“I didn’t understand it till I met Leah”: Tony Stewart unveils the “hard to explain” world of drag racing, gives a big credit to his wife’s influence

Tony Stewart revealed that he did not completely understand the concept of drag racing despite the large popularity it has gained in pop culture. He mentioned that it wasn't until he met Leah Pruett, his wife, that he understood the sport.

Stewart debuted in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) in 2022 as a team owner. Tony Stewart Racing is fielded by his wife Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan (the latter in the funny car category). Pruett raced until recently when she stepped aside from racing; Stewart then replaced her in the NHRA and has been racing since 2024.

Discussing the prospect of drag racing and its popularity across the country, Tony Stewart was asked how much he had to teach the new drivers about the sport. He mentioned that initially, he didn't know what went behind the scenes in these events. He stated that Leah Pruett helped him understand the sport completely.

"I think all of them have got a small taste of it some point but they really don't understand it. I think it's really hard, it was hard for me. I mean I didn't understand drag racing till I really met Leah and started attending events," Stewart said.

Stewart then explained that racing is quite different from what people usually see in movies and on TV.

"For me being a race car driver and a professional race car driver, what you see on TV is they start the car, the engine tuner twists a couple knobs, driver does the burnout, they back up or twist the knobs again, the driver stages and when the lights change they haul ass down the racetrack. There is so much more to it than that."

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"If a car goes straight, it is slow": Tony Stewart explains the logic behind handling a dragster car

The NHRA Top Fuel Dragster cars are one of the fastest-accelerating cars to be produced. With power at a whopping 11,000 horsepower, they manage to cover the entire dragstrip within a matter of a few seconds at speeds that can sometimes exceed 330 mph.

While a car is supposed to go straight in these events, Tony Stewart explained that it is hard to keep them in a straight line. He stated that any car that goes completely straight while accelerating is going to be slower than its competitor. He said:

"When you get the opportunity to be around it and be that close to it that is what set the hook for me of understanding how are they making these 11,000 plus horsepower cars go down a thousand foot straight line. Those cars never go straight. If a car goes dead straight, it is slow, is what that means.

So every fast run I've ever seen from everybody those cars are moving around, the drivers are having to drive those cars. But it's just an experience that is really hard to explain to people till you can get them there one time and they start seeing and understanding what they're seeing," he added.

Tony Stewart emerged successful in his first year racing in the NHRA. He was also crowned the 2024 Rookie of The Year of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.