In November 2024, Leah Pruett and Tony Stewart welcomed their baby, Dominic James Stewart, and their lives changed forever. The story of his birth is a fascinating one in itself, with Tony Stewart rushing from his NHRA race in Pomona, California when he heard Leah was going to the hospital. He jetted back to Phoenix and made it in time to witness his first child be born. However, he always jokingly shied away from parenting duties.

“I’m trying to find every and any way I can to get out of having to change diapers,” Stewart said last year. However, Leah Puett was having none of it. Stewart added, “She has assured me that I am not, under any circumstances, getting out of these responsibilities as a father and a parent.” While diaper changing is a must, babysitting is another conversation altogether. It’s something that Leah won’t even let Stewart do at times, let alone his long-time racing partner.

Tony Stewart and baby Dom have to stick to diaper changing time

Tony Stewart became a father at the age of 52, and it is quite natural for him to be overprotective of his only son. Stewart and Leah met in the year 2020, and their love blossomed rapidly. The lovebirds got married in the same year in November and since then, their life has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. It was in 2023 that Leah had announced that she would be taking a sabbatical from racing, given that she would want to concentrate on her family life. The 12-time Top-Fuel winner was replaced by her husband, who will resume his duties in her seat in 2025 too.

The couple welcomed their baby boy in November 2024 and since then their social media handles have been quite active about baby Dom’s whereabouts. Recently, Tony Stewart was asked in an interview whether Leah would trust their team partner and friend, Matt Hagan, with their precious little being. To this, Stewart replied, “Well, the fact that Mike shaking his head no, is probably a pretty good indication we should say, no. I don’t know even that Leah trusts me to babysit Dom right now.”

Matt Hagan is a four-time NHRA Funny Car Champion and a driver for Tony Stewart Racing since 2023. The two have shared a great relationship over the years and earned a championship together in their first year together. Despite Matt Hagan being the father of four children, sons Colby (13) and Tucker (3) and daughters Penny (10) and Nelly (1), Pruett is keeping babysitting duties to herself.

For any mother, trusting their kid with anyone else is a big deal. It feels like someone is leaving a piece of their heart behind. However, for Leah, it gets difficult because she welcomed the little one after a lot of struggles. Lead is a chronic patient of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune disease that usually attacks 15% to 20% of adults only.

Around 2020 or 2021, the racer started noticing some weird changes in her body. “I was losing a lot of hair. I was constantly cold. I was having a very hard time compartmentalizing and controlling my emotions, which is not something I’ve ever had an issue with,” she had said in 2024. Notably, the disease, if left untreated, can affect pregnancy, and result in miscarriages and birth defects. However, everything went smoothly and now she looks forward to 2025 with Dominic by her side at all times.

To ensure that she can spend all of her time with baby Dom, Leah is not getting back behind the steering wheel any time soon in 2025. For a passionate racer like her, giving up on her career for such a long time is not easy. Yet, she has made the tough choice and decided to give her baby the time he needs. “As much as I can’t wait to, at some point—whenever that is—get back in a dragster, it’s not 2025. I’m looking forward to that. I’m not letting that take any moment away from being with this baby.”

Despite replacing Leah in the NHRA while she takes care of Dominic at home, Tony Stewart reflected on how his approach to life changed after becoming a father.

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Stewart was aware of his age going into parenthood

Tony Stewart welcomed his first baby at the age of 52, which might not seem like an ideal age to be a father for many. Stewart was also vocal about his age but reassured that he felt there was no better time than now for him to embark on this journey. “I’m not thrilled to be a father at this age, but I am excited about it because in our own way, the time was just right… just feel like I’m at a place where I’m ready for a family,” Stewart shared in an interview with AthlonSports.

In an appearance on WESH TV, Stewart opened up on how he wakes up every day with something new to look forward to since he has had little Dominic. He said, “This point in my life to wake up every day and know that when I see Dominic. I know that every day there’s gonna be a little change that was a little different than the day before and that’s what I look forward to every day… When you see him and he smiles, it’s like the clock stops and nothing else in the world is happening.” 

Even Leah has shared several moments recently, echoing similar feelings about her little boy, “Literally, you know, his face is changing every day, and he’s growing every day. Our phones now have hundreds of photos on them and videos of just pure baby nothingness,” she said in an interview with Behind The Catch Fence. So despite the babysitting being taken over by her, the couple shares similar feelings about their little boy and cannot help but capture every waking moment of his.