Shigeaki Hattori, a championship-winning team owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has passed away at the age of 61, according to a statement from Hattori Racing Enterprises.
“We are heartbroken to confirm that Shigeaki “Shige” Hattori was pronounced deceased on the morning of Saturday, April 5, in Huntersville, N.C., following a motor vehicle accident. He was 61.”
A native of Okayama, Japan, Hattori moved to the United States in the 1990s to pursue his dreams of becoming an open-wheel race car driver. Hattori won a pair of INDY NXT events and made two starts in the Indianapolis 500.
— Hattori Racing (@Hattori_Racing) April 7, 2025
In the mid-2000s, Hattori transitioned into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, making 10 starts and earning a best finish of 24th at Kentucky Speedway in 2005.
In 2008, Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE), a multi-faceted organization owned by Hattori, was founded, and has been competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, or the ARCA Menards Series in some form since.
After competing in the NASCAR Truck Series full-time from 2017 to 2023, the team scaled its operations back to part-time for 2024, only contested four events with drivers Aric Almirola, Johnny Sauter, and Landen Lewis.
The organization made it to Victory Lane a total of 14 times in the NASCAR Truck Series — eight times with Austin Hill and six with Brett Moffitt. Moffitt also brought the No. 16 Toyota Tundra to the championship in 2018.
NASCAR, in a statement, says: “Shigeaki Hattori was a passionate racer and highly successful team owner, but beyond all his team’s statistics – which includes a NASCAR Truck Series championship – Shige was a genuine, beloved member of the garage who worked tirelessly to lift our sport and his people. We are deeply saddened by his tragic passing. NASCAR extends its thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends.”
According to the Huntersville Police Department, Hattori was involved in a two-vehicle collision on NC Highway 73 near McGuire Nuclear Station Road.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that a 2025 Toyota Crown, operated by Shigeaki Hattori of Mooresville (originally from Japan), was traveling westbound on NC Hwy 73 when it crossed the centerline into the oncoming lane and collided with a 2024 Lexus GX550,” the police report states.
The accident, still under investigation by the Huntersville Police Department’s Traffic Safety Section, is not believed to be the result of speed or impairment.
