For most off-road racing fans, Ivan “Ironman” Stewart needs no introduction. Stewart utterly dominated off-road and stadium racing in the 1980s and 90s. Born in 1945, Stewart grew up in East County, San Diego. As a youngster, he raced go-carts, competing on street circuits on both sides of the border. 

Stewart made the unlikely leap to off-road racing in 1973. Scheduled to co-drive the Ensenada 300 in a Class 2 buggy with his friend Bill Hrynko --before the race, Hrynko broke his leg. Stewart raced the event solo, virtually unheard of then, and won! A tradition and a nickname were born. 

In 1983, Stewart joined PPI Motorsports, Toyota’s factory-backed race team. At the time, Stewart was seeking a ride from an American manufacturer --“something with a V-8 motor.” The 4-cylinder motor and the Japanese truck didn’t sound like a winning combination to Stewart. 

Cal Wells, head of PPI, stressed the reliability and the better weight-to-horsepower ratio of the Toyota and talked Stewart into taking the ride. This unlikely marriage created one of racing’s longest and most successful relationships. Stewart and Toyota teamed up for over 30 years resulting in unparalleled success in the Mickey Thompson Stadium Series and SCORE Off-Road desert racing.

Slow Baja would like to thank Carol Mears for her help in arranging this conversation. We would also like to thank Ivan and Linda Stewart for their generosity in opening their home and making time for us.

Learn more about Ivan Stewart here.

Follow Ivan Stewart on Facebook here.

Photos courtesy of Kurt Scherbaum see more of his photography here.