Tony Stewart has revealed details about his future racing plans as his wife, Leah Pruett, prepares to make her return to NHRA Top Fuel competition in 2026. The couple faced significant changes after stepping away from racing to start a family, and Stewart’s recent statements highlight the personal sacrifices and pride he feels in passing the torch back to Pruett, while managing his own evolving role both on and off the track.
Leah Pruett’s Return Signals a New Chapter
In early 2024, Leah Pruett made the decision to pause her high-profile racing career with Tony Stewart Racing to focus on starting a family with Stewart. Their son, Dominis, arrived in November 2024—a moment that not only impacted the couple personally but also shifted the dynamics within the racing organization. During her time away from the driver’s seat, Pruett was far from absent, staying active by supporting technical initiatives and collaborating with team partners on marketing campaigns. She remained immersed in the operations of TSR, working alongside longtime crew chiefs Neal Strausbaugh and Mike Domagala, and keeping a close relationship with Dodge and related sponsors.
A private test session in Virginia during mid-2025 proved pivotal: Pruett demonstrated both the talent and competitive hunger essential for a comeback. As a result, her return is now set for the 2026 NHRA Top Fuel season, again piloting the Dodge/SRT Direct Connection dragster and rejoining her crew alongside key supporters. This marks not only a return to racing, but a purposeful blending of her roles as both elite athlete and mother—a comeback celebrated as a homecoming by the team and its partners.
Tony Stewart’s Transition: From Filling the Seat to Passing the Torch
With Pruett focused on motherhood, Tony Stewart stepped in as her replacement behind the wheel for the 2024 and 2025 NHRA seasons. Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Stewart acknowledged the emotional complexities of his temporary role and the unique position he found himself in:
“There were a couple of small moments where I had to bite my tongue because I really don’t want to get out of this race car, but I do because I’m doing it for a person I love, and I know how much she loves being in it. And it was the first time that I actually stepped back and said, I can’t believe I’m actually doing this… But, at the end of the day, it was bittersweet when we had to do her announcement,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
Despite the bittersweet nature of the transition, Stewart performed admirably in his fill-in role. He notched multiple victories in 2025, including standout wins at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas and the Route 66 Nationals in Joliet. He ultimately clinched the 2025 NHRA Regular Season Championship at the U.S. Nationals, further solidifying his reputation as a versatile driver. Stewart reflected on his responsibility and the choices made behind-the-scenes:
“But ultimately, it was still her decision. Her and the crew chief made the call of two of us that were on the card of who to pick. And I told him, I said, ‘pick who you think is going to give us the best opportunity to have the best results at the end of the day,’ and so to be able to step in and fill in for her, I feel pride in that as her husband,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
He also stressed the underlying motivation for taking on the role, explaining his willingness to step aside and prioritize the couple’s family plan:
“This wasn’t about me. Me driving her car was about her and her decision for us to start a family together. And she got to dictate the timing of it and all that because I felt like that was really important. She’s giving up what she loves to do the most of driving that race car, but somebody had to drive in the meantime,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
Stewart’s time in the Top Fuel seat was not simply an act of holding the spot—he publicly embraced the challenges and rewards of excelling in a new discipline, even under the scrutiny reserved for newcomers:
“But love the opportunity as a race car driver to go to another form of motorsports, get in another type of race car that people are going to say, ‘ah, he’s not going to figure this out, he’s going to get his a– kicked,’ and be able to sit there and perform and get up to speed and win a couple of races,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
As plans for 2026 come into focus, Stewart made it clear that the block of time driving Top Fuel was always meant to be temporary. His anticipation is now on supporting Pruett’s competitive return, while considering new projects and potential collaborations ahead.
Looking toward the upcoming season, Stewart’s enthusiasm is evident:
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. If racing with Rico is not fun enough, this just encompasses all of it. And the season we’re going to have next year to do and to have Rico in our shop. I mean, literally our funny car team, our top fuel team, and Rico sprint car team, we’re all in the same building,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
There is speculation about whether he will seek out another Top Fuel role, possibly with another organization such as Elite Motorsports, but Stewart’s unique trajectory combines competition, support, and family responsibility. His story is a notable invocation of racing heritage—one that spans both personal achievement and sacrifice.
Motorsports Achievement Amid Family Milestones
Stewart’s dual roles as a competitor and supportive partner have come during a period of both triumph and transition. In his inaugural NHRA season in 2024, Stewart earned Rookie of the Year honors and secured a top-ten finish in series points. By 2025, he not only maintained a strong position but secured the NHRA Regular Season Championship at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, major wins that resonated within the drag racing community.
This period also reinforced his appreciation for the sport’s demands and for the opportunity to showcase his versatility. The respect garnered by succeeding across motorsports—in NASCAR, IndyCar, and now NHRA—further cements Stewart’s legacy. At the same time, the transition back to a supportive role resonates with the values of teamwork and family that he and Pruett have publicly championed.
The Personal Dimension: Balancing Racing and Family Life
For Tony Stewart, balancing high-octane performance with personal milestones is not a new challenge. Notably, in 2001 he achieved the rare feat of completing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, making history as the only driver to finish on the lead lap in both events. Now, Stewart finds himself on a parallel journey, trading the life of a full-time driver for that of a partner, father, and mentor.
He voiced his appreciation of this change, noting the rewarding experience of having his family deeply embedded in the racing world:
“To get to go to the racetrack each weekend, get to do it with my wife, to now have our son there,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
Despite ongoing demands, Stewart faced a stark reminder of racing’s risks in a 240 MPH crash at Maple Grove Raceway. The incident not only impacted his physical condition but served as an inflection point in his perspective on family and racing:
“Our crash the other day happened at 240 MPH…We had a backup car, we had the opportunity to test with Leah on Monday. She got to make the hits in the car, and I’m banged up a little bit. The doctor’s orders not to get in the car…So to have my wife shake up the car, that’s a pretty cool deal for me,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
The pride Stewart feels is apparent as he observes Pruett’s return to passion, while he navigates the joys of fatherhood. His day-to-day life now includes close moments with his son, Dominic, whose presence serves as a reminder of what truly matters beyond the championship chase:
He is 30 ft away from me at all times. I can go run in that trailer at any time, hug him, kiss him all I want, play with him.
Stewart also reflected on family ties in racing history, speaking with reverence about his father’s role in his career:
“My dad’s 87 years old now; we raced three-quarter midgets together. And so, getting to race with my dad occasionally, that’s something that I haven’t had the opportunity to do before,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
Summing up the central theme of his journey, Stewart identified what binds his efforts and experiences together:
“We are just truly a racing family,”
Tony Stewart, Race Car Driver.
The Road Ahead: What Stewart’s Future Holds
Tony Stewart’s future racing plans are emblematic of both individual drive and shared commitment with Leah Pruett. While her highly anticipated 2026 return sees her stepping back into a familiar team alongside familiar faces such as Neal Strausbaugh, Mike Domagala, and the support of Dodge and TSR, Stewart’s own course is less about holding the spotlight and more about fulfilling longstanding family promises.
Pruett’s efforts behind the scenes throughout her pregnancy underscore a sense of continuity in the organization, while her return symbolizes both professional determination and the affirmation of personal priorities. Key partners and organizations, including Elite Motorsports and the Rico sprint car team, offer Stewart alternative avenues should he wish to remain directly involved in competition, but his words and actions consistently elevate the importance of supporting others—even stepping aside when necessary.
The couple’s journey, now centered around their son Dominic, resonates with sports fans who appreciate stories of resilience and adaptability. Their path demonstrates the evolving nature of motorsports careers and the ways in which family and ambition can coexist. As the 2026 NHRA season approaches, the motorsports world will watch with interest as Leah Pruett takes her place back on the track and Tony Stewart embraces both new opportunities and his ongoing role as the anchor of a true racing family.
