“It’s unreal,” said Tony Stewart after achieving his latest milestone. Widely hailed as one of the most versatile racers in the motorsports world, ‘Smoke’ has won in just about everything he has raced in. From NASCAR and IndyCar to the National Midget Series and the SRX Series championship, the veteran has conquered them all. However, one can argue that his first NHRA Top Fuel gold at Las Vegas Motor Speedway might arguably be his most special achievement to date.

Leah Pruett was visibly ecstatic at the result. Having been replaced by her husband at the beginning of the 2024 season, she shared a heartfelt message on social media after Tony Stewart’s victory, and turned the spotlight towards certain members of the team’s crew.

Leah Pruett gives credit to Tony Stewart’s crew chief

Tony Stewart knew he had his work cut out for him. Despite being a seasoned racer across multiple motorsports disciplines, competing in NHRA’s four-wide racing was always going to present a brand-new challenge, one that would take more time getting used to. In this format, four cars launch simultaneously and only the top two advance from each round. His rookie season didn’t match up with Smoke’s lofty expectations, as the team “could not get on a path where we could make gains last year.”

This is why the victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway would have felt so much sweeter this time around. Leah Pruett, a Top Fuel racer herself, penned a heartfelt note on social media, saying, “When on the line, my emotions are raw and it shows—sometimes more than I wish. But I felt pure joy for Tony, and an overwhelming wave of happiness for Neal and the team. I live and see the weight they both carry, the expectations they’ve managed, and the sacrifices we’ve all made behind the scenes.”

What makes the victory particularly special is that Tony Stewart has now won in every professional racing discipline held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. From NASCAR, USAC, and now the NHRA Top Fuel, the 53-year-old has conquered them all, showing that he’s still got it after all these years. Pruett also gave credit to crew chief Neal Strausbaugh, who was responsible for Stewart’s 3.870-second run, which toppled fellow competitors Antron Brown and Justin Ashley.

Highlighting that Strausbaugh’s contributions went beyond tuning the TSR Dodge/SRT Direct Connection Dragster, Pruett wrote, “Honestly, he’s been the heartbeat of this Top Fuel effort. His perseverance, vision, and belief have carried this team through every challenge.” The win comes after months of setbacks, including a runner-up finish in March after Stewart finished behind Clay Millican. Knowing that changes needed to be made, Strausbaugh and co-crew chief Mike Domagala changed the car’s setup, a move that eventually paid off.

Tony Stewart, who is not accustomed to struggling on the racetrack, knew that winning a Top Fuel race would be a cherry on top of his many achievements so far. “It’s never taken me more than a year to a win a race in a series,” he said. “I’ve always figured it out in the first year — with multiple wins normally.” However, all’s well that ends well, as ‘Smoke’ now joins an elite list of racers who have prevailed at oval tracks and the NHRA drag strip in their career.

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Tony Stewart sheds light on potential Indy 500 appearance

Fans can’t get enough of Tony Stewart. Even though he retired from NASCAR after the 2016 season, the veteran racer has been keeping himself busy with part-time gigs across the motorsports industry. However, motorsports enthusiasts have been requesting the Indiana native to get back into open-wheel racing soon, and rumors have been circulating about a potential Indy 500 appearance in the future.

Speaking just after his historic NHRA Top Fuel victory, Stewart addressed the ongoing speculation and said, “The last time I was in an Indy car was 2001. So, 20-plus years now, to go there and even think I’d be competitive is, in my opinion, very unrealistic. If I truly feel like I have a shot to win the Indy 500. I think whatever team I would end up with would be capable, but I don’t think I’d be capable just because of seat time. So, I just don’t think it’s in my cards.”

As things stand, Tony Stewart remains fully focused on his drag racing career, where he’ll be aiming to secure more such wins. Reflecting on his latest triumph, he said, “As much as I love winning this race for our team and for myself and for our family, seeing [Leah] bring [Dominic] up there, that was a feeling I’ve never had in my life before.” At the age of 53, ‘Smoke’ is aging like fine wine, and doesn’t look like he’s slowing down anytime soon. Could he go on to win another Top Fuel race in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!