| HRE Developing Driver Sean Caisse and Engineer Shu Terasaka; Next Stop Kentucky Speedway |
 MOORESVILLE NC (7-16-08) - As Hattori Racing Enterprises readies to make its fourth ARCA RE/MAX Series appearance this season in the #01 AISIN Camry, the team is continuing on its mission of developing young driving talent and also developing Toyota engineers, mechanics and service representatives. Traveling with HRE to Kentucky Speedway is Toyota engineer Shu Terasaka of Ibaraki, Japan. Terasaka has worked this week on the AISIN Camry and worked with Germain Racing mechanics as they prepared the team's three Tundras for racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway.
"HRE is very proud to have Shu Terasaka working with us for two weeks. The race team was developed with sponsors AISIN, AW AISIN and Advics to give talented young drivers a chance to race in competitive, high-quality racing equipment. Shu, and driver Sean Caisse, will experience this first-hand at Kentucky. We have shown the competition that we have great race cars. This weekend we want to again be very competitive and bring home a good finish in the AISIN Camry," said team owner Shigeaki Hattori. While this is not Caisse's first run with HRE, in fact it is his third race for Hattori, there are aspects of this trip to Kentucky that will feel new. "Each race for HRE, we have shown that this team has very high-quality racing equipment. We have run in the top-three in all of our races and I expect more of this type of performance from the AISIN Camry when we return to Kentucky Speedway. There will be a difference in how we approach the race weekend and it should make us even better," said Caisse. "We were able to take the AISIN Camry to Kentucky for a test session, and I was able to participate in a Toyota Tundra test at Darlington Raceway. As a team we learned a lot in our test session at Kentucky, and as a driver, I learned a lot about technique from Todd Bodine at Darlington. There are subtle changes that we will make to improve our results. I expect the Kentucky ARCA RE/MAX 150 to be the best performance by HRE to date." Terasaka began his two-week stay with HRE this week. He is the first of eight Toyota engineers, mechanics and service representatives that will spend two weeks each working with HRE in Mooresville, N.C., experiencing American-style stock-car racing. "I am very pleased to host the engineers, mechanics and service representatives from Toyota of Japan. The program is a joint effort between Toyota/Lexus dealers and Toyota of Japan. The engineers applied to participate and two were selected. It is a great opportunity for Mike Abner and the HRE crew to work with the young engineers and it is a great opportunity to show the engineers our Camry racing program for the ARCA RE/MAX Series," said Hattori. Team owner Shigeaki Hattori, a former IndyCar and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racer, formed Hattori Racing Enterprises, HRE, out of his love for American auto racing. He and his sponsorship base of AISIN, AISIN AW and Advics are working together to develop young racing talent. Germain Racing is working with HRE, sharing with HRE the race team's championship-winning experience and long-standing relationship with Toyota. HRE has plans which include more ARCA RE/MAX Series races this year. HRE will compete at Nashville, DuQuoin, Salem and Talladega. HRE is building a 2009 program which may include a full season of racing. For more information on how you can join the sponsor lineup at HRE, contact: driver@vertex-sp.com. For media requests throughout the Kentucky Speedway race weekend, please contact Lori Smith at lsmith@germain.com.Lori Smith Media Relations Manager Germain Racing |
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