Rina Ito is a Japanese driver who has competed in both racing and rallying, in Japan and also in the rest of Asia.
In common with other drivers including Keiko Ihara, Rina’s first introduction to motorsport was as a scantily-clad grid girl, in 2006, when she was 20. She continued in this role, on and off, until 2017. It was only a couple of years before she got behind the wheel herself and she was karting by 2008.
Her senior rallying career came first and she has been active in Japanese and Asia-Pacific rallying since 2010, usually driving a Mazda 2 Demio to begin with. She took part in the Rally of Hokkaido in 2011, and is listed as an entrant for the 2012 Asia Pacific Rally Championship, although the results are proving elusive.
She had a decent season in Japanese rallying in 2013, with a best finish of 24th, in the Osaka University Tango Peninsula Tango Rally. In 2013, she equalled this result, in the Hokkaido Rally, still in the Mazda. That year, she competed overseas in the New Zealand Rally, in a Honda Civic, but had an off on the final stage.
She continued to rally in 2015, mostly in Japan, but with one run in the Rally of Whangerei, in New Zealand, which she did not finish. Her best finish was 27th, in the Fukushima Rally. In 2016, she entered the Shinshiro Rally, in a Toyota Aqua. She was 42nd overall. She drove another Toyota, a Vitz, in 2017, and earned her first top-twenty finish: 20th in the Kumakogen Rally. Another season in the Vitz followed and she had a best finish of 27th in the Hokkaido Rally.
The 2018 rally season finished in much the same way, although she did take a step forward in 2019, contesting the Japanese championship and progressing well in the JN-6 class. Her best result overall was probably her 24th place in the Shinshiro Rally; she beat 20 other drivers and was also second in class.
Her circuit racing career took a little longer to get going and it was 2012 before she got a significant ride. That year, she took part in two Super Endurance races at Okoyama and Suzuka. She raced a Toyota GT86 in 2013, in the Fuji Champion Cup and also a one-make series for that model of car.
It was not long before Rina was competing internationally. She travelled to Korea in 2015 for the Korea Speed Festival, driving a Hyundai Veloster Turbo. She did three races, with a best finish of sixth. Back home, she took part in one-make championships for the Mini and the Toyota GT86. 2016 was her first year in the Professional class, having already raced in the Celebrity class. It was also her first involvement with Team Bride, for which she would later race in the Super Taikyu series.
2017 featured a lot of single-sex racing. She competed on-track in Japan's all-female Kyojo Cup and the Thai-based Toyota Vios Lady Cup. She won the Lady Cup title in 2017. A second season in the Kyojo Cup, which uses small sports prototypes, gave her a seventh place in 2018.
She seems concentrated on rallying in 2019, still using a Toyota Vitz. She was second overall in the JN-6 class of the Japanese championship after three runner-up places. Her best overall finish was 23rd in the Sammy Yokote Rally. She did at least some rounds of the Kyojo Cup too.
There still wasn't much rallying on the horizon in 2022; she drove a Mazda 2 Demio in the Rally of Hokkaido and finished 34th. On-track, she was tenth in the Kyojo Cup, with a best finish of sixth at Fuji in the last round of the series. She also used her Vita Kyojo car in a mixed Vita two-hour enduro at Fuji, finishing 27th. In another mixed team, she raced a Suzuki Swift in the Sepang 1000km at the end of the season, finishing thirteenth and first female driver.
She was eighth in the 2023 Kyojo Cup, finishing fifth in the first round. She also raced a BMW Mini in Japan.
She was eighth in the 2023 Kyojo Cup, finishing fifth in the first round. She also raced a BMW Mini in Japan.
(Image copyright Rina Ito)
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