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HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 16: Brett Moffitt, driver of the #16 AISIN Group Toyota, crew chief Scott ... More Zipadelli and team owner Shigeaki Hattori pose for a photo after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16, 2018 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
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Shigeaki “Shige” Hattori, the Japanese-born racer who made the unlikely journey from open-wheel hopeful to championship-winning NASCAR team owner, was killed Saturday morning in a three-car crash on I-77 northbound in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He was 61.
The accident occurred around 9:15 a.m., just outside of Huntersville — a suburb north of Charlotte and very much in the heart of NASCAR country. According to a release from the Huntersville, NC, police Hattori was behind the wheel of a 2025 Toyota Crown when he crossed the center line and collided with oncoming traffic. The crash remains under investigation, but officials have stated that neither speed nor impairment are believed to have been factors.
The news was confirmed Monday by Hattori Racing Enterprises, the team he founded and led for nearly two decades:
“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.”
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Shigeaki Hattori, driver of the #9 Aisin/Aisin AW Toyota, is ... More kissed by Deborah Renshaw (L), driver of the #8 Easycare Service Contracts Dodge and Kelly Sutton, driver of the Team Coaxone Chevrolet, prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on February 18, 2005 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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“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.”
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