“Please don’t let this hurt” - When Tony Stewart’s wife Leah Pruett walked away from a horrifying airborne crash

Drag Racer Leah Pruett was once a victim of a scary crash after a chassis failure that disintegrated her dragster and went airborne before coming to a halt. While many professionals would have called it quits, Tony Stewart's wife suffered minor injuries and gave a thumbs up after exiting on her own.

Pruett is a semi-retired NHRA Top Fuel dragster, who last competed for Tony Stewart Racing until she took a hiatus to start a family with the former NASCAR Cup Series champion Stewart. With 11 wins under the Top Fuel category, she also won the NHRA SAMTech Factory Stock Showdown championship in 2019.

In a 2020 conversation with NHRA's Phil Burgees, Pruett recalled her horrifying crash at the 2020 second round of eliminations at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. She said (via NHRA):

"I remember seeing the scoreboards, seeing the sky, and at that point thinking, 'This is happening,' but I immediately knew there was nothing that I could do at that point except be along for the ride, because once you see the scoreboards and clouds and the sky, it's over."

Pruett continued:

"It was the quietest time because you're no longer on earth and the engine is still running but you're in the canopy, and then I did feel myself changing direction and I thought 'Please don't let this hurt'; it was a cringing moment of knowing that I was going to fall at some point."

Nevertheless, the Redlands, California native returned to drag strips even after sustaining some bruises and sprained back.

Here's a look at Leah Pruett's dragster getting airborne after a speed of approx 260 mph:

While Pruett has shown the courage and determination to continue drag racing despite such setbacks, she once opened up on how her "family hobby" motivated her to make it a full-time career.

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"With a tiny little go-kart": Leah Pruett opened up on her passion for cars and racing

In a 2020 interview, Leah Pruett was asked what ignited her passion for motorsport racing. Moreover, the Top Fuel racer discussed how his father played an important role in her early racing days.

Speaking with Rides & Drives, Pruett said:

"I think it really started out with a tiny little go-cart that my dad got my sister and I to rip up and down a really steep driveway and dirt a little bit." [2:40]

NHRA dragster Pruett then spoke about her father's encouraging thought process in a male-dominated sport and added:

"He[Pruett's father] was like, 'Man I'd really like to do Motorsports with my two girls. About that time, in 1994, 1992, did the NHRA start the Junior Drag Racing League. So, my sister started when she was eight "I watched her race for about four years. As soon as I was eight years old, I got to race a Junior Dragster, so that was our family hobby and activity."

As things stand, Tony Stewart, who replaced his wife in the NHRA Top Fuel category, has hinted at Pruett's return to the drag strip sooner rather than later.