There was no clarity about whether or not Tony Stewart would continue in his role as a full-time racer in the NHRA Top Fuel. He had no intention of joining a competitive racing series as a 53-year-old rookie, but he had little choice. His wife and lead driver for TSR Nitro, but she decided to start a family with Smoke and wanted him to lead the charge for the team.

The couple did welcome their first baby boy, Dominic James Stewart, recently as Stewart was preparing for his final race at Pomona Raceway. Little did he know that he would have to continue to lead the charge for his team in 2025. Going by the latest updates by Kelly Crandall from ESPN, Tony Stewart is going to continue as the full-time driver for his team in 2025. Meanwhile, Leah Pruett will enjoy motherhood before she makes up her mind to return to the racetrack.

Tony Stewart will be back competing in NHRA next season

This is indeed a good day for all the Tony Stewart fans who wanted to see him race beyond the 2024 season. There were reports about TSR opting to field two dragsters that could see both Stewart and Leah Pruett compete for the top prize. However, the former SHR co-owner is now confirmed to retain his spot as the lead driver for the 2025 season.

The NHRA Rookie of the Year winner announced this while speaking at the Race Industry Week session. “I’m going to be back in the Top Fuel car again next year. Leah has decided she wants to be a mom this first year. I’ll be honest; she is literally just over two weeks from having Dominic, and I am pretty confident that in about two or three weeks, she’ll be ready to get back in a Top Fuel car.”

A little over two weeks ago, Stewart was in Pomona when he got the call about his son’s birth. Despite having two rounds left in the NHRA, Smoke rushed back to Havasu to be with his wife and celebrate the birth of their son Dominic. In a picture captioned, “Our Wild Wild West,” the world met Smoke’s son. Pruett and Stewart took Dominic for one of his first outings and posted a delightful picture on Instagram.

Stewart stated that Pruett could easily get in the race car if she wanted to but wants to prioritize being a mother for the time being. Either way, this worked out in his favor as he will get another shot to prove himself at the Top Fuel level. “She absolutely looks amazing. Looking at her, you wouldn’t even tell she just delivered a little boy to us… I’m kinda fighting it a little bit, but I guess the bonus to it is I get to drive a Top Fuel car again next year. I get to win either way,” Stewart added.

It’s fair to say that the 2024 NHRA season has been a tough ride for Tony Stewart and his team. This was the first time since 2016 that he attempted to compete in a racing series in a full-time role. However, he did manage to gain small wins and massive learnings after successfully reaching the playoffs in Top Fuel drag racing.

Stewart knows what to expect in his second stint at NHRA

Trending

1

Richard Childress Breaks Silence on Handing Over RCR’s Reins as Austin Dillon Given “Good Education” on Family Business

2

Ty Gibbs’ Ignorance to Denny Hamlin’s Warning Proves Costly as NASCAR Sends a Strong Message

3

Kevin Harvick Suspects Internal Conflict as Infighting Erupts Between Richard Childress’ Grandsons

4

Dale Jr. Faced Richard Childress’ Wrath After Offending Him With Opinion on NASCAR’s $200K Punishment

5

Richard Childress’ Grandson Unleashes Raw Emotions Over Spine-Chilling Daytona Crash

Lifelong Tony Stewart fans had high expectations for their favorite driver given his track record competing in different disciplines of racing. He is one of the rare drivers who can excel in anything that runs on four wheels and an engine. USAC Nationals Triple Crown, IndyCar, and then NASCAR. It didn’t matter in which machine Stewart raced; he always delivered the good. But the NHRA Top Fuel racing proved a tough nut to crack even for a talented race car driver like him.

Smoke finishes ninth in the Top Fuel points standings. He had a pair of final-round appearances and four semi-final rounds, and he made it past the regular season in his rookie season. The closest Stewart came to tasting his first Top Fuel win was at Sonoma Nationals. He outpaced seasoned drivers like Shawn Langdon and Justin Ashley, but his magic faded against Antron Brown in the final round.

To cap it all off, Stewart also took home the Rookie of the Year trophy, one that he admitted he felt quite conflicted about. He explained, “I will say, if it was off performance, Richard Gadson would have definitely had this hands down. He did an amazing job in pro stock motorcycle this year. Daniel Wilkerson did an amazing job in the funny car. There were a lot of great rookies in all four classes this year. But the criteria is different what they consider Rookie of the Year and why they do it.” 

A winless race season is something that sounds odd for a driver like Tony Stewart, but he did clinch the Rookie of the Season honors. The good news for his supporters is that he will have a second bite at the Top Fuel cherry, and hopefully, he will live up to his billing in 2025.