to speed in racing
By JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Writer
NEWTON --- It's been nearly two years since Michael Annett laced up his skates.
That is hard to imagine for a kid who dedicated 13 years of his life to playing hockey.
But after his second season with the Waterloo Black Hawks in 2004-05, in which he played 59 games on defense, the then-18-year-old Annett realized he had gone as far as hockey would let him.
It didn't take long for the Des Moines native to find a new passion --- racing.
Saturday, Annett will make his second appearance at the Iowa Speedway at the ARCA RE/MAX Prairie Meadows 250. His primary sponsor for the race will be Northland Oil of Waterloo.
"When I first quit, I would go skate in the summer," Annett said. "But since, I've really kind of blocked out everything hockey and turned my attention fully to my racing career."
Despite just three years in his new sport, Annett's name is rising in racing circles. Two years after gaining a seat in the ASA Late Model Northern and Challenge series, Annett united with Minnesota's Country Joe Racing for three ARCA starts last year.
His first race was at last season's Prairie Meadows 250 in Newton, where he earned the pole and eventually finished third. Annett went on to top-10 finishes at the Nashville and Gateway International speedways.
Those performances were good enough for the 21-year-old Annett to draw the attention of Bill Davis Racing in Greensboro, N.C.
BDR's team includes Sprint Cup driver Dave Blaney and three Craftsman Truck Series regulars --- Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner and Phillip McGilton.
The BDR team put Annett in its Toyota Camry for the ARCA 250 at the Talladega Superspeedway in October, and he didn't disappoint. Annett won the race and landed a development deal with BDR in the process.
He moved to Greensboro four months ago and followed up his Talladega win by capturing the ARCA 200 at the Daytona Speedway on Feb. 9 to open the 2008 ARCA season.
"After that first year in the ASA car, we got a little more serious, and I started to realize this was something I could do for the rest of my life," Annett said. "I've been down here four months now, trying to make a living at it."
Annett's family has a history with racing. His father, Harrold, and his business, TMC Transportation in Des Moines, was the primary sponsor and car owner for World of Outlaws' legend Sammy Swindell for many years.
"My dad had a good run with Sammy up through 1993, but at that time he decided he wanted to focus on his trucking company," Annett said. "But he also has said racing is a disease, and once you get started with it you can't stop. He's loving it right now."
Annett, who plans to race in two NASCAR Nationwide Series events during the second-half of this season, can't wait to get back to Iowa and race in front of friends and family.
"I like the Iowa Speedway," Annett said. "It is so smooth and the progressive banking provides for good racing.
"I also like how it is close to home. That definitely puts some extra pressure on me, but hopefully I can thrive under the pressure."
Annett will race this week at Newton, next week at the Kansas Speedway and follow that up with the Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina on May 4.
Like any aspiring driver he hopes to make it to NASCAR's Sprint Cup series in the future. But, for now, Annett is content on learning and getting better.
He hasn't raced since his victory in Daytona but, as part of his development deal with BDR, he works out daily, test cars with his crew and practices on a racing simulator at his house to keep his edge.
"It's pretty cool right now," Annett said. "But I've got to stay focused. It's an old adage, but you are only as good as your last race, and everything can change really fast.
"I can't get overconfident because of previous success. I'm 2-for-2 with BDR racing, and all the talk around the shop this week is going 3-for-3.
"I'm looking forward and focusing on Iowa ... next week I can think about the Kansas Speedway."
Altogether, Annett played two seasons with the Black Hawks between 2003 and '05, appearing in 100 games, including 41 during Waterloo's run to the Clark Cup championship in 2004.
Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-1521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com
That is hard to imagine for a kid who dedicated 13 years of his life to playing hockey.
But after his second season with the Waterloo Black Hawks in 2004-05, in which he played 59 games on defense, the then-18-year-old Annett realized he had gone as far as hockey would let him.
It didn't take long for the Des Moines native to find a new passion --- racing.
Saturday, Annett will make his second appearance at the Iowa Speedway at the ARCA RE/MAX Prairie Meadows 250. His primary sponsor for the race will be Northland Oil of Waterloo.
"When I first quit, I would go skate in the summer," Annett said. "But since, I've really kind of blocked out everything hockey and turned my attention fully to my racing career."
Despite just three years in his new sport, Annett's name is rising in racing circles. Two years after gaining a seat in the ASA Late Model Northern and Challenge series, Annett united with Minnesota's Country Joe Racing for three ARCA starts last year.
His first race was at last season's Prairie Meadows 250 in Newton, where he earned the pole and eventually finished third. Annett went on to top-10 finishes at the Nashville and Gateway International speedways.
Those performances were good enough for the 21-year-old Annett to draw the attention of Bill Davis Racing in Greensboro, N.C.
BDR's team includes Sprint Cup driver Dave Blaney and three Craftsman Truck Series regulars --- Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner and Phillip McGilton.
The BDR team put Annett in its Toyota Camry for the ARCA 250 at the Talladega Superspeedway in October, and he didn't disappoint. Annett won the race and landed a development deal with BDR in the process.
He moved to Greensboro four months ago and followed up his Talladega win by capturing the ARCA 200 at the Daytona Speedway on Feb. 9 to open the 2008 ARCA season.
"After that first year in the ASA car, we got a little more serious, and I started to realize this was something I could do for the rest of my life," Annett said. "I've been down here four months now, trying to make a living at it."
Annett's family has a history with racing. His father, Harrold, and his business, TMC Transportation in Des Moines, was the primary sponsor and car owner for World of Outlaws' legend Sammy Swindell for many years.
"My dad had a good run with Sammy up through 1993, but at that time he decided he wanted to focus on his trucking company," Annett said. "But he also has said racing is a disease, and once you get started with it you can't stop. He's loving it right now."
Annett, who plans to race in two NASCAR Nationwide Series events during the second-half of this season, can't wait to get back to Iowa and race in front of friends and family.
"I like the Iowa Speedway," Annett said. "It is so smooth and the progressive banking provides for good racing.
"I also like how it is close to home. That definitely puts some extra pressure on me, but hopefully I can thrive under the pressure."
Annett will race this week at Newton, next week at the Kansas Speedway and follow that up with the Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina on May 4.
Like any aspiring driver he hopes to make it to NASCAR's Sprint Cup series in the future. But, for now, Annett is content on learning and getting better.
He hasn't raced since his victory in Daytona but, as part of his development deal with BDR, he works out daily, test cars with his crew and practices on a racing simulator at his house to keep his edge.
"It's pretty cool right now," Annett said. "But I've got to stay focused. It's an old adage, but you are only as good as your last race, and everything can change really fast.
"I can't get overconfident because of previous success. I'm 2-for-2 with BDR racing, and all the talk around the shop this week is going 3-for-3.
"I'm looking forward and focusing on Iowa ... next week I can think about the Kansas Speedway."
Altogether, Annett played two seasons with the Black Hawks between 2003 and '05, appearing in 100 games, including 41 during Waterloo's run to the Clark Cup championship in 2004.
Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-1521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com
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