The Hattori Racing Enterprise No. 1 Toyota Technical Colleges, Yazaki Toyota Camry loaded off the trailer fast. The team was joined this week at the shop and this weekend in Iowa with six students from the three technical colleges in Japan along with three instructors.
The team practiced, qualified and raced on Friday. In the first round of practices driver Ross Chastain was 15th fastest. There was an hour break between each practice, during this time the team along with the Toyota Technical College students made some changes and adjustments, these changes paid off putting Chastain 5th fastest in the final practice.
The team along with the students carried that momentum heading into qualifying and Chastain qualified in the 5th position for the Autolite Iridium XP 150. During Driver intros Chastain was presented with the Coca- Cola move of the race award for his performance in last week’s race in Columbus for the Jegs 150.
Chastain started the race fifth and the first caution of the night came out on lap 18. Similar to the Columbus race it did not take long for Chastain to make his way to the front. By lap 27 Ross was up to second place with the leader in his sights. On lap 42 Chastain was in the third position according to NASCAR timing and scoring. The second caution of the night came out on lap 60, and the team had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a right front flat on lap 66. After the pit stop the team was back to the 26th position.
A third caution flew on lap 72 of the Autolite Iridium XP 150 for the half-way point. During the seven minute break, the Hattori Racing Enterprises team took a step back and allowed the Toyota Colleges of Japan students to pit the car, for four tires and make the adjustments; this was the first time in NASCAR history that a driver has had all Japanese over the wall pit crew. After the break Chastain was in the 20th position. On lap 82 Chastain was back in the top-ten sitting 9th.
On lap 130 is when a fourth caution came out, at the time of the caution Chastain was back in the 12th position. While coming to the white flag and running in the seventh position Chastain lost control of the car and spun into the front stretch grass bringing the Toyota technical colleges of Japan and Yazaki Toyota Camry home 21st.
After the race Ross Chastain said “Once again I can’t express how thankful I am to Shige (Hattori) for letting me drive again this weekend. We had a great group of young and talented students from the Toyota Technical Colleges in Japan helping us out this weekend. They worked on the car in the shop, setting it up, putting the decals on it, loading it up into the hauler and even did the pit stop during the halfway break. We qualified 5th for the race, which was a huge boost for the team as well as myself. We had a great car that went to the front quick, sadly a right front going down I think is what cost us a top-five finish. I can’t thank my HRE guys enough and the students for all of their hard work. Just hoping we can rebound in Greenville.”
HRE PR
- RFK, Chris Buescher Participate in Annual Fifth Third Day - May 3, 2024
- BMW Eyeing Continued Progress in Second GTP Season - May 3, 2024
- KECO Continues Its Long Tradition at Indy - May 3, 2024