NASCAR is filled with the inspirational stories of foreign drivers who have moved to the United States enamored by the appeal of stock car racing. One of those stories is that of Shigeaki Hattori. The Japanese icon passed away on April 5 following a road accident on NC Highway 73, leaving the community duty-bound to celebrate his contribution to the sport.
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Hattori moved to the States in 1995 after winning the Formula Toyota Championship in 1994. In 1996, when he was 32, he began competing in the Indy Lights Series. He then moved to the CART Series in 1999. His time there was filled with accidents and wrecks. Interestingly, this forced the series steward to revoke his competition license.
He sought better pastures between 2000 and 2003 by moving to the Indy Racing League. In 2005, he raced in the Craftsman Truck Series for Germain/Arnold Racing. While his results from behind the wheel were not particularly impressive, his stint as a team owner was a complete turnaround.
Hattori Racing Enterprises made several starts in the Xfinity Series over the years and emerged as a top contender in the Truck Series. The team won the 2018 Truck Series championship with Brett Moffitt. He scored 14 wins in the tier between 2018 and 2021. Throughout his career, he served as a crucial ambassador for NASCAR in Japan.
Losing him has been felt throughout the racing world, and several drivers have been expressing their sorrow. 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace wrote on X, “Damn this hurts, Shige was always going out of his way to say hello at any point in the weekend and always asking if I was ready to race for him again. We lost a good one. RIP, my brother!”
Austin Hill wrote, “Man hard to put into words what this man has meant to me. Without Shige Hattori taking a chance on me and giving me a shot back in 2019, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He was a fierce competitor & he always wanted to make sure everyone that worked for him was well taken care of.”
Hill drove for Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2019, 2020, and 2021. He secured many great results during this period and used Hattori’s support and guidance to a great extent. 20-year-old Sammy Smith was another driver who was positively influenced by the icon. He wrote, “Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Shige Hattori.”
“Grateful for the opportunity to drive for him in ARCA back in 2023. Thinking of his family and everyone at HRE.” From Smith to the President of Toyota Racing Development, many more have been extending their emotional support to Hattori’s family in this tough time.
