SPARTA, Ky: Readily preparing for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, Michael Annett and his Travis Mack led JR Motorsports team delivered a solid top-five finish in Friday night’s Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway.
After qualifying his No. 1 Pilot | Flying J Chevrolet 10th, Annett gained two positions to finish Stage 1 in eighth. After reporting a tight race car during the final laps to the end of Stage 1, Annett’s JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro began to gain grip around the 1.5-mile speedway as the sunset and darkness began to fall.
The team got off sequence during Stage 2 when they brought their driver to pit road to check the tires after noticing a rub on the car following the conclusion of Stage 2. Eventually, the team would be able to maneuver back through the field and finish Stage 2 in seventh with a balanced race car.
Minimal adjustments by Mack kept the No. 1 Pilot | Flying J Chevrolet in contention for the run to the finish. Restarting sixth to start Stage 3, Annett continued to march forward and while his car got looser following the final pit stop, Annett was steadily able to maintain his position inside the top-five.
With 25 laps to go, Annett controlled fifth but at Lap 182 made the pass on Chase Briscoe for fourth where he took the checkered flag to earn his fifth top-five of the year. It was also Annett’s third top-five in the last five races with third-place runs at Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway respectively.
“We took off really good, a lot more grip than the other guys, passed four or five cars right away and then just kinda held our own right there,” said Annett. “At the start of the second stage, we came down when no one else did, I guess they saw a rub-on that right front on the set we took off at the end of the first (stage).
“We just wanted to take a chance to get the wheel spacer the right way and not take a chance on the right front not going out. I only felt it when I moved up in (Turns) 1 and 2, where you gained a little bit of banking.
“We made that adjustment and made up that track position and just the way the cautions fell, we were able to cycle right back in with everybody else. The car just kept getting better and better just like yesterday, we would gain four-tenths throughout a practice session. We knew if the race went like it did with long green flag runs, we were going to be in really good shape.”
With his 12th top-10 in 17 races this season, Annett said his confidence continues to build ahead of the Playoffs in the fall. Annett credited being able to watch his competition throughout the weekend allows his No. 1 team to adjust accordingly and contend for strong finishes.
“It’s really high, really high,” offered Annett on his confidence. “At least I’m able to be up there and see where they are better. Just be able to put a whole weekend together. That’s what you are going to have to do to beat those guys.
“Seeing where they are better, rather of just saying hey, their faster, I can do a better job in practice and put something underneath the car that we can tune on the car all night.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
