Tony Stewart, the seasoned racing star, had a thrilling yet bittersweet moment at the 12th NHRA DENSO Nationals at Sonoma Raceway. In an incredibly close finish, he missed out on victory by just 0.0214 seconds, taking second place in his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Rinnai Dodge//SRT dragster. The win went to the experienced Antron Brown, who claimed his 77th career victory. Despite the narrow loss, Stewart reflected positively on the day’s events, sharing his thoughts on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Stewart’s racing career has been nothing short of legendary. With a staggering 62 victories, 49 of them in the NASCAR Cup Series, he’s a powerhouse on the track. He’s also the only driver to clinch championships in both the IndyCar Series (1997) and the NASCAR Cup Series (2003, 2005, and 2011). The 53-year-old from Columbus was even inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020, a testament to his incredible achievements.
After the close finish at Sonoma, Stewart expressed his surprise and satisfaction, saying, “This weekend exceeded my expectations. We didn’t clinch the top spot, but we didn’t walk away empty-handed either. In the final round, we gave it our all, leaving the line like one of the best Top Fuel racers out there.”
Despite starting from the 11th position, Stewart outperformed some fierce competitors. He zoomed past Shawn Langdon, who had qualified 4th, and then bested Justin Ashley to reach the semifinals. In a nail-biting showdown, he edged out Ron August Jr. to secure his spot in the final. Even then, his reaction time was quicker than Brown’s, showing just how sharp he was on race day.
Stewart remarked on the significance of his quick start, “Getting a jump on Antron in the final was a big deal for me as a driver. We kept him on his toes and made some solid progress with the car. We’re ticking off our goals one by one. We’ll take the lessons from this weekend and aim to improve.”
Currently, Stewart holds the 9th spot in the NHRA Top Fuel standings with 617 points. His next challenge awaits at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota, from August 16th to 18th, with the event set to be broadcast on FOX.
In a delightful turn of events, Tony Stewart also shared some personal news in a unique fashion. At the beginning of the season, he took over the driving duties of the Rinnai Dodge//SRT dragster from his wife, Leah Pruett, a 12-time Top Fuel winner. The couple made this decision as they plan to start a family, and Leah decided to step back from racing for now.
The exciting news? Stewart and Pruett are expecting their first child in November 2024! The announcement was made in style, with Stewart posting a playful faux movie poster on X, featuring a picture from their wedding day. The poster cheekily read, “The long-awaited sequel to Let’s Get Married.”
Stewart couldn’t contain his excitement, sharing, “I’m thrilled to start a family with the love of my life, @LeahPruett_TF. I can’t wait to meet our little one. This is the ultimate adventure.”
