“My goal is to not suck, to not get fired by my wife, and to not kill myself driving this thing.” Tony Stewart said this soon after announcing his NHRA racing duties for 2024 while his wife took a pregnancy sabbatical. The three-time NASCAR Cup champion’s conceding of superiority to his wife, Leah Pruett, is well-founded. Conquering 18 NHRA races and choosing to be a mother despite a health condition – Hashimoto’s thyroiditis – are signs of a superwoman.

So Tony Stewart found the perfect role model for his Top Fuel debut this year. Stewart advanced to a pair of final rounds and four semifinals and clinched a berth in the Countdown to the Championship. Finally, he secured a ninth-place finish in Top Fuel points and the highest honor conferred to a newbie. And Stewart heaped credits on his better half.

Tony Stewart shines through his debut

Only a versatile racer can hold championships across IndyCar, USAC, and NASCAR’s Cup Series. And Tony Stewart, undoubtedly, has proven himself to top that category. However, his foray into NHRA came with challenges – for example, wielding an 11,000-horsepower dragster against veterans of the sport is no mean feat. However, Stewart had expert guidance by his side. Among Leah Pruett’s 18 victories, she owns 12 in the TopFuel dragster ranks, three wins in the Pro Mod, and three in the Factory Stock Showdown. So her versatility helped her husband soar to heights this year.

After Leah Pruett gave birth to the couple’s first child, Stewart traveled back to Pomona and posted a career-best run of 3.688 seconds at 334.73 mph. Yet he was eliminated from the semifinals against Doug Kalitta and secured a top-ten finish in points. However, Tony Stewart also clinched Rookie of the Year honors at the NHRA awards ceremony.

He tipped his hat to this experience: “It’s a big honor to win this award this season. There are some great drivers in the NHRA and it’s one of the most diverse forms of motorsports I’ve been a part of. I’ve had a really good time working with the series this season to promote and continue to grow the sport.”

Subsequently, Tony Stewart praised his wife Leah and co-racer Matt Hagan for their massive help. “It was an honor to be part of this group this year,” said Stewart, a NASCAR Hall of Famer. “The two main coaches I had were Matt Hagan and my wife, Leah. Thank you Leah for giving me this opportunity and I want to thank everyone at NHRA. It’s been a blast this year.” Debuting in 2022, the two-car Tony Stewart Racing NHRA team raced in the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series sportsman ranks before moving to Top Fuel in 2024.

Tony Stewart’s speed was visible even outside the racetrack.

Covering miles like ‘smoke’

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Everyone remembers Kyle Larson’s inspiration for The Double right? The Hendrick Motorsports driver embarked on a special mission this year away from his Cup Series duties. He attempted to cover 1100 miles, the total distance of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Yet Larson had a predecessor to look up to – Tony Stewart. ‘Smoke’ was the only driver to date to have completed the full 1100-mile project in 2001. Reminiscent of that legendary feat, the 53-year-old accomplished a jaw-dropping trip on the day his son was born.

On the same day, Tony Stewart qualified for the weekend’s NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. Soon after, he got a call that his wife was going into labor in a Phoenix hospital. He rushed there in time to welcome his son, Dominic James Stewart, into the world. Then Stewart returned to the Pomona Dragstrip for the semifinals.

In a social media post, Tony Stewart Racing Nitro summed up this feat. “Meet our new teammate, Dominic Hames Stewart,” the post on the TSR Nitro X account said. “Momma @LeahPruett_TF and baby are doing great. Congratulations LP and @TonyStewart on becoming new parents! Only Tony could pull off qualifying, rushing to Phoenix to make it in time for the delivery, then back to @PomonaDragstrip for race day. Let’s go win Dominic a trophy.”

Accordingly, Tony Stewart clinched the Rookie of the Year trophy. Smoke just enhanced his already glittering racing resume, and may do more in the future.