For the first time in team history, Hattori Racing Enterprises will field two entries in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. A day after signing GMS Racing driver Chase Purdy to drive a new #61 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, the team has added his team-mate Tyler Ankrum to pilot the flagship #16.
Ankrum’s first Toyota Truck stint with what is now David Gilliland Racing came with a bang when he scored his maiden series win at Kentucky in 2019. The victory locked him into the playoffs, where he finished eighth in points which secured him Rookie of the Year honours. The previous year, he piloted a DGR Toyota Camry to the championship in the now-ARCA Menards East.
He moved to the Chevrolet-powered GMS in 2020. After placing ninth in points with ten top-ten finishes and three top fives, his performance declined in 2021 as he dropped to fifteenth in the standings with half the top tens (though he equalled his top fives). Ankrum also won the pole for the inaugural NASCAR race at Circuit of the Americas.
“This is a great opportunity to join a tight-knit team with a really strong foundation,” said Ankrum. “I couldn’t be more excited to join HRE and return to the Toyota family. To be able to work with (crew chief) Scott Zipadelli and his team on the LIUNA Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is a big opportunity for me. I want to get back to Victory Lane, be a threat in the playoffs, and continue this team’s winning ways. I think we can do that together and I’m looking forward to putting in the work to make that happen.”
Ankrum will have big shoes to fill as the #16’s previous driver Austin Hill won eight races in three seasons along with the 2020 regular season championship. Hill’s predecessor Brett Moffitt won the 2018 title.
“Tyler has been through the playoffs and has a lot of Camping World Trucks experience,” commented team owner Shigeaki Hattori. “Scott and our entire team have been successful the last several years and we’re looking forward to seeing Tyler rejoin team Toyota. We want to get him back to Victory Lane and be a strong playoff contender.”