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Itsumo Shiraishi is a young Japanese racing driver making her mark in the competitive Kyojo Cup series while climbing the ranks of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver development program. Racing #17 for AiWin Re-Kobe, she’s one of the promising talents navigating Japan’s all-female single-seater championship with grit and growing speed.

EARLY YEARS

Born on August 17, 2006, in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, Shiraishi got her start in motorsport when her father invited her to try karting in fifth grade. What began as a weekend activity quickly turned into serious business. She cut her teeth at the Honda Racing School Suzuka (HRSJAPAN), competing in events like the Suzuka Circuit kart races, where she raced Kosmic chassis with IAME and Rotax engines throughout 2020 and 2021. She also participated in the 2023 Rotax Max Festival at Festika Circuit Mizunami in Gifu, competing in the Junior MAX category.

OTHER INTERESTS

Shiraishi is currently balancing her racing career with university studies, though details about her academic focus remain private. Outside the cockpit, little is publicly known about her hobbies—she seems firmly focused on one thing: getting faster.

EARLY SUCCESS

After years in karting and developmental programs including EV kart challenges, Shiraishi made the leap to car racing in 2024, joining the inaugural season of the Kyojo Cup. Her rookie campaign with Team M (later rebranded as AiWin) was a learning curve—she finished 11th overall but showed flashes of potential. At the season finale, she scored her first championship points with a sixth-place finish, a result that hinted at better things to come.

Returning for the 2025 season at age 18, Shiraishi demonstrated improved pace right out of the gate. She qualified well and ran as high as sixth before a spin dropped her down the order in an early round. Still, she managed a fifth-place finish in one Sprint race and showed she could mix it up in the midfield. By mid-season, she’d collected fourth and fifth-place finishes and was sitting ninth in the championship with 16 points after the opening rounds—a solid step forward from her debut year.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2024: Scored first Kyojo Cup championship points with sixth place in season finale[1].
• 2025: Finished fifth in Kyojo Cup Sprint race, demonstrating improved pace in second season[2].
• 2025: Finished fourth and fifth in races during mid-season rounds[3].
• 2025: Selected to continue in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s TGR Driver Challenge Program[4].
• 2026: Confirmed to return with AiWin Re-Kobe for third Kyojo Cup season[5].

INSPIRATIONS

Shiraishi has stated her ambition plainly: she wants to become a female driver who can compete on the world stage. That goal—simple, bold, and without caveats—has driven her through karting, Honda Racing School, and now into the Kyojo Cup.

REPUTATION

Within the Kyojo Cup paddock, Shiraishi is known as a steady improver—not the flashiest driver on the grid, but one who keeps chipping away at lap times and race craft. She’s earned respect for her consistency and willingness to take on new challenges, including her ventures into EV karting. Racing for AiWin, the reigning team champions, puts added pressure on her shoulders, but she’s handled it with quiet determination. Observers note her strong qualifying performances and her ability to recover after mistakes—a sign of maturity beyond her years.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

For 2026, Shiraishi is confirmed to return to the Kyojo Cup with AiWin Re-Kobe, marking her third consecutive season in the series. She’ll also continue her development through the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Driver Challenge Program, a critical pathway for Japanese drivers aiming to climb the motorsport ladder. The 2026 Kyojo Cup season is scheduled for five rounds, and with two years of experience under her helmet, Shiraishi will be expected to push further up the order. Whether she can break into the podium fight remains to be seen—but she’s got the support, the seat, and the hunger to make it happen.

REFERENCES

[1] Kyojo Cup: Aimi Saito wins season finale, clinches 2024 crown
[2] How has the Kyojo Cup grid adapted to the series’ new era?
[3] 2025 Kyojo Cup season – Wikipedia
[4] TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Presents its 2025 motorsport team setups
[5] TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Announces 2026 Motorsport Program
Kyojo Cup: 2025 season guide
Results | Kart Race in SUZUKA
ドライバー詳細ページ 白石いつも – Racing-Driver.jp
2024: Women In Motorsport, a year in review