Tony Stewart might have ended his NASCAR career when he decided to part ways with Gene Haas. Although Stewart plans on continuing to race after leaving NASCAR completely, that will be in the top fuel series. There are many factors that caused Stewart to walk away from NASCAR and besides the team’s crumbling finances, there is also the fact that his wife is expecting a baby.

Tony Stewart’s wife, Leah Pruett, is a full-time drag racer who decided to take some time off during her pregnancy. After the baby is delivered, she will be ready to get back into racing in the Top Fuel category, but until then, it’s Tony Stewart who is her stand-in. Now, although Stewart has years of experience and 3 Cup Series titles, it does not mean that he has Top Fuel figured out. In times like that, it’s his wife who steps in to correct his mistakes. This was revealed by Tony Stewart in a podcast with Kevin Harvick, so let’s take a look at what he had to say about being tutored by his wife.

Tony Stewart explains how his wife helps him with Top Fuel racing

Tony Stewart has stepped up to take Leah Pruett’s place in drag racing; however, unlike his wife, the 53-year-old is a rookie when it comes to drag racing. So it’s only fair that he makes a few mistakes while taking on the new discipline. Pruett, on the other hand, is a veteran who has years of experience in the field, making her a great coach for her husband.

When Tony Stewart starred in Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, they discussed the Columbus native’s exit from NASCAR before talking about his new career in Top Fuel. That’s where Stewart explained that despite being in his rookie season, he wants to be looked at as anything but a rookie. Having a wife who can guide him gives him the edge over many drivers and Stewart is mature enough to know that.

The SHR co-owner told Kevin Harvick that his career is improving because of learning from his wife and about the time when Leah initially was unsure about hurting his feelings, Stewart revealed, “I sat down with her and said, ‘Listen, you’re never going to hurt my feelings, telling me I’m doing something wrong.’ I said, ‘You’re only going to hurt my feelings if you don’t tell me what I’m doing wrong.'”

“I don’t want to do this 98% right. I want to do it 100% right,” said Tony Stewart, who is known to be a perfectionist when it comes to his driving and team management. However, learning from his wife did not come without some prior reservations, as he explained, “I thought, you know, ‘Am I going to be getting yelled at by my wife every week because I’m making mistakes?’ But she knows how much attention to detail we put into what we do, and she knows that I don’t want to be good at it—I want to be great at it.”

But Stewart wants his wife to guide him because, as he explained, “She knows how to tell me everything in a way that I understand, and I know why. You know, if I make a mistake, she says, ‘This is what you did wrong, but this is how you correct it,’ or, ‘Be mindful of this.'” With this, we see just how much support Tony Stewart has been getting during his learning journey, and from his recent results, it looks like the advice has been working.

Tony Stewart’s first NHRA victory

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At 53, Stewart rocketed past Gary Pritchett in the final round with a blistering time of 5.216 seconds at 274.16 mph, leaving no doubt about who was taking home the crown. Pritchett had been leading Stewart by 21 points in the standings, but with the win, Stewart flipped the script. Last year, Stewart came heartbreakingly close to clinching the championship at the same event, only to fall short due to car troubles. But this time, he came prepared. With three wins out of five races this season and a runner-up finish in another, Stewart sealed the deal.

With his wife’s advice and support, do you think Tony Stewart has it in him to win more races in the NHRA? Share your thoughts in the comments below.