NASCAR legend Tony Stewart comes clean about his emotions on fatherhood: “I’m not thrilled; but I am excited”

Tony Stewart is stepping into a new phase of life- fatherhood. At 53, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has spent decades focused on racing, but now, his priorities are shifting. In a candid interview with Athlon Sports magazine, Stewart opened up about his emotions regarding becoming a father for the first time.

Stewart and his wife, NHRA racer Leah Pruett, announced in June 2024 that they were expecting their first child. As per the interview, much like his career moves—whether buying Eldora Speedway, co-founding Stewart-Haas Racing, or going into drag racing—fatherhood was not something he had planned.

“I’m not thrilled to be a father at this age, but I am excited about it because, in our own way, the time was just right,” Stewart said.

The couple welcomed their son, Dominic James Stewart, on November 17, 2024. That same day, Tony Stewart was scheduled to compete in the NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. Pruett, who had been competing throughout her pregnancy, was home in Arizona and unable to race. Initially, Stewart planned to remain at the hospital, but Pruett insisted that he return to the track. Explaining the situation, Tony Stewart said,

“I wanted to stay, but Leah told me to go. It was the first race weekend she had missed all season, and she wanted one of us to be there.”

Stewart’s approach to fatherhood mirrors the way he has handled his racing career—adapting as new opportunities come up. Despite his reservations about becoming a father later in life, he accepts that he is in a place where he is ready for the change.

“I’m still intense at the racetrack, and I still want to win, but I just feel like I’m at a place where I’m ready for a family,” Stewart explained.

While Tony Stewart will continue competing, he will also take on new responsibilities at home. Pruett, who has taken time off from racing to focus on motherhood, encouraged him to take over driving for her Top Fuel ride.

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Tony Stewart’s Shift from NASCAR to NHRA

Along with embracing fatherhood, Tony Stewart is also undergoing a major shift in his career. After decades in NASCAR, he has stepped away from the stock car and fully committed himself to NHRA drag racing. His decision to leave NASCAR was influenced by frustrations with the sport’s leadership and structure. He talked about this in the same interview with Athlon Sports.

“It was just one of many elements that made the timing right to step away,” Stewart said.

He has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with NASCAR’s charter system, calling it “a joke” and expressing disappointment that the sport has struggled to replicate the leadership style of previous decades.

His change to NHRA started casually—he simply wanted to spend more time at the track with his wife. However, what began as a way to support Pruett quickly turned into a new career. Tony Stewart started competing in the Top Alcohol division before moving up to Top Fuel, the highest level of NHRA competition.

Despite being a rookie in NHRA, Stewart has quickly earned the respect of his fellow competitors. He made two final rounds in his first full season and won Rookie of the Year honors. However, Stewart believes he still has more to prove. Top Fuel champion Antron Brown has high expectations for Stewart, predicting that he will soon have his first NHRA victory.

“I don’t know that I’m there yet, and that’s a question you have to ask our peers, but I do feel some camaraderie there,” he said.

“He isn’t going to stop,” Brown predicted.

Since Stewart stepped away from NASCAR and focused on NHRA, rumors have circulated about his future with dirt racing, including Eldora Speedway and his Sprint Car team. However, he has firmly denied any plans to sell.

“I don’t know where it started earlier this year that someone said I actually sold the track,” Stewart said.

“I didn’t sell it. It’s not for sale. It is not going to be for sale. It will be with me for the rest of my life.” he added

Tony Stewart who is also a NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time NASCAR Cup champion, is now all set to take on NHRA racing. In 2022, he launched the Tony Stewart Racing NHRA team and started competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster category of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. By 2024, he moved to the Top Fuel division.