Isabella Robusto Isn’t an Industry Plant She’s The Real Deal

You might recognize 20 year old Isabella Robusto from Toyota commercials or watching her in ARCA races. But behind the helmet is a young driver with grit, talent, and a deep commitment to perfecting her craft.

Her racing story started well before.

“When I was 12, I was part of the Rev Racing Drive for Diversity program,” Robusto recalls. “That was a Toyota team at the time, though they were switching to Chevy the year I left. But Toyota stuck with me. They believed in me early, and that meant something. I knew how strong the TRD development program was, and I’m so thankful they invested in me and gave me a clear path forward.”

There was interest from other OEMs too Ford and Chevrolet were both in the mix but for Isabella, but the choice wasn’t just about the logos or who was offering the most money. 

“It came down to support and culture,” she says. “TRD felt like family. They weren’t just looking for results; they wanted to grow me as a driver and as a person. Their long-term vision and the people behind the scenes really clicked with me. It wasn’t just about now—it was about the big picture.”

Robusto’s commitment to becoming a well-rounded racer includes a growing presence in sports cars, something that came together naturally between her and Toyota.

“I’ve always loved road racing, and TRD supports drivers who want to get experience across disciplines,” she says. “Getting into a GT4 car this season was exciting, and they were all for it. It’s definitely helped sharpen my skills in ways that carry over to stock cars.”

Her versatility reflects a bigger-picture mindset, and that includes how she sees the development of female drivers in motorsports. We asked what in her opinion is better for up and coming woman drivers, something like the F1 Academy series or a scholarship based program.

“I really believe in scholarship or funding systems over women-only series,” she says. “I want to race against the best, no matter who they are. Having support to compete in the top mixed-gender series is the bigger opportunity. But I’ll say this if a women-only series is done right, it can absolutely help drivers build confidence and seat time.”

With more eyes on her every year, Robusto is aware of how fans perceive her and what they sometimes get wrong.

“People think everything’s just been handed to me, or that I’m just a ‘marketing driver’ for TRD,” she says. “But they don’t see the grind the hours in the gym, breaking down data, simulator time, traveling, working with my team. There’s so much more that goes into this than just showing up on race day.”

Off-track, she’s relatable and sharp, with a refreshing amount of humility for someone with Cup Series aspirations. She’s also got strong opinions especially when it comes to racing heroes. When asked about her favorite drivers to watch she said “Max Verstappen, his smoothness and how calculated he is, it’s insane. Then there’s Kyle Larson, just raw talent and adaptability. Watching guys like that push the limit in totally different ways is inspiring.”

When it comes to her next steps, we asked about a move to Trucks in the future.

“There’s a plan in place that Toyota and I both feel really good about,” she says, without giving too much away. “It’s all about helping me grow and move up the ladder the right way.”

Ask her who’s had the biggest impact on her career so far, and she doesn’t hesitate.

“My family. They’ve supported me since the very beginning since the go-kart days. And Jack Irving at TRD has been huge. He believed in me when I was still this little girl racing, and when it mattered most, he had my back.”

Among her favorite tracks, Daytona stands tall. “That one was emotional,” she says. “A dream come true.” She also talked about Sonoma and COTA. “Sonoma’s super technical, and COTA just flows it’s such a rhythm track, and it forces you to be precise.”

During COVID, she found a second passion: cycling. And when we asked about how she got started and a possible appearance in the Tour de France Femmes Robusto responded with “It started as a way to stay in shape off-track, but I fell in love with it,” she says. “Tour de France Femmes? Never say never but for now, I’m focused on four wheels!”

She’s also focusing on herself more this year, especially when it comes to mindset.

“One of my goals is to actually celebrate the small wins instead of always jumping to the next thing,” she says. “I’ve also been working on staying present and not being so hard on myself after a bad lap or race.”

Isabella prefers to be hands-on when it comes to the technical side, too.

“I’m not a mechanic, but I want to understand the car not just drive it,” she says. “I work closely with the engineers, especially on the simulator. I love digging into the setup side and how it affects feel.”

We then asked her about if young driver get too caught up in reading the Data and if that can affect their growth. “Stats and data are helpful, but if you’re staring at a screen thinking about lap time more than feel, you’re missing the point. Driving is about rhythm, instinct, connection to the car. Data should be a tool, not the answer.”

As for what she hopes her legacy looks like? “I want a Daytona 500 win, a Brickyard 400, a ROLEX 24 trophy, and a Cup championship. That’s the dream,” she says with a grin. “But I also want to open doors for others especially young women coming up through the ranks. I want people to say, ‘She made a name for herself, and she helped others do the same.’”

You can catch Isabella racing in the ARCA Menards series driving the 55 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports.