Moving on from NASCAR to NHRA was a big challenge for Tony Stewart. But was it worth it for the SHR owner? Well, Tony himself has gone on to say on multiple occasions that he is enjoying his time in drag racing after his NASCAR exit. “I’m definitely having more fun than I’ve had in a long time,” Stewart admitted this way back in 2022. “I love this community. I tell everybody that… NHRA is 10 times better to be at the track than it is to watch on TV.” Two years later, in 2024, Stewart—a NASCAR Hall of Famer—went on to win the NHRA Rookie of the Year. Talk about passion! But just when it seemed like the 53-year-old had found his rhythm in drag racing, a sudden storm now threatens to derail his NHRA future.

“I’m just the fill-in guy.” These humble words from none other than Tony Stewart about taking his wife’s seat in the NHRA. However, there is a stark reality in his words. At the end of 2023, Stewart and his wife, Leah Pruett—NHRA star—decided to start a new family. Hence, Stewart assumed Pruett’s duties in the TSR Dodge or Top Fuel Dragster as she embarked on her journey of motherhood.

Earlier, Stewart taking over Pruett’s place in drag racing seemed like a temporary fix until she got back on her feet after giving birth to Dominic. However, after little Dominic entered the household in November last year, Pruett admitted it would be difficult to return to the racetrack immediately. “Basically, after I had Dom (Dominic James Stewart) at the end of November, I soon realized how much did I not know about motherhood and I need to learn,” Pruett said in January 2025. However, things are not the same anymore as now the drag racer is eager to be back – and Stewart is yielding, albeit with a tearful eye.

In 2024, Stewart made his NHRA Top Fuel debut. And boy, was it a success! He achieved remarkable results, including two final-round appearances and four semifinal advances. Stewart clinched a career-best run of 3.688 seconds at 334.73 mph. A ninth-place finish in the overall points standings landed him the prestigious 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year award. This was only the latest feather to the cap of a versatile racer – Stewart owns championships across NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC. So fans were pumped to see what the veteran could establish in his new venture. However, the actual driver of his NHRA Top Fuel vehicle is making a move.

Leah Pruett, a 12-time NHRA race winner, appeared in an interview recently. She admitted that raising little Dominic and racing can be very challenging: “This is the first day of the first race of my first season with a child…I did not think that I could do a job for Dodge, for our fans, and be engaging with the team.” But her heart longs for her 11,000 hp Top Fuel dragster. “My heart says that I’ll be back in a race car. I don’t know which one it will be or what category, what class, or what year, but it will be there, because I’m so involved with the team, specifically the Top Fuel team, on a couple projects. I’ve kept very busy so that I don’t lose involvement.”

Tony Stewart was sitting right beside his wife. He proceeded to clarify that he would do whatever Pruett wished – including giving back her place in NHRA. “That race car is her race car. And when she’s ready to get back in, I will immediately get back out at whatever time, whatever event that is, or whatever event’s coming up. If mid-season she says, ‘I want to get back in that car,’ I will gladly step out of that car for my wife.” Stewart fought back his teary eyes in boldly claiming, “I’ll probably be crying at the same time, but I will not hesitate to get out of that car.”

Yet that is exactly why Leah Pruett is hesitating. Besides managing motherhood duties, Stewart’s wife does not want to rob her husband of his newfound happiness. “Really, it’s about kicking Tony out of the seat. I think I’d have a harder time dealing with that. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Yet, Pruett fans can look ahead to a bright future: “When I do jump right back in, I’m even more equipped with what I’ve been working on… It is always exciting when you look forward to the future and you have something in mind. What that journey is like, I still don’t know, but I’m enjoying it.”

Despite the dilemma regarding their NHRA seat, the Stewart couple could not be happier. With a bundle of joy making every day count, Stewart understands a lot now.

Stewart can now see Dale Earnhardt Jr. eye-to-eye.

Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were fellow racers in the NASCAR Cup Series. But while their racing careers fell in place, their fatherhood timelines did not match. Dale Earnhardt Jr got married to Amy Reimann in 2015. Subsequently, they gave birth to two daughters in 2018 and 2020. As Stewart kicks off the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season while raising his four-month-old baby in the NHRA trailer, he can relate to Dale Jr now. “When Dale Jr. had his first child, I remember I waited a couple weeks to congratulate him because I knew his phone was going to be flooded.” Dale Jr. told Stewart back then: “This is what’s missing in your life that you don’t realize you’re missing.”

Indeed, having little Dominic in their lives has transformed both Leah Pruett’s and her husband’s perspectives. Last November, Stewart juggled qualifying, being on time to see his baby’s delivery, and running at Pomona Dragstrip simultaneously. But it was all worth it. Now, Stewart understands Dale Jr.’s words – having a baby on board can turn a bad racing day into a good one. “If you have a bad run and you get a chance to go back to the bus just for five minutes and he’s awake and you see him smile one time, that bad run doesn’t seem so bad anymore. So I think this kid’s going to play a really crucial role in this team.”

We cannot wait to see what wonders little Dominic can inspire in Stewart’s NHRA season! Regardless of whether Leah Pruett comes back to her race car, Stewart’s heart would be full.