Tony Stewart was seven years old when he first sat behind the wheel of a go-kart. His father, Nelson, who served as the car owner and crew chief was right there—turning wrenches, hauling equipment, and making sure his son had every chance to succeed. Those early years spent racing on short tracks and learning the ropes from his father, laid the foundation for a legendary career. Now, decades later after his first lap in a go-kart, Stewart finds himself on the other side of that journey—as a father. With a three-month-old son carrying his and his wife, Leah Pruett’s racing blood, the question is inevitable: will their child follow in their footsteps?

NASCAR’s legacy has been shaped by racing talent passed down through generations. From the Pettys and Earnhardts to the Elliotts and Jarretts, the sport has seen sons follow their fathers onto the track. Today, that tradition continues with young talents like Keelan Harvick and Brexton Busch already making a name in racing. So ever since Leah Pruett, an accomplished NHRA drag racer, gave birth to Dominic James Stewart in November, fans have been interested to know what his parents have planned for his future in terms of racing on the track. Well, as expected Tony Stewart has an answer for all those curious minds.

Stewart sat down for an interview with radio personality Bubba Clem aka Bubba the Love Sponge and discussed his son’s possible racing future. Clem asked Stweart where he might want to get his son started when it comes to racing and what his preferred route will be. “I think it starts one step before that. And honestly, Leah and I have had this conversation. And it was really short. It kind of amazed me because there’s so many directions for kids in motorsports now, that you kind of have to have an idea of what you wanna do,” Stewart said.

Talking further about his son’s potential career in racing, he added, “Leah and myself both agree that we just want to let him choose his own path. Do we feel like he’s going to end up in some form of motorsports? It’s really hard to believe with a professional race car-driving father and mother, that’s not going to be a path they want to go.”

Tony Stewart is a rare breed of driver. You pick any racing series, choose a style of racecar, and name a venue, and the chances are Stewart has already competed and proven himself across the board. He won the 1997 IndyCar Championship. Came to NASCAR and won three Cup championships as a driver (2003, 2005, and 2011). Won the Chili Bowl twice (2007, 2008). Last year, with his wife expecting, Stewart took over the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel car and placed ninth in the final NHRA Mission Top Fuel point standings. Moreover, he was named NHRA Rookie of the Year. This kind of career trajectory worked for Stewart, but he feels that kind of a journey won’t be a possibility when Dom is all grown up and ready.

Racing’s landscape has changed over the years. Compared to previous eras, most modern NASCAR drivers tend to specialize in stock car racing rather than competing across multiple disciplines. In the past, legends like Tony Stewart, A.J. Foyt, and Mario Andretti showcased versatility by racing in NASCAR, IndyCar, sports cars, and even dirt tracks, but that isn’t the case anymore except for a select few. Drivers pick a path early in their career and stick to it.

“The days of running all the different cars, like I did, I just don’t see guys being able to do that. The closest one to that now is still Kyle Larson. I mean to go back and run wing sprint cars to go and run to their late models. I mean the versatility of that. I mean he’s run the sports car. He’s run the Indy 500. He’s going to do it again. You just don’t see many guys doing that. I mean they get more specialized in a form of motorsports,” Stewart mentioned.

Kyle Larson ran the Indy 500 last year, albeit under controversial circumstances. He attended a rain-marred race and then made the trip to Charlotte to attempt The Double. But as Stewart mentioned, Larson is an exception to the rule here. Meanwhile, Stewart is keeping an open mind when it comes to his son’s career, even if it is away from the track.

“Racing is not a sport you can do half a** or do 80%. I mean, you either are all in or you’re all out. And it’s honestly that way with anything you do. If he wants to play little league baseball, tons and millions and trillions of us have played little league baseball when we were little and then went on to do other things away from baseball. We want him to pick his own path,” Stewart added.

And for Dom, it’s still a long time before he decides. However, Tony has his eyes set on another season in NHRA, and he’s pumped!

Tony Stewart is no longer an NHRA rookie

For the folks who don’t know, the Indiana native replaced his wife last year in the Top Fuel division because of the pregnancy. And Tony, being Tony, was quick to adapt. Last season, he advanced to a pair of final rounds. Raced in four semifinals. Earned a position in the Countdown to the Championship. At the NHRA Finals, he had a career-best run of 3.688 seconds at 334.73 mph in his 11,000-horsepower dragster. Naturally, there was no contender even close to taking away the Rookie of the Year title from him.

And this year, he’s going as someone who’s figured out the race craft. The now confident Stewart recently said, “This year’s Gatornationals definitely takes some of the stress of being a rookie driver out of the equation.” Gatornationals is one of the most prestigious events in the traditional East Coast opener. And like NASCAR has ‘The Clash,’ this also acts as the season opener. Last year, Tony lost in the very first round here, but he’s hoping to do better this time. With all the experience from 2024.

Also, Stewart has kind of gotten a cheat code. He can get 24/7 coaching from Leah Pruett. Although Pruett hasn’t driven since 2023, but until then, she already had already clocked 12 Top Fuel victories to her name. So there’s no one better who can guide Tony into victory lane. Which is also his goal for 2025. “Right now, we are working on the performance of our car… I’m hoping that we get the needle moving in the right direction, and I’ll get this car into the winner’s circle,” Stewart added. Let’s hope he gets a few wins this season.

What do you think? Would Tony take some checkered flags this season? And about his son, where, according to you, will Dominic James Stewart end up? Let’s make this a prediction game. Share your guesses with us in the comments below.