Most of the race fans were sold that Tony Stewart would clinch his first victory in his first season in the NHRA Top Fuel. Who would blame them? After all, Smoke had set the bar that high. If you look back at his racing journey, he’s excelled in every racing he’s stepped into. However, the NHRA drag racing was just a different ball game altogether for Stewart.

Throughout the season in 20 races, Tony Stewart was unable to register a single race win. Now that indeed is a head-scratcher given his credentials as the most versatile racer in the United States. Despite the slump, he had a shot, an opportunity to script history at Sonoma Nationals as he made his way to the final round. But he crumbled against the might of Antron Brown.

It’s no secret that 2024 was a disappointing campaign for Stewart in his rookie season. He couldn’t capitalize despite having the opportunity to redeem himself against Brown in Sonoma. But, if there was one race car driver Stewart wouldn’t mind losing against, it was Antron Brown.

No easy pickings at the NHRA level for Tony Stewart

For starters, Tony Stewart didn’t plan to embark on a new racing journey at the NHRA. It was because his wife, Leah Pruett, who led the TSR Nitro team, stepped down from her role to start a family. So Smoke had little say in leading the team, but he did so willingly. Now the nuances of running 300 laps on ovals were going to be different when compared to a drag race that lasts about 5 seconds.

He had a rare opportunity to claim his debut win at Sonoma Nationals after an 11-race winless streak. He was off to a good start with a slight advantage on the start line, but Brown tracked back and claimed his 77th career win by defeating Smoke. It was indeed a gut punch for the rookie driver to fail to win his first Top Fuel race, but he didn’t lose his sleep over it.

Rather, he was glad that he got beat by his good friend, who helped him land on his feet in NHRA and set up his race team. “But when I got out, you so badly wanted to win your first national race in a top fuel car, and you finished second to a buddy… So when we got out to the top, I just think myself I wouldn’t be here right now in this sport if it wasn’t for your help, and Antron spent a ton of time with myself and Leah and I to help get our program up and going and on its feet. So there was no shame in losing to Antron.” Stewart said this on Race Industry Week.

While he didn’t notch up any wins, he was able to make it to the playoffs. Moreover, he was also rewarded with the Rookie of the Year title. Well, the good news is that Stewart will have a second bite at the cherry and script a redemption run, continuing as a full-time driver for his team.

Leah Pruett won’t return to racing in 2025

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Tony Stewart and his wife Leah Pruett were blessed with their first baby boy, Dominic, this year. Ideally, Stewart was only a temporary fix who was filling in the driver’s role due to Pruett’s absence. However, it seems like Smoke will continue as a full-time driver for his team, as Pruett has decided to look after the baby Stewart rather than hopping back in the dragster.

This news was confirmed by Stewart himself: “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 the Top Fuel car… But the bonus is that I get to drive a Top Fuel car again next year. Either way, I get to win.”

Now that Smoke has parted ways with NASCAR as a team owner, he will be able to give it his all at the NHRA Top Level in 2025. As far as winning is concerned, he certainly has gained valuable insights from his rookie season, which he will now put to use to compete for wins.