Michael Annett

Knoxville, Iowa (January 21, 2010) – NASCAR rising star Michael Annett remembers his racing roots, and the 23-year-old from Des Moines is proud to “give back” to those roots with a recent donation of $10,000 to the non-profit National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation in honor of the late Hall of Fame sprint car driver Earl Wagner of nearby Pleasantville. 

“I grew up watching sprint car racing every Saturday night at the Knoxville Raceway, where Earl Wagner was serving as the chief pit steward. My father, former TMC Transportation sprint car owner Harrold Annett, grew up watching super-modified racing at Knoxville in the days when Earl was a three-time champion there. I look back now, after Earl was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2008 and after he sadly passed away this past fall, and realize that he was one of the major reasons why I am so passionate about auto racing. Earl Wagner’s desire to be the best fueled Dad’s passion for the sport, which in turn has energized me to be all that I can be in motorsports. This donation to the Hall of Fame is my way of saying ‘thanks’ to the late Earl Wagner and his family, for providing that spark that propelled the Annett family for two generations in racing,” said Michael.

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, which sits on turn two of the legendary half-mile Knoxville Raceway dirt track, will use this donation to create a memorial honoring Earl Wagner and all of the past Knoxville Raceway point champions since the inception of weekly racing on the Marion County Fairgrounds oval in 1954. A formal dedication will be made on the evening of Saturday, July 31, after Michael Annett competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the nearby Iowa Speedway in Newton. Harriett Wagner, Earl’s wife, will be the museum’s honored guest that night at Knoxville Raceway, along with Michael Annett and his family.

Museum board president Mike Brooks, who drove for Harrold Annett claiming the 1980 Knoxville track championship, said, “We can’t thank Michael Annett enough for his generosity.  He is a remarkably mature and talented young man to want to honor his family’s hero in this way. We look forward to hosting them on July 31 and dedicating the memorial that evening.”
 
About National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation
The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation, Inc. is a membership based, program-driven 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization, which was incorporated on April 25, 1986, in the state of Iowa. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation, Inc., was incorporated for the dual purpose of preserving the history and promoting the future of the sport of sprint car racing. For more information, visit www.sprintcarhof.com and www.sprintcarstuff.com.

About Michael Annett
Michael Annett currently drives the #15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota for Germain Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Annett has two career victories in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. His first win came in the ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 5, 2007. Annett also won the Daytona ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway on February 9, 2008. 2009 saw Annett run the full Nationwide Series schedule. He earned four top-10 finishes and ended the season tenth in points. Prior to becoming a race car driver, Michael Annett played ice hockey with the Waterloo (Iowa) Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League (USHL). For more information, visit www.michaelannett.com.