Akinori Performance Overview
Akinori Performance is an American stock car racing team that currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Founded in 2025 by Japanese driver and entrepreneur Akinori Ogata, the team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, a town widely recognized as a hub of professional motorsports activity in the United States. The organization fields the No. 63 Toyota in the Truck Series and is supported by primary sponsors Kyowa Industrial, Mooneyes, and YKK AP.
The team’s identity is closely tied to its founder, who also serves as a driver. Akinori Performance represents a small, owner-driven effort focused on building experience in national-level NASCAR competition while maintaining ties to its Japanese ownership roots. Its Mooresville shop places the team among the broader NASCAR community, allowing access to the same supplier and talent networks used by larger organizations.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Akinori Performance was formally announced on February 7, 2025, when Akinori Ogata revealed his plan to field a part-time entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The announcement established the team as a new Toyota-backed operation with a clear goal of placing an owner-driver on the grid in one of NASCAR’s three national series. From the outset, the team was structured as a small, single-truck organization, with Ogata serving as the central figure in both ownership and driving duties.
The team’s business foundation rests on its sponsorship portfolio, which includes Kyowa Industrial, Mooneyes, and YKK AP. These companies reflect Ogata’s professional network in Japan and provided the financial backing required to attempt national-level competition. The team’s social presence, including its official website and verified Facebook and Instagram pages, has been used to communicate its activities and connect with fans in both the United States and Japan.
Growth Into NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Competition
Akinori Performance’s path to the Craftsman Truck Series builds on an earlier chapter in which Ogata competed as an owner-driver in the K&N Pro Series East. In 2014, Ogata fielded the No. 56 Toyota in that developmental series, working with crew chief Dale Quarterley. He qualified for three of five attempted races and completed only the event at Iowa Speedway, gaining firsthand experience in stock car ownership at a regional level.
After a multi-year gap in competition, Ogata returned to the sport with a more ambitious plan. In 2025, he formed Akinori Performance as a new Truck Series team rather than continuing in the K&N ranks. The team prepared the No. 63 Toyota and assembled a small crew capable of supporting a part-time schedule. Kenko Miura was named as an additional driver for the No. 63, broadening the team’s driver lineup and bringing a second Japanese driver into the program.
Akinori Performance Competitive Journey
The team’s competitive journey to date spans two distinct phases. The first began in 2014 in the K&N Pro Series East, where Ogata operated the No. 56 Toyota on a limited schedule. The second phase began in 2025 with the launch of Akinori Performance and a part-time Craftsman Truck Series effort in the No. 63 Toyota. Across both phases, the team has prioritized owner-driver participation, learning, and incremental progress over full-season competition.
Early Seasons and Development (2014)
Akinori Performance’s earliest competitive footprint was set in 2014, when Ogata entered the K&N Pro Series East as an owner-driver of the No. 56 Toyota. The team made its series debut at the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond and competed across a partial schedule, attempting to qualify for five races in total. Working with Dale Quarterley as crew chief, Ogata gained experience managing a small single-car operation at a time when many owner-drivers struggled to make races against well-funded teams.
The 2014 campaign was modest in results, with three qualifying efforts and a single classified finish, which came at Iowa Speedway in the Autolite Iridium XP 150. Despite limited on-track success, the season allowed Ogata to build foundational knowledge of stock car racing operations, including car preparation, race strategy, and crew management. The experience formed a personal baseline that he would later draw on when relaunching his program at a higher national level.
Breakthrough in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2025)
Akinori Performance’s breakthrough phase began in 2025, when the team announced its move to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The No. 63 Toyota was prepared for a part-time schedule with Ogata and Kenko Miura sharing driving duties. The team originally intended to debut at the Atlanta spring race, but withdrew from that event after determining that conditions were not ideal for a successful first outing.
The team’s official Truck Series debut came at the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead, where Ogata started the race and brought the No. 63 home with a 32nd-place finish. The start at Homestead marked the team’s first completed national-level race under the Akinori Performance banner. The most recent listed start is the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville, extending the team’s presence in the series and signaling an intent to build experience through additional part-time starts.
Across its Craftsman Truck Series activity, Akinori Performance has run two races with no victories, no pole positions, and no drivers’ championships. Combined with its earlier K&N Pro Series East results, the team’s overall record stands at five races entered, with no wins and no poles. The figures reflect the team’s status as a young, part-time organization still in the early stages of its competitive development.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2025–Present)
In its current form, Akinori Performance operates as a part-time Craftsman Truck Series team fielding the No. 63 Toyota. The organization remains under the ownership of Akinori Ogata, who continues to combine his role as principal with driving duties. Sponsorship from Kyowa Industrial, Mooneyes, and YKK AP underwrites the team’s racing activities and provides the resources needed to sustain a limited national schedule.
The team’s infrastructure is centered in Mooresville, North Carolina, where it maintains its shop and operational base. Through its official website and social media channels, Akinori Performance communicates updates on race entries, driver schedules, and sponsorship news. With a Toyota manufacturer relationship in place and a two-driver lineup featuring Ogata and Kenko Miura, the program’s present focus is on completing additional Truck Series starts and continuing to learn at the national level.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Akinori Performance’s core identity centers on the owner-driver model, with Akinori Ogata serving as both the team principal and a primary pilot of the No. 63 Toyota. The program emphasizes learning, experience-building, and international representation in NASCAR’s national series, supported by Japanese-aligned sponsors. As a part-time Toyota entry, the team focuses on maximizing preparation quality and execution on race weekends rather than chasing weekly results.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The team’s most significant milestone came with its formal announcement on February 7, 2025, when Akinori Performance was introduced as a new Truck Series team. Its on-track breakthrough followed at the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead, where the No. 63 Toyota made its series debut and recorded a 32nd-place finish. The subsequent start at the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville extended the team’s national-level racing record and confirmed its continued presence in the series.
Akinori Performance Achievements and Results
Akinori Performance’s verified achievements are limited in number but reflect the team’s early stage of national-level competition. Across its combined Craftsman Truck Series and K&N Pro Series East activity, the team has entered five races, recorded no victories, no pole positions, and no drivers’ championships. The organization’s most notable accomplishment is the successful launch of its part-time Truck Series program in 2025 and the completion of its debut race at Homestead.
Craftsman Truck Series Achievements
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Akinori Performance has entered two races with the No. 63 Toyota, both in 2025. The team’s first start came at the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead, where Ogata drove the truck to a 32nd-place finish. A subsequent entry at the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville further extended the team’s presence in the series. The Truck Series program has not yet produced a win, a pole position, or a championship.
Series Achievements
In the K&N Pro Series East, Ogata’s earlier program ran the No. 56 Toyota in 2014. The team entered the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond as its series debut and went on to qualify for three of five attempted races. The only classified finish came at Iowa Speedway in the Autolite Iridium XP 150. The K&N experience laid the groundwork for the later formation of Akinori Performance and its move to the Craftsman Truck Series.
