ENSENADA, Mexico — Ivan ‘Ironman” Stewart has been named the grand marshal for the upcoming FGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts. The event, which takes place in Baja California June 1-5, will start and end and host its pre-race activities in heart of Ensenada for the first time in four years. It will take place at iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center and the adjacent fantastically fan-friendly Boulevard Costero.
Ensenada, ‘The Off-Road Capital of the World’, is located 80 miles South of the U.S. Border near San Diego.
The legendary ‘Ironman’ will be celebrating his 77th birthday on June 4, the day that this year’s SCORE Baja 500 will start. Racing since 1973, Stewart, who retired in 2000, had a total of 84 career off-road race victories in stadium, short course and desert. Stewart won a record 17 races in Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group’s stadium series, 17 SCORE Baja 500 class wins (including a record 10 SCORE Baja 500 overall wins in a car or truck), three SCORE Baja 1000s, and five SCORE season class point titles, including SCORE overall point championships in 1990 and 1993. Stewart was a 2006 inductee in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. In 2009, Stewart was also inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions Breitbard Hall of Fame. In 2020, he was inducted into the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
With more than 250 entries expected from 30 U.S. States and 15 countries, 45 competition classes are offered for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads. To date, there are 104 total entries from 21 U.S. States and eight countries. Joining the USA in the field so far are racers from host country Mexico, Bolivia, Canada, Ecuador, France, New Zealand and Peru.