“Heartbroken and sad”: Kelley Earnhardt expresses grief over the untimely passing of former JRM driver Michael Annett

JR Motorsports CEO Kelley Earnhardt shared her condolences following the death of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett this week at the age of 39.

Annett competed in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts (formerly Xfinity) Series between 2008 and 2021 and is best known for winning the 2019 season-opening event at Daytona. It was his first and only victory as a NASCAR driver. Notably, Annett won the race with JR Motorsports, which Kelley owns alongside her brother, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“Heartbroken and sad. Thankful for the time we had to know Michael and his family,” Kelley wrote on JR Motosports' Instagram post announcing Annett's death.

(Source: JR Motorsports/Instagram)

Besides JR Motorsports, Annett also received the backing of Germain Racing, Rusty Wallace Racing, and Richard Petty Motorsports throughout his NASCAR career.

Annett made nine starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He began competing in the ARCA Menards Series side by side, bagging a total of two career wins. Both were with Bill Davis Racing.

The first one came in the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, while the other came in the 2008 Daytona ARCA 200 at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Annett made his final NASCAR start back in the 2021 series finale at Phoenix Raceway.

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Kelley Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to pay a touching tribute to their father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., in 2026

Kelley Earnhardt and her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr,. have decided to pay homage to their late father with a brand new livery for one of their cars. Backed by Carolina Carports, the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro SS will be driven by former NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Justin Allgaier.

Kelley shared a six-photo carousel on Instagram to announce the news. She wrote,

“A great day revealing the new Carolina Carports design for next year! This design is one of many that Sam Bass created for Dad and it’ll be great to see this hit the track next year!”

It’s currently the off-season for JRM. Next up for its drivers is the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway. Scheduled for February 14, 2026, the 120-lap event will be televised on CW (starting from 5 pm ET) with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.