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Hattori Racing Enterprises has announced major plans for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. The team will field two entries with Tyler Ankrum joining Chase Purdy in the driver lineup.
The championship-winning organization broke the news with a series of press releases on Tuesday, November 30, and Wednesday, December 1. They first announced that Purdy will move to HRE and the second revealed that Ankrum will join him and take over the No. 16 Toyota Tundra Pro while working with championship-winning crew chief Scott Zipadelli.
“This is a great opportunity to join a tight-knit team with a really strong foundation”, Ankrum said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited to join HRE and return to the Toyota family. To be able to work with 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.”
A Key Partner Will Remain With Ankrum
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GettyTyler Ankrum leads during a Truck Series race.
While Ankrum will make the move from GMS Racing and Chevrolet to join HRE and Toyota, he will keep a relationship with one of his main partners. LiUNA! will serve as his primary sponsor for 20 of the 23 races on the 2022 Truck Series schedule.
LiUNA! first joined Ankrum for a 2019 race at Phoenix when he was a wheelman for David Gilliland Racing. The company joined him at GMS Racing for 20 of the 23 races in 2020, a season in which he reached the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
LiUNA! joined Ankrum for the 2021 season, taking over as the primary sponsor for 21 of the 22 races on the schedule. This partnership includes a third-place finish at Richmond Raceway and a fourth-place at Pocono Raceway.
Another sponsor will join Ankrum to round out the remaining races on the schedule. HRE will provide this information as the season approaches.
Ankrum & Purdy Will Continue Working as Teammates
The move to bring Ankrum to the organization continues an existing working relationship. The two drivers were teammates during the 2021 season, Purdy’s rookie season, and this will continue with a new team.
The two drivers will continue to spend a considerable amount of time working together while trying to secure spots in the playoffs. Ankrum already has one career win while Purdy is still pursuing his first in the Truck Series.
GMS Racing, for comparison, will have a very different look during the 2022 season with several departures. Ankrum and Purdy both moved to HRE while Sheldon Creed moved to the NASCAR Xfinity Series to join Richard Childress Racing. Zane Smith also departed GMS Racing after reaching the championship four to join Front Row Motorsports.
The organization made two significant moves to prepare for the 2022 season. GMS Racing brought back Jack Wood for his first full-time season with the team. He will drive the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado. Additionally, the organization brought Grant Enfinger over from ThorSport Racing to drive the No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado.
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