Last year, Tony Stewart and his wife Leah Pruett made a big decision. The couple decided to start a family, which meant Pruett had to step away from NHRA Top Fuel dragster racing.
In return, Tony Stewart decided to take her place. But the transition wasn’t exactly smooth.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer is used to stock racing and short tracks, but he still has to get used to racing 1,000-foot drag racing tracks at speeds of over 330 mph.
But just as his wife, Leah Pruett, underwent a dramatic transformation this time last year, Tony Stewart is showing a similar pattern in his first season in NHRA Top Fuel.
An uphill task for Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart’s first race at Gainesville Raceway was a disappointment, finishing in the first elimination round.
He finished 9th in the Gator Nations Qualifier, but was beaten by Justin Ashley. His next attempt at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip brought a new challenge. In Qualifying 1, he recorded a time of 4.839 seconds at 148.95 mph, but in Q2 he suffered timing system problems and fell back to qualifying 13th.
An attempt in Q3 also failed due to bad weather. But the deciding blow came during the eliminations when Steve Torrence recorded a 3.695-second time at 336.65 mph, beating Tony Stewart’s 8.841-second time at 126.15 mph, putting an end to the season.
Tony Stewart, who finished 13th at Route 66 Raceway and is currently in 8th place with 291 points, is hoping for a return to form like his wife Leah Pruett experienced last year.
She was winless in the first eight races of the season, her first win coming at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in late June 2023.
It then took more than three months for her to claim her second and final win of the season at Texas Motorplex. Pruett only won two races, but finished third, just 57 points behind leader Doug Kalitta.
The difference between winning and losing in his first Top Fuel championship was just 0.0642 seconds. Tony Stewart’s form has also been steadily improving in recent months.
After qualifying 16th at the Gerber Collision and Grass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, the 53-year-old improved his performance by qualifying eighth at the NHRA New England Nationals.
Now he will be looking for his first Top Fuel win of the season at Virginia Motorsports Park. When asked how important the weekend was, Tony Stewart responded, comparing his season to Leah Pruett’s last summer, “I feel like I was more excited than anyone else at the end of the weekend, and I was probably more excited than anyone else.
I mean, the guys were a little down because we lost to Doug by a close margin, but we got four solid runs in qualifying. “
Stewart said about the team’s progress, “I’m excited about the progress we made at Indy testing. I think we showed some of the things we were looking for, and when we actually went to test, the crew chief was happy, and we had a good weekend after that.
We’ll build on that. So I feel like we’re on the right track, and it’s just baby steps, but we’re creeping in that direction. “
Despite the sabbatical, even Leah has made progress in her career away from the circuit.
Leah Pruett’s shift in role for Tony Stewart Racing
Pruett enjoyed a fantastic 2023 Top Fuel season, winning two races and finishing third in the final Top Fuel points standings.
After racing her entire NHRA professional career under the Dodge and Mopar banners, Pruett’s involvement behind the scenes during her racing hiatus is welcome news, especially since she is considered a fan favorite.
She will temporarily retire but continue to serve on the sidelines as a brand ambassador for Dodge Direct Connection and Mopar.
This means she will be involved in various aspects of the Tony Stewart Racing Nitro organization until she returns to racing.
Pruitt acknowledges that she is comfortable being in the background, especially considering her situation and health concerns, but hopes to return to racing soon. She said: “Right now I’m in the background, which is actually a comfortable position for me, but that doesn’t take away the desire to get in a car and drive and be competitive. I enjoy this other side, but nothing else can overtake this.”
