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Ivan Stewart is The Ironman

by: JasonLancaster
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For die-hard fans of off-road racing, the word "Ironman" doesn't conjure images of Robert Downey, Jr in a tight metal suit, or Stan Lee, who created the Ironman comic series. They'll think of Ivan Stewart, whose legendary career has earned him the nickname of "Ironman."

Stewart caught off-road racing's attention in 1973 at the Ensenada 300 when his co-driver broke his leg before the race. Stewart recruited mechanic Earl Stah to drive shotgun in the Class 2 buggy, and powered through all 300 miles of the gruelling terrain to claim first place.

After almost 30 wins in 10 years, Stewart has joined the Toyota factory-sponsored team. In those 10 years, he moved up from Class 2 and won the Baja 100. Twice, he was the SCORE Driver of the Year, and the winner of the Baja 500.

Stewart kept his winning tradition behind the wheel of Toyota-powered, Precision Preparation Inc. Motorsports-built race trucks, where he won six class victories, including two SCORE World Championships. By the 1980s, the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) had moved its events from the desert into the stadium, meaning new venues for Stewart/Toyota triumphs, and making off-road racing more popular and accessible than ever. With 17 wins, Stewart is the record holder for all-time MTEG wins.

The seventh year into his partnership with Toyota - 1990 - was a lucky one. Stewart was named SCORE and High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) Driver of the Year, Overall Driver's Champion, Unlimited Class Driver's Champion and Grand National Sport Truck Driver's Champion. Plus, he garnered a total of 11 wins along the way. Just three years later, he duplicated his SCORE Overall and Unlimited Class championships, and steered Toyota to its first Baja 1000 win. During that 1993 season, Stewart and Team Toyota took home the Crown Jewels of desert racing-the Baja 500, Baja 1000 and Nevada 400-marking the first time one manufacturer claimed victory in all three.

In 1994, Stewart moved up to the Trophy-Truck Class and won the San Felipe 25, Baja 500 and Fireworks 250. A year later, he was named Trophy-Truck Class Driver's Champion, and won the Laughlin Challenge and Parker 400. In the final three years of his career, he won another three Baja 500s and one more Baja 1000, for a career total of 17 and 3, respectively. After 26 years of racing, Stewart had won more than 84 victories, and 10 driver's championships.

Stewart has retired from racing, but he still maintains a high profile in the sport in two ways. The first is as founder of the Protruck Racing Organization, which is a special class of spec trucks that participate in off-road events such as the "Best in the Desert" Vegas to Reno run, the Baja 500, and the Pikes Peak hill climb. It's a genuine driver's challenge, with all the Protrucks using the same components, and an engine size cap of 360 cubic inches. Secondly, Stewart has collaborated with Midway Home Entertainment to create a Super Off-Road arcade game based on the SCORE desert series, run on Nintendo and Sega consoles. Three cheers to Ivan Stewart, Toyota Tundra's greatest driver ever!

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About the Author

Author Jason Lancaster administrates TundraHeadquarters.com, a website with information, news, and reviews of Toyota Tundra parts and Tundra accessories.  

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