IRONMAN STEWART TO APPEAR AT SF CUSTOM SHOW

San Francisco, CA. October 21, 2008:Ivan "Ironman" Stewart, winner of more offroad and stadium racing championships than any other driver in motorsports history, will appear to sign autographs, meet his many fans and show off his latest Toyota racing truck creations at the 9th Annual San Francisco Rod, Custom and Motorcycle Show, which runs February 20 – 22, 2009, at the Cow Palace.

In nearly three decades of rugged, all-out competition on the toughest HDRA and SCORE desert and MTEG stadium courses from Baja to the Bay Area, the 63-year-old Ironman dominated offroad racing like no other, winning Toyota’s first Baja 1000 in 1993 (after winning dozens of Baja 300, 500 and 1000 classes as early as 1973). He scored a record 42 main event victories in the Mickey Thompson stadium racing series. He has won innumerable Driver of the Year titles, is a two-time Dennis Keefe Memorial Award winner and has most recently just been inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame in San Diego.

After concluding his active racing days, Stewart created his Pro Truck racing organization and engineering shops in El Cajon, CA.

The “Ironman,” whose Main Arena booth will be flanked by his 2009 signature Toyota Tundra and one of his Toyota Pro Truck racing vehicles, will autograph posters and talk racing with his fans from noon to 2 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday, February 21, and from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, February 22.

This ninth edition of the West Coast’s largest indoor hot rod, custom car and motorcycle exposition is sponsored by Toyota Trucks and will feature a panorama of slinky customs, high powered street rods and mild to wild motorcycles in the Arena and expansive North and South Halls of the Cow Palace.

Among showcase vehicles already scheduled for the classic indoor midwinter show are Art Himsl’s “Miss Behav’in,” a retro-rod roadster powered by an inline, hopped-up Buick 8. Himsl, of Concord, CA, master painter and creator of whimsical vehicles for nearly a half century, accentuates this hot rod’s World War II bomber theme with a rivet-embellished silver paint job.

Arizona Kustom Kar King Rick Dore is making his only Northern California show appearance with a stunningly reworked candy-apple red ’57 Lincoln roadster, one replete with DuVall windshield and cream leather interior.

Another new custom coach to debut in San Francisco is ’58 Packard roadster re-make by Brentwood, CA, stylist John d’Agostino.

Coachbuilder and Trendsetter of the Year Leonard Lopez will show four new hot rod creations from his Dominator works in Brentwood, including a ’56 Chevy hardtop, a ’56 Chevy Nomad, a ’29 Model A and a ’37 Ford fastback.

Show promoter Rick Perry will showcase motorcycle displays throughout the show, just as they were in earlier hot rod and custom events like the historic Grand National Oakland Roadster Show.

RP Productions has also announced new and attractive family admission for the event as well as a $2 adult admission discount coupon from both Northern California Toyota dealers or at Kragen Auto Stores. Now, kids 8 and under will be admitted free. In previous years, free admission for kids cut off at 5 years old. Adult admission (16 years and up) is $18 ($2 off with discount coupons from Toyota dealers and Kragen Auto Stores); $16 seniors (65+) and military; and $8 kids 9 to 15.

Show hours are noon to 10 p.m. Friday, February 20; 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday, February 21; and 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday, February 22.

For information, contact RP Productions at (209)744-8090 or check out the show’s website – SF CUSTOM SHOW .