The NASCAR Cup garage woke up to a sad news following the impressive Darlington Throwback weekend. Ex-racer and the owner of Hattori Racing Enterprises, Shigeaki Hattori, passed away at the age of 61 in an accident. He was one of the most influential figures of the sport and is known for giving some of the big stars of stock car racing their big break.
Star drivers like Brett Moffitt, Ryan Truex, Austin Hill, and Tyler Ankrum made their career at the team, while prominent figures like Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain and Christopher Bell have driven the teams’ Xfinity machinery. The team also has given opportunities for racers in ARCA racing series as well.
Just like many in the racing community, Bubba Wallace was shocked and saddened by the death of Shigeaki Hattori. He reshared the team’s statement on the death and revealed how highly he thought of the ex-racer, who always took time to greet him during race weeks. Wallace admitted that he is hurt by the loss of someone he sees as a brother.
“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!” – Bubba Wallace wrote on X.
On April 5, Shigeaki Hattori was driving on North Carolina Highway 73 according to Huntersville Police Department. Hattori’s 2025 Toyota Crown as per reports crossed the centerline of the highway and hit the 2024 Lexus GX550. The ex-IndyCar racer was pronounced death at the scene while the other driver is hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
NASCAR released a statement on Shigeaki Hattori’s death
The stock car sanctioning body also released a statement on the unexpected news of the 2017 Truck Championship winning teams owners death. They highlighted how Hattori was a passionate racer and highly saucerful team owner. Beyond being a champion, he was genuine, and a hard worker in the garage.
“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.” – NASCAR said in a statement.
Further talking about the point, NASCAR pointed out they are deeply saddened by Shigeaki Hattori death. They extended their thoughts and prayers to his family as well as his friends.
“We are deeply saddened by his tragic passing. NASCAR extends its thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends.” – NASCAR added.
The journey of Hattori from Japan to the top of American Motorsports scene, with involvement in the IndyCar, NASCAR and CARTS series. It’s a big loss for the racing community as he had so much left to offer the sport, but his legacy will stay alive with Hattori Racing Enterprises.
