SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
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assist if the vehicle was disabled. "When I first started driving solo it was because I wanted the first Valvoline Ironman trophy and the $500.00 that went with the award," says Stewart. "I think that was around 1975. After winning three of those awards in a row, some of the journalists started calling me Ivan "Ironman" Stewart. Later, when I started driving Toyota trucks, I think there may have been some liability issues with taking a co-driver. So, I simply kept driving solo. Plus, I came from the construction industry and have always been in pretty good shape, which helped a lot." Stewart's love and passion for the desert has also helped his racing career. For more than 40 years, the deserts of Mexico have been the place where he made his living as a racer. Ultimately, he fell in love with the country and people. With 10 driver championships, 84 career victories including 17 overall wins in the SCORE Baja 500, and three overall wins in the SCORE Baja 1000, it's obvious Stewart knows a lot about Baja and is definitely a man that can teach you a few things. "I got to meet and talk to Ivan when I was racing Pro-Truck," says Tavo Vildosola. "He's a guy that you need to learn a work ethic from, especially in terms of what it takes to win races." KNOWING THE TERRAIN IS A KEY TO WINNING Because of his love and experience in Baja, Stewart had exceptional knowledge of the terrain. So much so, that during the pinnacle of his career, team members at PPI Racing and Toyota Racing Development (TRD), STEWART CLAIMED TOYOTA'S FIRST SCORE BAJA 1000 VICTORY IN 1993. IT WAS THAT VICTORY THAT CLINCHED HIS SECOND SCORE OVERALL AND UNLIMITED CLASS SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS, MATCHING HIS 1990 RECORD AS THE ONLY DRIVER IN SCORE HISTORY TO EARN BOTH TITLES IN THE SAME YEAR. "Driving over your head, simply means you are either out of control and making mistakes when you are driving too fast for your ability, or that your vehicle is not set up properly." - Ivan Stewart. where accustomed to working with Stewart's knowledge of the area. Decisions about pit stops and chase points where made quickly, without any drama or discussions, and were decided upon and located based solely on Stewart's experience. It was common for Stewart to pick an exact spot in relation to the race course, and the team would determine how his race was going by the time he got there. Stewart also recalls that sometimes, all it took to create a pit stop area was a few passes of the pre-runners and chase trucks over a half-acre of weeds to flatten them out. This created a level area to fuel the race truck or change tires. "Simple as that we had another pit stop," said Stewart. "Then off we'd go into the pre-run." KEEP IT FUN AND ARTICULATE YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS To anyone watching or meeting Ivan Stewart, it was always crystal clear he was having a blast. So for anyone wanting to emulate Stewart's accomplishments in driving a long-distance desert race, having fun doing it is crucial, but 068 SCORE JOURNAL