Shigeaki Hattori, owner of Hattori Racing Enterprises and a former driver in NASCAR and open wheel ranks, has died. He was 61.
Hattori’s death was announced via a release from the Huntersville Police Department in Huntersville, N.C. HRE later announced his death in its own post.
Per the department, Hattori died April 5 after a car crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The department said it is still investigating the accident.
Hattori operated HRE, a team that competed part time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series in 2024.
He was also the owner of the 2018 championship-winning Truck team with driver Brett Moffitt.
Born in 1963 in Japan, Hattori competed in multiple CART races in 1999 as a driver before switching his attention to the NTT IndyCar Series from 2000-03, earning a best finish of sixth at Texas Motor Speedway in 2002. His time in the series included two starts in the Indianapolis 500.
Prior to his move to CART and IndyCar, he had been a competitor in Indy NXT and in Formula Toyota.
In 2004 and 2005, Hattori was a part-time Truck driver for Germain Racing before establishing HRE in the late ’00s, fielding entries across multiple NASCAR-owned racing dispositions, the highest level being multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series starts between 2014 and 2021.
HRE’s Truck program, in addition to its 2018 title, won 14 races between Moffitt and Austin Hill, most recently in 2021. Its most recent full-time season in the series was 2023, scaling back to a part-time schedule last year. The No. 16 had not yet entered a race in 2025, nor had any plans been revealed to do so.
“Everyone at Toyota and TRD, USA is saddened to learn of Shige Hattori’s tragic passing,” TRD President Tyler Gibbs said in a release. “Toyota’s history with Shige spans decades. Through his long run as a driver to his history-making championship success as an owner, Shige’s motivation and work ethic to achieve at the highest level never wavered. His endearing personality was infectious and unforgettable. We are thinking of his family and friends as they process this terrible loss.”
“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,” a NASCAR spokesperson said. “We are deeply saddened by his tragic passing. NASCAR extends its thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends.”
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