NASCAR Driver to Showcase Missing Girls at Iowa Speedway

wcfcourier.com

A poster with photos of Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, who disappeared in Evansdale last Friday, adorn a utility pole across from the entrance to Meyers Lake in Evansdale, Iowa, Monday, July 16, 2012. Their bikes were found Friday afternoon near a bike trail at the edge of Meyers Lake in Evansdale. (AP Photo/Waterloo Courier, Brandon Pollock)

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By Ellen Kurt

Story Created: Aug 1, 2012 at 1:26 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 1, 2012 at 1:28 PM CDT

EVANSDALE, Iowa --- The search for Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook Morrissey will get another push into the national spotlight this weekend when a local hockey player turned NASCAR driver showcases the girls on the back of his race car.

Jeff Dennison, of Breaking Limits Marketing and a spokesperson for Richard Petty Motorsports, said an image of the girls and tipline phone number will be on the deck lid of Michael Annett’s No. 43 Northland car when he takes to the track this weekend at the Iowa Speedway in Newton.

Annett, a Des Moines native, played for the Waterloo Black Hawks from 2003 to 2005, including helping the team to the Clark Cup Championship in 2004. In 2005, Annett traded in his hockey career for a chance to race professionally.

He worked his way up through the racing ranks and finally joined the NASCAR Nationwide series in 2009 — though his official debut came at the end of the 2008 season.

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 said she also contacted officials with the race team of Landon Cassil, who is a Cedar Rapids native competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. She said his team, BK Racing, could only tweet information about the girls.

Dennison said they had some space on the car and it seemed like a good fit. At this point it is only expected to be on the car for one weekend.

“We were presented the opportunity so we went to Michael and his people thought this was a good idea. His race team thought it was important,” Dennison said. “We want to get the message across.”