Toyota Racing Development may have started in Japan, but it owes a debut of gratitude to America. In particular, the growth of TRD came about as a result of some unsung heroes and a particular icon of off-road racing.

Keep reading below but be sure to watch the video with a special guest appearance from Ivan “Ironman” Stewart as he gets behind the wheel and shares his story.

Let’s start at the beginning.

The story of Toyota’s racing efforts goes all the way back to 1957. That year, Toyota became the first Japanese automaker to enter the American market with the Toyopet Crown. Hoping to build on that momentum, they entered the world of motorsports with a racing division called Toyota Sports Corner—or “TOSCO.” Their first challenge was the grueling Round Australia Rally, and they built a purpose-built race version of the Toyopet Crown Deluxe to compete. Despite facing tough odds, Toyota managed to place 47th out of 86 competitors.

Rather than seeing that as a failure, Toyota took it as motivation. TOSCO continued developing race cars into the 1960s and entered the first-ever Japanese Grand Prix in 1963 with three cars: the Crown, Corona, and Publica. All three vehicles won their respective classes.

Their early racing success prompted Toyota to think beyond the racetrack. They partnered with Yamaha to develop the 2000GT—their first true sports car. It launched in 1967 and quickly became one of Japan’s most iconic cars, even landing a role in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice.

The TOSCO-Yamaha partnership continued with the Toyota 7, which earned a respectable eighth-place finish in the 1968 Japanese Grand Prix. They later developed the 7 Turbo, believed to be the first twin-turbo race car in history. But tightening emissions regulations and changes to Grand Prix specs sidelined those efforts. Even so, Toyota pushed forward, introducing the turbocharged Celica in 1973—right in the middle of an international oil crisis. That Celica won the Fuji 1000km race, and Toyota was officially on the map as a serious player in motorsports.

The Birth of TRD

In 1976, TOSCO was renamed Toyota Racing Development—or TRD. They began offering parts to consumers in Japan and eventually expanded into other Asian markets, especially the Philippines, where Toyota had a strong following. However, due to strict emissions and safety regulations, these parts weren’t readily available in the U.S.

That’s where Joel and Joji Luz came in. These two Filipino racers saw an opportunity and began importing TRD parts from the Philippines under the name TRD USA. Their small business quickly gained traction. Eventually, Toyota Motor Sales recognized the value and acquired the company in the early 1980s, establishing the official TRD USA facility in Costa Mesa, California. That facility continues to design and manufacture Toyota’s racing engines and develop consumer TRD parts for the U.S. market.

Toyota’s first official entry into American motorsports came in 1981 when they entered the GTU class with a Celica, working alongside racing legend Dan Gurney. By 1987, Toyota had won the GTO class with driver Chris Cord.

The Ironman Legacy Begins

But the person most synonymous with TRD in America is Ivan “Ironman” Stewart. Stewart helped define TRD’s off-road legacy, and his name remains closely tied to the brand’s identity.

He wasn’t initially sold on joining Toyota. But once he came on board, everything changed. His first win with Toyota came in 1983 at Pomona. By 1993, he was at the top of his game. Known for driving the Baja 1000 solo—without the high-tech comforts of today’s vehicles—he became a legend in the off-road world.

Stewart would go on to win 47 races for Toyota, many behind the wheel of the PPI015 #11 Tundra race truck. He retired in 1999, leaving behind a legacy that cemented the TRD brand in the minds of off-road fans and weekend warriors alike.

TRD Hits the Racetrack

TRD’s success wasn’t limited to the desert. The division made major gains in endurance racing as well, with notable finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans—6th place in 1990, 2nd place in both 1994 and 1999. After a brief pause, Toyota returned to dominate the race from 2018 to 2022.

In the IMSA series, TRD debuted the Eagle MkIII, a car with a 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 800 horsepower. It won 21 out of its 27 races.

Finally, A TRD You Can Buy

In 1998, Toyota launched the first TRD-branded consumer vehicle, the TRD 2000GT—a wide-body MR2 with a mix of performance and style upgrades. That same year, the first TRD Off-Road Tacoma went on sale.

From there, TRD expanded into nearly every racing discipline, including WRC, IndyCar, and even Formula 1. In 2004, the Toyota Tundra became the first Toyota vehicle to race in NASCAR, where TRD-developed cars continue to perform well.

On the consumer side, the brand kept growing. In 2012, Toyota introduced the Tacoma TRD TX Baja special edition. That was followed in 2015 by the full TRD Pro lineup, including the Tundra and 4Runner. TRD trims soon appeared on the RAV4, Camry, Avalon, and Sequoia, the latter of which received a TRD Pro edition in 2020.

2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally Package

Which brings us to today—the 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally Package. This truck is inspired by decades of off-road racing success and serves as a tribute to the spirit of TRD. With the Costa Mesa facility continuing to innovate, the future of Toyota Racing Development looks as strong as its past.