Michael Annett dies at 39: Why NASCAR star had retired; all about horrific injury

Michael Annett, the former NASCAR star, died at the age of 39, his former team announced on December 5.

Published on: Dec 6, 2025, 07:34:50 IST

By Shuvrajit Das Biswas

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Michael Annett, the former NASCAR star, died at the age of 39, his former team announced on December 5.

Michael Annett's cause of death is not know at this point, but he's had a storied NASCAR career. (X/@JRMotorsports)

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett. Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today,” JR Motorsports shared on X.

Annett's cause of death is not know at this point, but he's had a storied racing career. He won the 2019 Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. However, Annett would go on to retire after the 2021 season.

Why had Michael Annett retired?

Annett retired just after the 2021 season because he was dealing with a stress fracture in his right leg for much of the season, which led him to miss seven races that year.

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“I’m just so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had. Being able to drive race cars for a living is honestly a dream come true for me. It’s been a privilege to work with some great teams and alongside some of the most talented folks in the garage. None of this would have been possible without the support of my partners, and I am happy to call them lifelong friends. It’s those relationships and friendships that are the most rewarding,” his management group had reported him say at the time.

What is a stress fracture?

Annett suffered a stress fracture in his right femur in July 2021. He later re-injured his leg and decided to hang up his boots once and for all. A stress fracture is a tiny crack in a bone due to repetitive force or overuse.

When one suffers a stress fracture, it is best to rest a few weeks as per Cleveland Clinic, who also note that a person might need to avoid sports and other physical activities for a few months.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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