HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — “We’ll miss you dearly,” Hattori Racing posted on X after the passing of its owner, 61-year-old Shigeaki “Shige” Hattori, who was identified as the victim in a deadly crash on Saturday.
According to the Huntersville Police Department, Hattori, of Mooresville, was driving a 2025 Toyota Crown west on NC Hwy 73 around 9:15 a.m. He reportedly crossed the centerline and hit a 2024 Lexus GX550.
Hattori was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Lexus was taken to a local medical center with non-life-threatening injuries.
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The owner of Hattori Racing Enterprises, Hattori moved to the United States in the 1990s from Okayama, Japan, to pursue his dream of becoming an open-wheel race car driver. He won two INDY NXT by Firestone races and made two starts in the Indiapolis 500…