Teenage phenom Isabella Robusto is accelerating the future of racing

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On college applications around the country, guidance counselors use the word “driven” to describe teenagers. But the word couldn’t be more apt for recent high school graduate Isabella Robusto. After graduating from high school a year early, the 17-year-old from Fort Mill, South Carolina, is taking a semester off before heading to college to take her racing to the next level.

The teen is already a stock racing champion — in 2018 she became the first female to win a national qualifier race in a Legend Car, and recently picked up her first late model stock win. But in these next few months, Robusto is going to use her inner drive to bring her to the next level. Here’s how her career started, where it’s going, and what it takes to become a racing champion.

How it started

From push carts to scooters, Robusto was always comfortable on wheels. It ran in her family: Her grandfather did short track racing, and her dad brought her to watch races from an early age. She and her twin brother, William, would race each other in their driveway on their toys, almost as soon as they could walk. And when Robusto got into her first go-kart at five years old, she knew she had found her passion. “I knew that was what I wanted to do. I just got that feeling,” she says.

A year later, Robusto went to a race featuring kids just a few years older than her. At that point, her dreams solidified. “I said to myself, ‘In three years, I’ll be racing here, and I’ll be up front, and I’ll win.”

Watch for number 55 in the tie-dye car
Robusto's dad and grandfather brought her and Will to as many events as possible. Her grandfather also gave Robusto her number — 55 — a subtle nod to the connection she has with her twin, who also races.

“I’m 55, and he’s 22, because they look the same when they’re flipped,” Robusto explains. “They’re similar, but different, just like us. And I got 55 because I’m the older twin. I’m going to keep 55 for as long as I can choose my number.”

Robusto’s grandfather also gifted Robusto her first car when she was nine years old — a tie-dye Legend Car Bandolero. “I loved tie-dye as a kid, and I still try to keep some tie-dye on me, whether it’s my race suits or helmets,” Robusto says. “But back then, you couldn’t miss it when it was out on track, which was probably my favorite part about it.”

Training with Toyota
For the past year, Robusto can often be found at the Toyota Performance Center (TPC) in Cornelius, North Carolina, which is about an hour away from Robusto’s South Carolina home. With the support of its sponsor partners, Toyota Racing Development built the state-of-the-art TPC, the focal point for all health, nutrition, and performance aspects of Toyota’s Driver Development (TD2) program. It is the primary place for Toyota drivers to learn, train, and connect.