The owner of the Nascar Racing team dies in Huntersville Crash – WSOC TV

Huntersville, NC – The owner of a Nascar race team died in an accident during the weekend in Huntersville, police announced.

Shigeaki Hattori, from Mooresville, led a Toyota crown in 2025 around 9:15 am on Saturday when it was involved in the wreckage of two vehicles on the Highway 73 NC near McGuire Nuclear Station Road.

Hattori founded Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2008 and organized entries, including the Nascar Xfinity series, the Nascar Craftsman Truck series and the Arca Menards series, according to its website.

On Saturday, Hattori crossed the central line of Highway 73 and crashed into a Lexus GX550 in the opposite direction.

Hattori died on the scene. The lexus driver was taken to the novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center with non -deadly injuries. Investigators do not believe that speed or disability were factors of the accident.

“We have a broken heart to confirm that Shigeaki ‘Shige’ Hattori was declared who died on the morning of Saturday April 5 in Huntersville, in North Carolina, following an engine vehicle accident,” said HRE in a statement on Monday. “… Shige was known for his relentless motivation, his concentration and his competitive spirit. The possession of a team through Hre and Hattori Motorsports had both become his passion and his work of life. He had a unique gift to constantly inject a light attitude and a sense of humor of its kind.

Hattori, who was from Japan, won the Japan Formula Toyota championship in 1994 and moved to the United States after that to run open wheel cars.

Hattori began his career in karts for young people before switching to Formula 2 and 3 races in Japan, Nascar officials said.

He won a pair of Indy Lights races in 1998 and made two departures in Indianapolis 500.

The organization made the transition to cars in stock in 2005.

“Shigeaki Hattori was a passionate runner and a very successful team owner, but beyond all the statistics of his team – who includes a championship of the Nascar Truck series – Shige was a real beloved member of the garage who worked tirelessly to raise our sport and his people,” Nascar said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by his tragic death. Nascar extends his thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends. ”

Hattori scored 14 victories as owner of the 2018 truck series team to 2021.

“The organization of Hattori reached its creation of Pinacle in 2018 when Brett Moffitt and team No. 16 won the Craftsman Trucks championship in the second full -time season of the team,” according to his website.

Scott Zipadelli and Mike Greei helped Hattori start his Nascar Truck Series team.

“It was not going to have a lot of levels, just Mike directs the ship and manage it … We are going to build a small racing team in the back,” said Zipadelli.

It was not long after when they won the championship in 2018 with Moffitt.

“We started the team in 2017,” he said. “(In) 2018, we won six races and the championship. He was very passionate. (A) Racer Toyota TRD for life, and he was not going to go out.”

There were opportunities to go with another manufacturer, but he remained faithful to Toyota.

Zipadelli and Greeki said that even after their departure for other teams, Hattori always came during the races to say “salvation” and make sure they were going well.

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