Shigeaki Hattori Dies in Car Crash at 61

Shigeaki Hattori, a former IndyCar driver and championship-winning NASCAR team owner, tragically died in a car crash in Huntersville, North Carolina, on April 5, 2025. Hattori, aged 61, was driving a 2025 Toyota Crown when he crossed the center line on Highway 73 and collided with a 2024 Lexus GX550. The crash resulted in Hattori being pronounced dead at the scene, while the other driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Investigations indicate that neither speed nor impairment were factors in the crash. Hattori, originally from Japan, had a successful career in motorsports, transitioning from a driver in the IndyCar series to founding Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2008. Under his leadership, Hattori Racing captured the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series championship.