By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Michael Annett earned just his second top-10 finish in the XFINITY Series in 2018 when he drove his No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to 10th Saturday at Darlington Raceway.
Soaked in sweat and draped in throwback flair, Annett was relieved to put two top 10s together in the last three races.
“It was another good run for us,” Annett told Kickin The Tires. “Just our second [top 10] of the year. We just wanted long runs, honestly. It seemed with 10 or 15 to go in every stage we took off and everyone got tight.”
Far off his JRM teammates in performance, the veteran is upbeat when he brings home a good result for the No. 5 crew.
“It’s just good for morale,” he said. “To wait that long to get your first top 10, it’s good for these guys to finally see some results through all the hard work they put in all year. We have to keep this up with relation with new crew chief Travis Mack, he’s been great.”
Sitting one spot out of the playoffs with two races remaining the regular season, Annett is confident the No. 5 team is gaining traction.
“We’re coming on at the right time,” he said. “It may be a little too late points-wise but it’s a good points day for us.”
While Annett is the first man out of the playoffs, Ross Chastain is the last one in. And the JD Motorsports driver switched teams for the first time in 2018, racing for Chip Ganassi Racing on Saturday.
Winning the pole and sweeping both stages, Chastain still gained points on Annett despite falling to 25th place. The opportunity for Chastain was a hit for Annett and his playoff chances.
“I think he gained about 19 playoff points [laughs],” he said. “It makes what we did today — it’s not about points anymore. If we can go get a win, that’s great. It’s a tough deficit to make up.
“We’re going for wins all year, we’re not going to back down once the playoffs start.”