HAMPTON, Ga. — Michael Annett did not start Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway due to a leg injury. The Athletic was the first to report the information as the JR Motorsports team scrambled to find a replacement driver as driver introductions were already underway.
2013 series champion Austin Dillon was named as the replacement driver, making his second Xfinity Series start of 2021. The team did consider putting BJ McLeod and Jordan Anderson into the No. 1 Chevrolet, according to reports.
Confirmed: Austin Dillon to substitute for Michael Annett. Dillon fits better in Annett's seat than B.J. McLeod, who says it was "a dream just to be considered."
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) July 10, 2021
Annett was also supposed to compete in Friday’s Camping World Truck Series event at Knoxville Raceway, but also missed the event due to the injury. It was reported that Annett thought he would be able to recover prior to the Atlanta race.
Because of the driver change, Dillon was forced to start at the rear of the field on the initial start. But the elder Dillon brother quickly moved through the field and scored an 11th place finish.
Feature photo by Zach Catanzareti / Kickin’ The Tires