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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.

Moving up to the Trophy-Truck Class in 1994, Stewart took home the gold in the San Felipe 250, another Baja 500 and the Fireworks 250. The following year he was named Trophy-Truck Class Driver's Champion and added the Laughlin Challenge and Parker 400 to his list of victories. In the last three years of his racing career, he chalked up three more Baja 500 wins for a career total of 17 and one more Baja 1000 (his third). After 26 years in the dirt, the Ironman's victories totalled 84, with 10 driver's championships thrown in for good measure.

Since his retirement from racing, Stewart has continued to keep a high profile in the race with two initiatives. He is the founder of the Protruck Racing Organization, a special class of spec trucks that participates at such off-road events as the "Best in the Desert" Vegas to Reno run, the Baja 500, and the Pikes Peak hill climb. This is a true driver's challenge, since all the Protrucks incorporate the same components, and engines are limited to 360 cubic inches in size. Stewart has also maintained involvement in the racing world by releasing a Super Off-Road arcade game with Midway Home Entertainment. The game is developed for Nintendo and Sega, and is based on the SCORE desert series. Hail Ivan Stewart, the Ironman of off-road racing!

About the Author

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

Ivan Stewart is The Ironman

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