NASCAR team owner and former IndyCar racer Hattori dies aged 61

Shigeaki Hattori, known as Shige, was killed in a car crash on Saturday in Huntersville, North Carolina. He was 61 years old.

Police say they responded to a two-car crash at approximately 9:15 a.m on Saturday, and that Hattori crossed the centerline of NC Hwy 73 and collided with another vehicle. He was pronounced at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle was transported to a local medical center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.

Hattori hailed from Okayama, Japan, and started his racing career as a driver. He graduated from go-karts to Japanese Formula Junior, then Formula Toyota, where he earned the 1994 series championship.

In 1995, Hattori moved to the United States in hopes of continuing to chase his dream. Through the latter part of the 1990s, Hattori competed in open-wheel races, including winning two races in the Indy Lights Series. He moved into CART in 1999 to run a partial season with Bettenhausen Racing, which was followed by four stop-start years in the IRL with Treadway Racing, Vertex-Cunningham Racing, Bradley Motorsports and AJ Foyt Enterprises. He failed to qualify for the Indy 500 in his first attempt with Vertex-Cunningham in 2001, but made the show in the two years that followed with Bradley Motorsports and Foyt respectively, earning a best finish of 20th in 2002.

The move to NASCAR happened in 2004 when Hattori first attempted to qualify for a Craftsman Truck Series race, but failed to make the field. But he ran 10 races in 2005, which was also his last behind the wheel before transitioning into team ownership.

Hattori at the wheel of the No.9 Toyota at Daytona in 2005. He stepped out of the cockpit at the end of that season to focus on team ownership. Darrell Ingham/Getty Images

“I decided, ‘okay, no more,’ and I stopped driving,” Hattori told NASCAR.com. “Two or three years after, I didn’t do anything. I took some classes at UCLA, traveling and doing nothing with my life. I was thinking, I should do something. I really liked NASCAR racing, and so I decided to should start my race team and put drivers (in it). So, I started in 2008.”

Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE) was founded in 2008 and fielded entries in multiple NASCAR series. As an owner, Hattori fielded an Xfinity Series entry in 72 races, with Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Austin Hill, and Bubba Wallace among those who drove for him. In the ARCA Menards Series, Hattori fielded an entry in 21 races.

However, Hattori was well-known for his Craftsman Truck Series operation, which won 14 races in 212 starts between 2013 and 2024. In that period, Hattori also claimed a championship with Brett Moffitt in 2018.

In a statement, Hattori Racing Enterprises said, “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, Shige moved to the United States in the 1990s to pursue his dream of becoming an open-wheel race car driver. He won two INDY NXT by Firestone races and made two starts in the Indianapolis 500.

“His passion for motorsports ultimately led him to NASCAR, where he competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) in 2004 and 2005. He transitioned to team ownership in 2008 and founded Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE). He won 14 NCTS races as a team owner and reached the ultimate achievement by winning the 2018 series championship.

“Shige was known for his relentless drive, focus and competitive spirit. Team ownership through HRE and Hattori Motorsports had become both his passion and his life’s work. He had a unique gift to constantly inject a light-hearted attitude and one-of-a-kind sense of humor into his race teams that will never be forgotten. We'll miss you dearly. Farewell, Shige.”