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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.

He continued his winning tradition in the driver's seat of Toyota-powered, Precision Preparation Inc. Motorsports-built race trucks winning six class victories - including two SCORE World Championships. By the '80s, the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) had moved the dirt out of the desert and into stadiums, increasing the accessibility and popularity of off-road racing and opening new venues for Stewart/Toyota victories. Stewart holds the all-time MTEG win record with 17.

1990 was the seventh year of Stewart's partnership with Toyota, and it was a lucky one. He won a pile of titles, including: 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. Along the way, he also picked up a total of 11 wins. A mere three years later, Stewart repeated his SCORE Overall and Unlimited Class championships, and helped earn Toyota its first Baja 1000 win. Stewart and Team Toyota made history during the 1993 season, when they won the Crown Jewels of desert racing - the Baja 500, Baja 1000 and the Nevada 400. It was the first time one manufacturer had won all three.

Stewart won the San Felipe 250, Baja 500 and Fireworks 250 in 1994, when he moved up to the Trophy Truck Class. He was named Trophy-Truck Class Driver's Champion, and added victories in the Laughlin Challenge and Parker 400 to his repertoire. In the last three years of his career, Stewart won three more Baja 500 races for a total of 17 in his career, and one more Baja 1000 for a career total of three. After over a quarter-century of racing, the Ironman had won over 84 titles and 10 driver's championships.

Stewart is now retired from racing, but he has maintained a high profile in the sport on two levels. First is as founder of the Protruck Racing Organization, a special class of spec trucks that participates at off-road events including the "Best in the Desert" Vegas to Reno run, the Baja 500, and the Pikes Peak hill climb. The series is a true driver's challenge with all the Protrucks incorporating the same components, and engine size limited to 360 cubic inches. Next, Stewart moved from real dirt to virtual dirt with his Super Off-Road arcade game developed for Nintendo and Sega and the Off-Road Challenge, released by Midway Home Entertainment and based on the SCORE desert series. All hail the Ironman - the greatest Toyota Tundra driver ever!

About the Author

The author Jason Lancaster administrates TundraHeadquarters.com, a website with info, news, and reviews of Toyota Tundra parts and Tundra accessories.

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