Sparta, KY
(05-10-2008) -
Hattori Racing
Enterprises showed
strength in the
Drive Smart! Buckle
Up 150 at Kentucky
Speedway. With the
no. 01 Advics Camry,
HRE showcased the
talents of young
racer Sean Caisse.
Caisse earned the
SIM Factory Pole
Award and led
Saturday night's
race early.
Unfortunately,
contact in the
closing laps
resulted in an early
end for HRE's bid
for a runner up
finish. Caisse
finished 28th.
"I am so very, very
proud of this HRE
race team. For two
straight races we
have had excellent
Camry race cars, and
this week, crew
chief Mike Abner and
driver Sean Caisse
had the Advics Camry
strong enough that
it could win the
race," said Hattori.
"Sean proved he is a
very talented young
driver, and HRE
enjoyed being able
to show Advics,
AISIN and AISIN AW,
and the ARCA RE/MAX
Series race fans,
what he is capable
of. It's
disappointing that
the finish didn't
match the
performance of this
team and driver
throughout the race
weekend, but there
is no question, HRE
is doing what it was
developed to do - we
are building very
competitive race
cars to showcase the
talents of young,
developing race car
drivers."
For Caisse, his
first race with HRE
was a delight,
despite the end.
"The Advics Camry
was a really good
race car. We were
aero tight behind
the leader, so I
just gave him space
and ran second under
the green flag run,"
said Caisse, who ran
second for much of
the 112-lap race.
"We took tires with
20 laps to go and
worked back to
second from ninth
place. I felt we
made a clean pass
for second and I was
looking ahead at the
leader to see if I
had enough time to
catch him when we
got hit by the third
place car and sent
into the wall. It's
so disappointing
because our car was
a second, third or
fourth place car,
maybe a race winner,
but it definitely
wasn't meant to
finish 28th."
"The morale is
really high with the
HRE guys after our
performance in the
Advics Camry at
Kentucky Speedway,
despite what
happened to us at
the end,"
Working with crew
chief Mike Abner
proved to be a
critical part of
Caisse's success
throughout practice,
qualifying and much
of the racing
action.
"Abner and I had
great communication
right from the
start. The HRE crew
worked so hard on
the Advics Camry and
I'd have to say it
was the smoothest
race weekend I think
I've ever had as far
as car preparation
and team
communication," said
Caisse.
The Advics Camry was
in runner-up
position in the
midst of the final
three laps of the
Saturday night's
race, but the damage
the car suffered
from being hit on
lap 106 ended the
race six laps shy of
the checkered flag.
Caisse was credited
with a 28th
place finish.
HRE is scheduled to
race again in the
ARCA RE/MAX Series
on June 13th at
Michigan
International
Speedway. For more
information on
joining the
sponsorship lineup
at Hattori Racing
Enterprises,
contact:
driver@vertex-sp.com.
Lori
Smith
Media
Relations Manager
Germain Racing
