Racing: Annett attempts to aid with missing cousins case

NEWTON - Michael Annett was sitting at home when a national news item caught his attention.

A phone call that came later captured his support.

Annett, a Des Moines native who played amateur hockey for the Waterloo Black Hawks, is making an effort to help the search for 10-year-old Lyric Cook Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins. The cousins from Evansdale have been missing since July 13. Annett is displaying the girls pictures and tip line Humber on his car for the NASCAR Nationwide Series U.S. Cellular 250 today at Iowa Speedway.

“We got a phone call that asked if there was anything we could do,” Annett said. “There wasn't a hesitation at all that (when) you hung up that call and you're calling the decal source down south, getting the decals printed up and getting the pictures on the car and getting the car up here to Iowa.”

Annett had space on the deck of his car to display the information. The goal is for more exposure for the missing girls and generate possible leads from showing the phone number 1-800-THE-LOST.

“We're so fortunate to do what we do each weekend, driving these race cars,” Annett said. “It's just a chance to give back and try to take this horrible situation that's going on right now and try to get some more information on these two girls.”

According to KCRG.com, Teresa Miller of Oelwein said she was brainstorming ideas this weekend on ways to keep national attention on the girls, who have been missing since July 13.

“I had followed Michael Annett's career and figured ‘why not?',” she said. “I couldn't believe it when they called me. I expected maybe an email reply, but they called. I was very excited.”

Miller also contact NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Landon Cassill, who is from Cedar Rapids. Cassill will have a similar display on his car for this weekend's race at Pocono, Pa,

Annett admitted that the situation had an impact on him, considering the case is close to his stint in Waterloo as a hockey player.

“It just hit home a little bit more, being Evansdale is so close to Waterloo,” Annett said. “There's so much opportunity, not only with how many thousands of people we have at the racetrack this weekend, but the millions at home that are watching, too, that hopefully we can get some more coverage and just get the information out.”

Annett enters the race in Newton sixth in the Nationwide points standings. He has recorded four top-six finishes in the last five races. He is looking for his first win, and could receive help from defending Nationwide points champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

“If there's a racetrack that I'd like to be pulling into any weekend it's Iowa Speedway with the momentum we have going right now,” Annett said. “We have a really strong alliance, not only with Ford but with Roush Fenway, and if there was anybody you'd think you'd like to have a chance to look at going in here and debrief with after practice is the No. 6 team, obviously, with Ricky's success.”