Former CART driver and current part-time Indy Racing League driver Shigeaki Hattori will look to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut this weekend from Homestead behind the wheel of the #01 Aisin Toyota. Pat Wall is listed as the owner. While never a threat in CART, Hattori from Okayama, Japan does have some solid finishes in his #16 EPSON Honda in IRL. Should he qualify for the event, he will be the only third Japanese driver to compete in an “official” NASCAR sanctioned points event. The other Japanese driver Toshio Suzuki, made his NASCAR Busch Series debut at Nazareth Speedway in 1996 for Joe Bessey. The other, Hideo Fukuyama driving in the now Nextel Cup Series for Travis Carter in 2002 and 2003.(Catchfence)(11-16-2004)
