The landscape of NHRA Top Fuel racing will shift in 2026, as Tony Stewart confirms he will compete for Elite Motorsports, launching a unique on-track rivalry with his wife, Leah Pruett. This Tony Stewart NHRA 2026 return follows an announcement of an alliance between Tony Stewart Racing and Elite Motorsports, setting the scene for an unprecedented family faceoff after Pruett’s return from maternity leave.
Richard Freeman, owner of Elite Motorsports, initiated the partnership after acquiring Josh Hart’s Top Fuel operation. This development ends speculation that Stewart’s driving tenure was temporary during Pruett’s absence, ensuring his continued presence in the NHRA field. Stewart had maintained he was only substituting for Pruett, but the partnership’s structure allows him to keep racing while Pruett resumes her original seat at Tony Stewart Racing (TSR).
Pruett Resumes Racing While Stewart Secures New Role
The sequence of events leading to this arrangement began at the end of the previous season, following the birth of Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett’s first child in November 2024. Pruett took maternity leave, and Stewart stepped in, exceeding expectations as he captured the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year honor and later won the 2025 regular season championship, with key victories in Las Vegas and Chicago. His performance erased doubts about his adaptability in drag racing.
With Pruett’s much-anticipated 2026 return, Tony Stewart Racing has joined forces with Elite Motorsports, combining resources in sales, marketing, and hospitality. Elite, newly launched into nitro drag racing by acquiring Hart’s team, offers Stewart a new opportunity to continue racing while expanding their competitive program.
“Having Tony as our driver, adding another Top Fuel entry, we’re taking care of the sport and opening up possibilities… Tony is a great driver; we all know he can drive anything. He’s great for drag racing, not just as a team owner, but behind the wheel. We’re excited that through our marketing alliance with Tony Stewart Racing, we’re creating an opportunity for Tony to keep a Top Fuel seat and a chance to race alongside his wife, Leah,” Freeman said after the purchase, via NHRA.
As the family dynamic returns to the Top Fuel grid, Leah Pruett will reclaim her Direct Connection Dodge/SRT dragster under the TSR banner. Stewart, reflecting on the new arrangement, stated his intent to support both racing organizations and emphasized that TSR is not currently adding a second Top Fuel car.
“I said from the very beginning that I was just keeping Leah’s seat warm and that it was hers as soon as she was ready to come back. Well, she’s coming back in 2026, and that Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster is going to have her name on it, not mine… TSR is not in a position to add a second Top Fuel car. But with Richard buying Josh Hart’s team and our recent alliance, I can still work as an owner and a driver to help both our organizations grow.”
Expanding Elite’s Top Fuel and Pro Stock Ambitions
The 2026 season will not feature Tony Stewart alone as Elite Motorsports broadens its competitive scope. Erica Enders, with six Pro Stock championships to her name, and emerging talent Aaron Stanfield will both test and pursue license opportunities in the new nitro program. This marks Elite’s concerted strategy to make a mark in NHRA’s most heated racing segments, with owner Richard Freeman driving efforts to expand the team’s competitive depth and outreach.
Rivalry With Leah Pruett Brings New Dimension to Competition
Tony Stewart’s rise in NHRA over two seasons has been rapid and successful, but the coming domestic rivalry is already a subject of anticipation and amusement within the sport. Stewart discussed his evolving feelings about competing against his wife during an appearance on “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.”
“I said I would not race against my wife, I lied to myself obviously… I didn’t think that would even be a possibility, nor did I honestly at first and on paper think that was a good idea. I thought if we race each other and we win, I get kicked to the couch an undisclosed amount of time. If I lose then I have to sit there and listen to my phone blow up about how I got my a** kicked by my wife.”
Host Kevin Harvick injected humor by asking Stewart whether the phone messages or the couch time would be the tougher outcome, noting at least the comfort of the couch. The exchange underscored the unique personal and professional stakes involved in the Stewart–Pruett matchup, drawing attention not only to their on-track performances but also to the family narrative behind their rivalry.
Looking to the 2025 Title Fight and Beyond
Prior to his Tony Stewart NHRA 2026 return, Stewart remains focused on completing the 2025 campaign. Sitting 18 points behind Doug Kalitta in the Top Fuel standings, Stewart has five rounds left to secure his first Top Fuel championship. The competition continues at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina during the Four-Wide Carolina Nationals, taking place from September 19–21. The high stakes are set to culminate not only in the battle for the championship but also in anticipation of the headline-making family rivalry that will highlight the following season.
The announcement of Tony Stewart’s continued driving role, joined by Leah Pruett’s return and Elite Motorsports’ ambitious expansion, signals a transformative moment for NHRA Top Fuel racing. Fans can expect a compelling narrative as Elite, TSR, and legendary drivers bring new rivalries and alliances to one of the sport’s most competitive stages.
