Winning racer and championship-winning team owner ‘Shige’ Hattori has died. Hattori was involved in a traffic accident around 9:15 a.m. EST on Saturday morning. The tragic incident took place on North Carolina Highway 73. He was driving a 2025 Toyota Crown when he crossed the center line, colliding with oncoming traffic in a two-car collision. Everyone else involved suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The Huntersville, N.C. Police Department confirmed Hattori's passing and the details of the crash on Monday morning. Speeding or impairment were not believed to have been factors in the tragic accident, which remains under investigation.
