Tony Stewart made a tough call last year to pull the plug on his NASCAR venture and move on to a new chapter in his life. His career choice to race in NHRA became clear. And late in 2024, he and his wife Leah Pruett welcomed their first baby, Dominic. Well, the 2024 season ended on a positive note for the couple despite the tough exit from NASCAR and a challenging NHRA season.

But they have started the 2025 season with a bang, and their first move of the year is for a notable cause. Tony Stewart and Pruett have partnered with Novant Health – and integrated healthcare company – to transform the lives of underprivileged kids. Although the new facility will be operational in December of 2025, Smoke was the one who kickstarted this project.

Tony Stewart makes the best use of his $25 million NASCAR payout

NASCAR fans haven’t seen eye to eye with Stewart after his bittersweet exit. A lot of them even questioned if he was invested with his team, Stewart Haas Racing, or if he was in it for the almighty dollar. Well, Stewart has made his stance clear on why he was leaving NASCAR for good. And going by his latest project, he certainly is making good use of his fortune: making sure more and more kids get access to the best medical facilities in Charlotte.

Smoke has partnered up with Novant Health and will be building a new pediatric care unit. The six-bed unit will bridge the gap between intensive and general care, providing aid and expert care to 2,100 children each year. This new unit will be family-friendly and will have an under-the-sea environment theme that will appeal to young kids. Stewart was seen posing with a check for $2.25 million that he will donate to this noble cause; he even met with the entire Novant Health team and kickstarted this initiative.

A joint collaborative post on Instagram stated:“We’re revving up pediatric care in Charlotte with the upcoming Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital Tony Stewart Intermediate Care Unit—made possible by a generous donation from championship-winning race car driver @tsrsmoke! A huge thanks to Tony, his wife @leah.pruett, and all our @novanthealthfoundation donors for helping us cross the finish line for remarkable pediatric care!”

It is estimated that the cost of a NASCAR Cup Series charter is somewhere around $20-25 million. Although Stewart had to share his split with his partner Gene Haas, he did make a good profit on his investment. But, rather than just simply directing these funds to his TSR Racing program in NHRA, he and his family decided to give it back to the community. This is one of the reasons why Smoke’s fan following stretched well beyond the NASCAR community.

Meanwhile, on the racing side of things, Tony Stewart is already getting geared up for the new season.

Smoke is eyeing redemption in 2025

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TSR Nitro celebrated 25 years recently, and they have big plans for the new season. Stewart’s first season in the NHRA Top Fuel was a massive challenge that tested him to his limits. Despite making it to the playoff stages, the 3-time NASCAR Champion was unable to register a single win to his name. Going by his reputation and excelling at pretty much every discipline of motorsports, the 2024 season was a humbling sight for his ardent supporters. He was lacking the Midas touch.

With his wife Leah Pruett deciding to take care of their newborn son, Stewart will be back inside the TSR Nitro dragster in the Top Fuel. On the other hand, Matt Hagan will look to continue the team’s domination in the Funny Car. Like NASCAR, TSR also had a media day as they were kicking off their new season, and going by the caption on their social media post, they mean business. “New year. New look. Same goal.”

Fans will be able to see Tony Stewart in action in his first event of the year at Bradenton Motorsports Park. He will be competing in the annual Scag Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout and getting warmed up before the start of the NHRA season in March.