HANA BURTON Steps Up to Team TOM’S for 2025 Kyojo Cup Championship Hunt

May 8, 2025

GRRL! SUMMARY:

California-born HANA BURTON joins Team TOM’S for her third Kyojo Cup season, partnering with reigning champion AIMI SAITO. Burton’s unconventional path from social media manager to racer began with track days in an FR-S before moving to Japan in 2022 for the Yaris Cup, where she earned rookie of the year honors despite finishing 30th on debut at Sugo.
Under mentorship from 2007 Super GT champion Daisuke Ito, Burton showed strong pace in pre-season testing, finishing second to AYUMU NAGAI in wet conditions. The step up to TOM’S represents a significant upgrade from her previous privateer team experience, where she had to handle camera setup and other non-driving duties with limited mechanical support.
Burton’s 2024 season with Fujita Pharmacy Racing saw her score maiden points with an eighth-place finish at the finale, concluding 11th in standings. Her development mindset of working “ten times as hard” to overcome her late start has paid dividends, with Burton also testing Formula Beat and Dome F110 machinery during the winter to expand her experience ahead of this weekend’s season opener at Fuji.