Exclusive: This Leah Pruett Factor Could Be the Reason Behind Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Exit, Insinuates Xfinity Debutant

In 2025, for the first time since 2008, the NASCAR Cup Series grid won’t feature Stewart-Haas Racing. It was during the latter part of May when Tony Stewart and Gene Haas officially announced the closure of their joint Cup venture. While Gene Haas has decided to continue in NASCAR with a new organization, Tony Stewart will completely move to the NHRA. Although you may have thought this was the end of it, we now have more insights to better understand Stewart’s departure from NASCAR.

Despite his decision or his team’s subpar performance in the past few years, Tony Stewart‘s contributions will never be forgotten, especially by younger drivers. For many, he is an idol and mentor whose departure feels like a loss to the sport. We understood this better when EssentiallySports, the official media partners of Real American Beer at Pocono, connected with Stephen Mallozzi for an exclusive interview.

Stephen Mallozzi explains Tony Stewart’s reasons for leaving NASCAR

Being on the ground for this past week’s race coverage at Pocono, our team went around the paddock and spoke to not just Cup stars but also the up-and-coming prospects in the sports. Among them was Xfinity debutant Stephen Mallozzi of Joey Gase Motorsports. After Mallozzi explained what he and his team were expecting from the weekend, Bharat Aggarwal from EssentiallySports asked him about his idol. To this, he replied, “I was a huge Tony Stewart fan. When I was three years old, I loved the color orange, and Tony Stewart was with Home Depot. As I grew up, I learned who he was, and I freaking loved him.”

When Stewart burst into the Cup scene in 1999 with Joe Gibbs Racing, he did it while driving the No.20 Home Depot-sponsored Pontiac. Right off the bat, he qualified on the outside pole for the Daytona 500. That was when almost everyone realized this partnership would soon become iconic. From 1999 to 2008, not only did Stewart win two championships, but he also had quite a few memorable moments.

While Stephen Mallozzi started liking Tony Stewart for the color of his fire suit, he later learned that there was much more to the man. That must’ve been around 2004 or 2005, when Stewart and Home Depot had some interesting outings. After his 2005 victory in the Pepsi 400, Tony Stewart started climbing the fence that separated the fans from the track after every victory. However, that led him to say, “I’m too damn fat to be climbing fences.” Seeing this as a golden marketing opportunity, Home Depot launched a campaign called ‘Hey Tony, we’ve got ladders.’ 

These victories and campaigns kept coming, leading Tony Stewart to 2 championships and 33 wins during his JGR tenure. Considering the legacy he’ll leave behind following this season – 4 Cup series championships: 2 with JGR, 1 as the owner and the driver (2011), and once as an owner (2014) – we had to address the elephant in the room.

So when we asked asked, “What are your thoughts on [Stewart] leaving the sport altogether?” Being totally candid, the part-time Xfinity driver said, “I’m upset, but I get it.”

Hinting at all the factors that would have contributed to Smoke’s departure, Mallozzi continued, “You know, he’s had a frustrating few years with it (SHR). He’s got other endeavors; he’s married now and probably doesn’t want to be around as much. Being around the sport as long as he’s been—27 years, over a decade of ownership, and 27 years of driving—takes a toll on a guy. I’m happy for him, and I hope he does well in drag racing.”

While it is still unfortunate for SHR fans, the more one thinks about it, the more this decision makes sense. Following the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel season, Leah Pruett decided to step away to start a family. Her husband replaced her in the series, saying, “We had discussed starting a family, and this was her decision. In those discussions, we came to the conclusion that the timing was up to her.” Well, in June, the couple announced that they’re expecting their first child in November this year.

Considering the good news, it looks like the team owner made the right call by replacing his wife in the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster. Moreover, with a child on the way, it’s only fair that Stewart frees up some time to be with his family. So we wish him and Pruett nothing but the best.