Tony Stewart is a household name in the NASCAR Cup Series. While he retired from it in 2016, Smoke is pretty much active in the drag racing arena. With Stewart more than settled in his professional life, not long ago, he settled down on a personal level. In fact, things have only got better for him since he married his wife, Leah Pruett.
Who is Tony Stewart’s Wife, Leah Pruett?
On May 26, 1988, in Redlands, California, American drag racer Leah Christine Pruett was born to father Ron and mother Linda Pruett. Post finishing high school, Pruett joined California State University on an athletic scholarship. Luckily for her and her sister Lindsey, their father Ron comes from a racing background. Interestingly, he holds the world record for the fastest land speed.
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Following her father’s footsteps, Leah Pruett became a racer for the Junior levels at eight. In fact, just two years later, she won the National Team Champion Racing title. In her early career, she had 37 NHRA Jr. titles to her name. Furthermore, she earned her NHRA’s NitroFunnyCar license by completing a race in a record-breaking 5 seconds elapsed time.
Leah Pruett’s Career
Although Pruett’s official Top Fuel appearance came in 2013, it was in 2016 that she grabbed the headlines. She then overcame Brittany Force at the National Championship in Arizona, registering one of the biggest highlights of his career. Another one was cruising 1000 feet in just 3.65 seconds with a high speed of 331.85 mph at the Nitro Spring Training seminar in Chandler in 2017.
Furthermore, at the 2017 NHRA Arizona Nationals, Pruett drove past the circuit in just 3.658 seconds at 329.34 mph. However, she beat her own record in 2018 with a top speed of 334.15 mph at Phoenix. To date, she has ten wins in Top Fuel and three in the Pro Modified arena.
In 2010, Pruett won the 2010 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series championship in the Nostalgia Funny Car class. Additionally, she also won the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown title. With the fourth place being her career-best finish in Top Fuel, Pruett keeps hunting for a title win as she competes for her husband’s team, Tony Stewart Racing.
How did Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett meet?
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Barring a sponsor event in 2019, Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett’s paths had hardly crossed. However, it all changed when the drag racing icon Don “the Snake” Prudhomme introduced them to each other. In fact, Prudhomme insisted Stewart meet Pruett during an offroad trip in Glamis.
READ MORE – Tony Stewart and His Wife Leah Pruett Announce Good News for Fans on Valentine’s Day
It was then that they started dating as they hung out together in Florida in the week leading up to the NHRA Gator Nationals. However, it was the Covid-19 pandemic that brought them closer. The couple spent four months together after Pruett had first invited Stewart to her in Lake Havasu. They surely seem to have made the best out of their time then.
Speaking with DragIllustrated in August 2021, Pruett spoke about their quarantine experience. She said, “We got to literally spend four months with each other as a man and a woman. Not race car drivers being on the road and traveling and doing all the crazy stuff that we do. It gave us a chance to really get to know each other before we started adding the racing elements to it.”
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Since then, a lot has changed as Stewart entered the drag racing arena to not only support Pruett but also be a part of it both as an owner and driver. While it is not always wise to be in the same sport as your partner, the couple seems to have been handling it well.
When did Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett tie the knot?
Over time, Stewart only went to grow stronger about his bond with Pruett. In fact, as per AP, he couldn’t speak more highly of her. He said, “She [Pruett] gets me. And I enjoy going to her events and being the one doing the supporting. I mean, if she wanted me to support her at basket-weaving competitions I probably wouldn’t enjoy it, but I am very happy with this relationship and where my life is right now.”
Seeing how things were going right, Stewart and Pruett got engaged in March 2021. In fact, Pruett took to Instagram to announce the great news to her fans. However, it only got better when the couple decided to tie the knot eight months after their engagement.
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Just after the 2021 NHRA season ended, Stewart married Pruett in Los Cabos, Mexico. IndyCar driver Marco Andretti provided a short glimpse of the wedding ceremony. Although it was a close-knit affair, the couple shared their happiness on social media.
After the wedding, Stewart tweeted, “I still can’t believe I’ve been married for a full year to this gorgeous, thoughtful, and most of all fun woman. You make every day exciting, and I’m looking forward to all of the adventures ahead. Love you, babe!”
Do Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett have Children?
As it is with after any marriage, the inevitable question that arises is that of having children. However, with Stewart and Pruett’s competitive nature and their dedication to racing, their future family plans remain unknown. As of now, they do not have any children.
How do Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett support each other?
For any successful marriage, a partner’s support is of utmost importance. Fortunately, both Pruett and Stewart have been at their very best in this case. In fact, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion first took the initiative in lending his support. He attended sessions at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School to get a detailed understanding of Pruett’s racing arena.
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Our first Christmas as a family is in the books. Hope everyone is able to enjoy the holidays with their family this year. #TheStewarts pic.twitter.com/vGodqODGxA
— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) December 26, 2021
Stewart made the best efforts to attend as many Pruett’s races and, over time, even she has adopted a similar practice. As per the Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner, it was only after meeting her wife that he got more attracted to drag racing. Speaking to Heavy.com, he said, “But it wasn’t until I met Leah and started going to races regularly, where I saw the strategy and the preparation firsthand, that I truly understood it.”
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Surely, Leah has nothing but a positive impact on Stewart. With the couple strongly pushing for Stewart-Haas Racing’s success, it is interesting to see how their partnership works out professionally.