Hattori Motorsports (HM) team owner Shige Hattori announced today that Parker Thompson and a driver to be named later will pilot the No. 50 Weins Auto Group Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series for the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park 120.
While Hattori currently fields one entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the resergence of the GT4 program will feature driver Parker Thompson and a driver to be named later piloting the team’s Toyota GR Supra EVO with support from Weins Auto Group. Hattori Motorsports will be running the number 50 at the event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Weins Auto group. Weins Auto Group opened its doors in 1973 in nearby Markham Ontario as Don Valley North Toyota. Since their inception, Weins Auto Group has grown to be one of the largest automotive groups in Canada.
An Alberta native, Parker Thompson is a championship-winning race car driver with 85 podiums and 37 wins in over 160 races. For 2023 Thompson joins the Toyota family, taking on the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup with Vasser Sullivan Racing and will compete for Hattori Motorsports at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park 120.
“I am honored by the opportunity to join Hattori Racing Enterprise in the Toyota GR Supra for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park next weekend. Any race north of the border feels like a home race for me, and the CTMP track is one that has rewarded me with great success on multiple occasions.”, said Thompson
“In just a few short meetings with Shigeaki and the rest of the team, I feel like we have the right ingredients for a special performance. I can appreciate Shige’s early career experiences in open-wheel racing, and how he’s built an outstanding legacy with the Toyota brand that spans multiple series. The chance to contribute to that legacy, even if it’s just for a single race weekend, is something I don’t take lightly.”
Shige Hattori looks forward to the challenge of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge racing with the upgraded Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO for the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park 120.
“We are very excited to expand our program to IMSA with our GT4 sports car team,” Hattori said. “We’ve had a lot of success winning races and titles on the NASCAR side over recent years and feel like we have the right people in place to contend in IMSA. We brought in an amazing driver in Parker to contend right away and give us some feedback on our program. I can’t thank Weins Auto Group enough for their support and look forward to celebrating their 50th anniversary with a great result at CTMP.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park will kick off on July 7th with practice and qualifying. July 8th will see the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park 120 kick off at 4pm EST on Peacock.
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