Tony Stewart, the former NASCAR Cup Series champion, took on the challenge of forming a drag racing team for his wife, Leah Pruett, during a period plagued by crew and part shortages, highlighting his determination and resourcefulness. The journey of Tony Stewart building NHRA team for Leah Pruett sheds light on the difficulties of entering a new racing arena while navigating unprecedented obstacles.
Tony Stewart’s Introduction to Drag Racing and Building a Team
After a highly successful stock car career, Tony Stewart’s curiosity for drag racing grew once he met Leah Pruett, who had already achieved significant success in the NHRA Series. The couple’s relationship blossomed after being introduced by Don Prudhomme through a FaceTime call in 2019, leading to their engagement in March 2021 and marriage in November the same year.
Stewart’s frequent visits to drag strips to see Pruett compete deepened his interest in the sport. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated his plans, prompting him to establish a new drag racing outfit comprised of two divisions: Leah Pruett took the wheel in the Top Fuel category, while Matt Hagan raced under the Funny Car banner. This move represented Stewart’s shift from stock cars to the nimble and explosive environment of NHRA racing.
The process of building the team, however, was fraught with challenges. Tony Stewart recounted in an interview how finding not only enough skilled personnel but also necessary equipment and spare parts proved extraordinarily difficult amid widespread shortages at the time.
“Neil Strauss Ball had the toughest job of anybody—taking and starting with literally himself and Leah and then having to build an entire team. And not only build an entire team but do it in a time when you couldn’t get parts, you couldn’t get pieces. Just trying to get enough stuff. And thanks to Don Schumacher—Don told me, ‘I’m going to make sure you have everything to at least build one complete car, race-ready, ready to go’. So he made sure we bought enough parts from him to be able to do that.” — Tony Stewart, Former NASCAR Champion
“But it was hard. I mean, it was hard to find the parts just to build the backup car. So, for Neal to have to sit there and pick a co-crew chief, and Neil didn’t even start trying to be the crew chief. Neil had every intention to be the co-crew chief on the car, but we couldn’t find a crew chief,” he added. — Tony Stewart, Former NASCAR Champion
Neil Strauss Ball, who played a vital role in constructing the team’s foundation, faced significant pressure as he was left to assemble the crew from scratch—a daunting task made even more complicated by the global supply crunch. Tony Stewart credited Don Schumacher’s support, as Schumacher ensured the team had enough essential parts to field a competitive, race-ready car. Despite these efforts, sourcing spares for backup vehicles and finding the right leadership for the technical team remained persistent hurdles.
The Career Paths of Leah Pruett and Tony Stewart
Leah Pruett brought impressive credentials to the table, having established herself as a dominant force in the NHRA before her marriage to Stewart. Her expertise fueled their team’s competitiveness and reputation on the circuit. After the team experienced success, Pruett decided to take a step back from drag racing to devote more time to her family. During her break, Stewart filled her role, managing to secure the Rookie of the Year title last season, a testament to his adaptability and veteran racing instincts.
Their journey underscores the significance of partnership and trust, both personal and professional, especially in overcoming difficulties presented by industry-wide shortages and the ongoing unpredictability caused by the pandemic.
Stewart’s Perspective on the Gap Between NHRA and NASCAR
In October 2024, Tony Stewart, who also previously owned Stewart-Haas Racing, appeared on the ‘Happy Hour’ podcast hosted by fellow champion Kevin Harvick. There, Stewart candidly described the distinct nature of NHRA compared to NASCAR, drawing from his extensive racing background in both series.
He pointed out that while a NASCAR race often stretches between three and four hours with multiple pit stops and hundreds of laps, NHRA races wrap up in a fraction of the time with markedly less room for error due to their fast pace and short runs.
“It’s not like what you and I were used to, where we’ve got a three-and-a-half-hour race,” Stewart said. “We’ve got six or eight pit stops throughout the day, and we have three, four, or five hundred laps to get the job done. If we make a mistake, we’ll fix it,” Stewart said. — Tony Stewart, Former NASCAR Champion
Stewart also compared the engineering aspects, explaining that NHRA dragsters are designed for straight-line speed, delivering nearly 11,000 horsepower, a stark contrast to NASCAR vehicles, which are optimized for oval tracks and limited to about 650 horsepower. This difference changes not only the racing strategies but also the technical approach and operational requirements for team owners and crew chiefs like Neil Strauss Ball and others involved in Tony Stewart building NHRA team for Leah Pruett.
What Lies Ahead for Tony Stewart’s NHRA Ambitions
Tony Stewart’s venture into drag racing with Leah Pruett at his side has highlighted both the challenges and excitement that come with switching disciplines. Difficulties in assembling a skilled team and sourcing essential parts have tested his problem-solving abilities, but support from allies like Don Schumacher and contributions from figures like Neil Strauss Ball have helped his team persist and even thrive. With Leah Pruett’s racing future on hold and Stewart’s own achievements as Rookie of the Year, the NHRA community is watching to see how his team continues to grow and adapt in this competitive environment.
