Leah Pruett Reveals Her New Found Shortcomings as She Finds Her Way Through Motherhood

The decision wasn’t easy but it was necessary. Leah Pruett has ruled herself out of the 2025 NHRA season as she continues to focus on raising her newborn son Dominic James Stewart. The 36-year-old racer took a break from the motorsports world in December 2023 to start a family with her husband Tony Stewart, and the couple welcomed a baby boy in November last year. Since then, the motorsports community has been eagerly waiting for her return, but it seems like fans will have to be patient for a little longer after Pruett’s latest announcement.

The semi-retired drag racer has cited motherhood challenges as the underlying reason behind her decision, which means her husband, Tony Stewart, will continue to replace her in the National Hot Rod Association.

Leah Pruett highlights the reasons behind difficult racing decision

Motherhood can be a steep learning curve. Leah Pruett is still coming to terms with her newfound responsibilities, after giving birth to Dominic James Stewart a few months ago. The California native has been forced to take a temporary sabbatical from racing to take care of her son, while Tony Stewart will return for his sophomore NHRA year in the Top Fuel category. Known for her versatility, ‘Smoke’ has lived up to the expectations and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2024, while his wife continued to cheer him on from the sidelines.

Having initially announced her decision at Tony Stewart Racing’s 25th anniversary, Leah Pruett reiterated the message in a recent Instagram post, saying, “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.” Highlighting how unrealistic it would be to expect her to perform at her highest level on the racetrack while taking care of her newborn, Pruett went on to say, “Feeding, pumping, washing parts, napping, changing, and all the things on his schedule, that’s something that should be left for superwoman. I’m a very strong woman, I’m not a superwoman.”

Pruett’s reasoning is understandable, even if it might disappoint plenty of fans. Many of them were eagerly waiting for an announcement about her return even while she was in postnatal recovery. However, it’s not truly a goodbye from the 36-year-old, who intends to return to the racetrack eventually and will continue to cheer for her husband, especially at the upcoming Pro Superstar Shootout. Meanwhile, Tony Stewart will be aiming to improve from last year’s performance, having narrowly lost to Doug Kalitta in the semi-finals.

Despite Leah Pruett highlighting her shortcomings as a mother, her husband Tony Stewart couldn’t be more proud. The 53-year-old said, “My wife is unbelievable. She’s a way tougher woman than I will ever be as a man.” In Smoke’s eyes, Pruett is already a ‘superwoman’ despite her claims and the Indiana native will want to make her proud when returning to the 2025 NHRA season-opener at Gainesville Raceway in March.

Pruett excited for the upcoming Pro Superstar Shootout

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She might not be in the driver’s seat, but Leah Pruett is looking forward to witnessing some high-octane motorsports action. The racer has been involved with the NHRA since the age of 8, joining the Jr. Drag Racing League to live life in the fast lane. Since then, she has secured 11 triumphs, including the 2010 Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series championship, and has been involved in the discipline for 27 consecutive seasons. Given her lifestyle, sitting at home doesn’t come easy for the California native, who is hard-wired to seek that adrenaline rush from racing.

However, given her responsibilities, Pruett is being forced to settle for the next best thing. Encouraging fans to do the same, the 36-year-old racer went on to say, “Be sure to see if you can go to the Pro Superstar Shootout in Florida. It’s less than two weeks away. If you’re looking for a little bit of sun and your first whiffs of nitro of the year? That’s the place to be. I’m stoked. I’m geeked out to go and start running cars. Just cause I’m not in the seat doesn’t mean I’m not excited to be at the races. If you can’t make it, you can just watch it on Flo.”

It’s no secret that Leah Pruett is itching to get back on the track. The racer recently shared a post-pregnancy update on Instagram, telling fans, “My knees feel soo much better after dropping 35lbs.” With how physically demanding the world of motorsports can be, the California native is already training hard in the gym to get back to her pre-pregnancy fitness levels, to make a seamless return to the NHRA when the time is right.