Former NASCAR driver with more than 400 starts dies at 39

Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett has died at age 39, his final team before retirement JR Motorsports announced Friday night and was soon confirmed by NASCAR itself.

While neither gave a cause of death, another former NASCAR driver, Brad Keselowski, said he's "glad [Annett] is no longer suffering."

The Des Moines native made 436 combined starts across NASCAR’s three national touring series, most of those in the Xfinity Series. He had one national win in 2019, at the Xfinity season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, according to NASCAR.

He also won the ARCA Menards Series twice, at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and the series opener at Daytona in 2008.

TMZ noted his 13-year career ended in 2021 after getting sidelined with a stress fracture. He started in 2008 with Germain Racing, then transitioned to Rusty Wallace Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports before finishing with JRM.

JRM offered its thoughts and prayers to the Annett family and credited his four-year run with the company with helping turn it "into the four-car organization we remain today."

"Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage," NASCAR said, also offering condolences to his family "and many friends." It said he "represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer."