NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Michael Annett scored an 18th-place finish Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway.
Starting 32nd in his Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS, Annett passed for eight positions — to 25th — prior to his first pit stop on lap 30. Though he had been driving through water-filled weepers on the track, his car had only a slight loose handling condition. Crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion provided an air pressure adjustment, which allowed Annett to continue his forward progress on the ensuing run.
He drove from 27th to 20th until a pit stop on lap 78, remained in that position on a run spanning laps 79 to 127 and advanced from 20th to 15th following pit stop on lap 155. The team positioned itself for a top-20 finish heading into the final 100 laps of the event.
Pit stops on laps 178 and 216 were used to make some patchwork repairs to a hole in the front bumper. Though the damage hindered Annett initially, he didn’t relinquish his top-20 standing after lap 200, driving to an 18th-place finish. The result was his third finish of 21st or better in the last four races. It is also the best Kentucky finish in Tommy Baldwin Racing history, surpassing a 23rd-place result by David Reutimann in 2012.
Rising Start PR
