After son Dominic’s birth, Tony Stewart’s wife Leah Pruett makes an unexpected NHRA return

NASCAR legend Tony Stewart and his wife, Leah Pruett, embarked on a new chapter in their lives with the birth of their son, Dominic James Stewart, on November 17, 2024. Pruett, an accomplished NHRA Top Fuel driver had stepped away from racing in 2024 due to her pregnancy, with Stewart replacing her. A recent update from Tony Stewart Racing Nitro announced her unexpected return to racing during the Arizona Nationals.

While Stewart stepped into the NHRA Top Fuel dragster for the 2024 season, Pruett shifted attention to her pregnancy. The birth of Dominic coincided with the NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. Stewart was in Pomona for the event when Pruett went into labor in Lake Havasu, Arizona. He swiftly traveled to Arizona, arriving in time for Dominic's birth, and returned to Pomona four hours later to compete in the semifinals.

While it was expected for Pruett to make a return to NHRA Top Fuel in 2025, she announced that she was extending her time on the sidelines to raise her son. In the opening round of the 2025 NHRA season, Tony Stewart made it to the E2 round, where Shawn Langdon beat him. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Leah Pruett returned behind the wheel in the second round.

@TSRNitro announced her return in the warmup for Q2 for the Arizona Nationals on X with a caption that read:

"Just like riding a bike… @LeahPruett_TF took over Q2 warmup at the #ArizonaNats 😎"

She is not officially competing in the event as her run plan only included the warmup session. Stewart will continue to take part in the official sessions. However, this is a sign that she might be getting ready to make a proper return to NHRA Top Fuel.

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Tony Stewart says he is more comfortable in the Dragster in 2025

NHRA: Tony Stewart qualifying for the Gatornationals - Source: Imagn

Since Dominic's birth, Leah Pruett and Tony Stewart have been on double duty. Stewart has always maintained that his wife worked incredibly hard since they were expecting their first child. However, recently, he also said that she still plays a huge role in the team despite most of her attention being focused on taking care of Dominic.

"Leah has huge responsibilities, not only as a mom and a babysitter for me, but now on top of that, she plays a very crucial role with the race team. She doesn’t just sit around. She’s not sitting on her hands all day away from the kid. She’s working in this pit, so she has a full schedule," Tony Stewart told the Associated Press.

Stewart added he has been feeling more comfortable coming into his second full season in the Top Fuel compared to his debut in 2024.

"This year I’m way calmer. There’s still a lot of things that haven’t happened driving the car that I know are out there and that are going to come at some point. So it’s not like you say, ‘I got that.’ But I feel way more confident and comfortable where I am now versus where I was a year ago at this time," he added.

The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion also joked that he has not yet changed Dominic's diapers but will share it on social media the first time he does so.