Getty Tyler Ankrum (front) races at Kansas Speedway.
Hattori Racing has put a piece in place for the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season. The championship-winning organization has named its first full-time driver.
According to a press release, Tyler Ankrum will be back for his second consecutive season with the organization. He will return to the No. 16 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro with LIUNA, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, as his primary partner once again.
Honored to be back at @Hattori_Racing with #LIUNA and the @ToyotaRacing family in 2023!
Ankrum enters his second season at HRE with 90 career starts, primarily with David Gilliland Racing, GMS Racing, and HRE. He has 32 top-10 finishes, nine top-fives, one win, and two playoff appearances.
“It’s an honor to return to HRE and the Toyota family in 2023,” Ankrum said in a press release. “There was already a solid foundation in place at HRE, and with the addition of Doug [Randolph] to the organization, I know we can achieve our goals as a team – get back to victory lane and be a strong playoff contender.”
Ankrum Has a New Crew Chief for 2023
GettyTyler Ankrum makes a pit stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Ankrum will be back in the No. 16, and he will continue to pursue a return to the playoffs. He will have one major change, however, as a new crew chief comes on board for the season.
HRE also announced on January 13 that veteran Doug Randolph will take over the No. 16 team. He will guide Ankrum in 2023 while taking over for Scott Zipadelli.
Randolph, who has served as a crew chief for 600 races across the three national series, joins HRE after multiple Xfinity Series seasons at Brandonbilt Motorsports. He worked primarily with Brandon Brown, and he helped the Virginia native win at Talladega Superspeedway in 2021.
Randolph has five career wins in the Xfinity Series, as well as seven in the Craftsman Truck Series. He was a key figure at Brad Keselowski Racing as he guided Ryan Blaney, Keselowski, Austin Cindric, and Tyler Reddick to wins. Now he will try to repeat this success with Ankrum.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Tyler back for his second season with our team and continuing the partnership with Toyota Racing,” said HRE Owner Shige Hattori. “Tyler has been through the playoffs and has a lot of Trucks Series experience. With Doug coming on board for the 2023 season, we look to build great chemistry with Tyler and the team. We want to get him back to victory lane and be a strong playoff contender.”
Questions Remain About HRE’s Lineup
Bringing Ankrum back ensures that HRE will have a key competitor in the lineup, one that can pursue a spot in the playoffs. Now there are more questions about the team and its plans for 2023.
Back on October 18, 2022, HRE announced that Chase Purdy would amicably part ways with the team after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. He ultimately went on to join Kyle Busch Motorsports for the full 2023 season.
HRE has not provided any updates about the No. 61 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro since this announcement. However, the team reiterated that it would have multiple entries during the 2023 season.
“HRE intends to continue fielding two full-time teams in 2023 and is in the process of solidifying the next driver of the No. 61 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro,” the team said on October 18. “We look forward to closing out the season strong with Chase as we continue to build for the 2023 season.”