HAWKEYE NATIVE ANNETT PILOTS TOYOTA TO VICTORY LANE AT TALLADEGA
Contact: Michelle Petroff, TMC Racing,

WEST DES MOINES, IA (Oct 8) – Iowa native Michael Annett notched his name in the history book of motorsports at Friday’s “ARCA RE/MAX 250” as the event’s 29th different winner in its 38-year history. The 21 year-old Iowan dominated the 250-mi race at the largest track on the NASCAR circuit – the 2.66-mi sweeping super-oval of Talladega (AL) Superspeedway – and became the first driver in the 55-year history of the ARCA RE/MAX Series to take the Toyota nameplate to victory lane.

Annett navigated the #28 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry that was fielded by NASCAR’s Bill Davis Racing for his fourth series’ career start. The talented, sophomore competitor with the ASA Late Model Series’ “Challenge Division” had three prior 2007 ARS’ starts and impressed the discerning eye of NASCAR team managers, crew chiefs, media representatives and officials as he earned SIM Factory Pole honors at his Iowa Speedway debut along with a third place finish and repeated with another pair of Top-10 finishes. Annett was tabbed “one to watch” entering his first restrictor-plate race and his debut with Bill Davis Racing and Toyota and he did nothing less than impress… again.

From start to finish, Annett’s red and yellow Pilot Travel Centers emblazoned Toyota was the car everyone was chasing as he was both the highest starting and finishing entry for the manufacturer. The #28 jumped to the point ahead of Roush Fenway Racing driver Colin Braun and led a staggering 75 of 94 laps (roughly 80% of the total race).

“Talladega is a unique track and it was an honor to race there especially with a team like Bill Davis Racing,” commented Annett. “The car that my team prepared was capable of running up front the entire race and had enough power to get through the field the few times we got shuffled back. We could make the high line work but could run anywhere on the track. I cannot thank the entire BDR team enough for their hard work this weekend.”

While the draft created in restrictor-plate racing yields multiple grooves of action-packed racing in close quarters at speeds in excess of 180mph, Annett only received one serious challenge for the lead. Frank Kimmel, 8-time ARCA RE/MAX Series’ champion, chased the young racer in the final charge to the checkers but fell shy of the pass as Michael earned the ARCA RE/MAX Series’ win for his career record and also for primary sponsor Pilot Travel Centers.

Describing the chase for the checkers, Annett recalled, “I knew they were going to try something on the final lap. Colin (Braun) came to the outside of me going through the tri-oval. I just kept my left side on the yellow line and when we got together it slowed down his momentum. Then Frank (Kimmel) decided to go with me and that really helped. He raced me clean and you can’t ask for more out of your competitors.”

Kimmel’s split-second decision not only propelled him to runner-up honors in the race but also eliminated any obstacle left in securing his ninth series’ championship.

“I have been waiting for this first win but to have it come at Talladega is amazing,” a jubilant Annett expressed following the race. “This place has so much history and to be a part of that and to give both Toyota and Pilot Travel Centers their first wins in the ARCA RE/MAX Series makes me proud. It was really special to have Pilot onboard as the primary sponsor for this race. They have been loyal to us and very supportive over the past few years and I was happy to put them in victory lane. And the Bill Davis Toyota was the class of the field on Friday and I think this is just a glimpse of what’s yet to come from that team and the Camry – not only in ARCA but NASCAR Nextel Cup as well.”

Annett hopes to carry the momentum from this win ahead to his final race on his 2007 racing schedule – the Adam Petty Memorial/All-American 200. The event will be held at the 0.596-mi Music City (TN) Motorplex on Saturday, November 3rd, 2007, and will conclude the season for the ASALMS’ Challenge Division.


Michael Annett’s #28 Bill Davis Racing fielded Toyota Camry will carry support from Pilot Travel Centers, Benson International, Allstate Peterbilt, Marmon Highway Technologies, Northland Oil, Reliance Supply, Inc., Bell Helmets and Sparco.

Pilot Travel Centers is headquartered in Knoxville, TN, and is the nation’s largest operator of travel centers and the larger seller of over-the-road diesel fuel with 281 locations in 40 states plus Canada. The typical Pilot Travel Center includes one or more nationally-known chain restaurants, broad range of retail merchandise, automobile and truck fueling facilities and other services geared towards both professional and leisure drivers. To find a Pilot Travel Center on your route, visit http://www.pilottravelcenters.com


FUEL FOR THOUGHT
· Michael Annett, 21, qualified 2nd for the “Talladega ARCA RE/MAX 250”
· This event marked his fourth series start. Previous efforts include 1 SIM Factory Pole Award, 1 Top-5 Finish and 2 Top-10s
· 58 entries attempted to qualify for the 41 car field (32 taken on qualifying time and several prominent names failed to qualify for the event)
· His #28 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry was the highest starting and finishing Toyota in the field
· This was Toyota’s first trip to victory lane in the ARCA RE/MAX Series’ 55 year history
· It was only the second victory for the Camry in national stockcar competition in its debut season (J. Leffler won earlier this season in the NASCAR Busch Series)
· He led 80% of the race: Laps 1-29, 41-44 and 53-94
· There was a 0.42s margin of victory over 8x Champ Frank Kimmel
· Annett finished ahead of some of motorsports’ most recognized names including Indy 500 winners and various series’ champions including Frank Kimmel, Scott Speed, Max Dumarey, Tim McCreadie, Dario Franchitti, Josh Wise and Bobby Santos III
· An impressive 29 cars finished on the lead lap
· Annett is only the 29th driver to claim the honor of an ARCA RE/MAX Series’ win at Talladega Superspeedway since the series’ debut there in 1969
· His name is now etched along fellow race winners & legends including Jim Vandiver, Ramo Stott, Mark Martin, Davey Allison, Red Farmer, Grant Adcox, Charlie Glotzbach, Tim Steele, Bob Straight, Paul Menard and Frank Kimmel
· Annett is the 2nd youngest recent winner of the 38 year-old race at age 21. 2005 winner Kraig Kinser was one week shy of his 21st birthday when he saw victory lane.
· The “Talladega ARCA RE/MAX 250” was Pilot Travel Centers first foray as title sponsor with Annett and introduction to the series. Associate sponsors included Benson International, Northland Oil, Allstate Peterbilt, Marmon Highway Technologies, TMC Transportation, Reliance Supply Inc., Bell Helmets and Sparco.