Michael Annett and his No. 28 Northland Motor Oil Toyota Camry went into the ARCA RE/MAX Series Prairie Meadows 250 with very high expectations.  This being his home track as well as the sight of his first start and first pole of his ARCA RE/MAX racing career made Annett the hometown favorite.  However, those expectations were put on hold after Saturday’s practice.

With all of Friday’s practice sessions being cancelled due to mother nature, the entire field would line up based on last year’s season owners points. This put Annett and his Northland Motor Oil Camry slotted to start in the 35th position.

In the one and only practice session on Saturday morning Annett experienced an extreme amount of heat in his No. 28 Camry.  After only his eighth lap during the practice session Annett noticed smoke coming through the steering column and looked in mirror to see the entire back end of his car engulfed in flames. The exact cause of the fire is still unknown however Crew Chief Joe Lax assures that the engine did not blow-up.

This left the No. 28 Bill Davis Racing crew with no choice but to bring out the back-up, which Annett and his crew had never ran before.  With there being less than two hours before the start of the race, Lax and his Bill Davis Racing crew were plugging away in order to try and make the start of the race.

Starting 35th in a back up car that you have never ran before is supposed to limit your capabilities, but Annett proved to be an exception to this rule.  By lap 22 Annett had already clawed his way to the 13th position, then came the first caution of the race on lap 28.  After the caution Annett found himself in the eighth position.

When it came time for the first pit stop of the day under a caution on the lap 73, the Bill Davis Racing crew proved their worth as they came in eighth and came back out in the sixth position.  Annett hit the track running strong after receiving four fresh tires, fuel and raising the track bar one round.

The next stop came under another caution, on lap 133 Annett and his No. 28 Northland Motor Oil Toyota Camry received four more fresh tires, fuel and another track bar adjustment. They managed to exit pit road four spots better than when they came in, which put them in second place.

Running well and maintaining his position on the track.  Annett would once again die down pit road for the last stop of the day on lap 163.  The car received fuel and a ½ round raise in the track bar, which Annett would later say got the car right where he wanted it.  By lap 172 Annett was running strong in the fourth position and had been putting together laps faster than anyone on the track, but then on lap 174 disaster struck.

Coming off turn two Annett said he felt a vibration, then on the back stretch he heard a pop and his day was done.  The rear gear cooler had broken forcing Annett behind the wall.  Annett ended up with a 28th place finish, which was better than where they started, but still left Annett and Lax disappointed with a race they feel they could have won.

Annett will race once again next weekend with the rest of the ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers at Kansas Speedway on April 25th.