“I am not, under any circumstances, getting out of these responsibilities”: Tony Stewart reveals wife Leah Pruett’s ‘strong-willed’ take on parenthood
Tony Stewart opened up about his wife Leah Pruett's strong willpower, which prevented the legendary NASCAR driver from sidelining himself from imminent fatherly duty. The three-time Cup Series champion and the NHRA short class' only female title holder are expecting their first child in a few weeks.
Amid the couple's imminent parenthood, Stewart and Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass chatted a few weeks ago about how the champion is going about the new journey. The retired NASCAR driver emphasized trying his best to prevent changing the upcoming little one's diapers but to no avail. Stewart added that Leah's strong will defeated his quest to escape the responsibility.
"I'm trying to find every and any way I can to get out of having to change diapers," Stewart said. "But my wife is a very strong-willed woman, and she has assured me that I am not, under any circumstances, getting out of these responsibilities as a father and a parent."
"And I don't blame her. It's part of it," he added.
Tony Stewart's SHR exhibited its showdown at the Phoenix Raceway, marking their final NASCAR battle. While Stewart thus far has no plans for team ownership, he is actively pursuing his NHRA career.
Leah Pruett announced a break from racing in December 2023 as the couple decided to start a family. Stewart, a relatively new driver in Top Fuel racing, replaced his wife for the 2024 season.
"What's going on?": Tony Stewart opens up on his transition to drag racing
After replacing Leah for his rookie NHRA stint, Tony Stewart took significant time to get well-versed in the new sport. Despite NASCAR and NHRA being high-octane motorsports, the durations are highly contrasting. While a stock car race could go several hours, a dragster battle barely lasts a few seconds. It adds to very sharp reflexes and exponentially higher g-force in the latter category that can notch over 334 mph in seconds.
The 53-year-old has recorded two wins in the Top Alchohol Dragster and was recently crowned the NHRA drag racing champion, which proves his dominance in drag racing. However, this season has been a "struggle" for him in the Top Fuel category. He is placed 10th in the NHRA rankings, with a P2 at Sonoma as his best finish from 19 races.
Reflecting on his struggle, Tony Stewart said:
"The car is going down the race track, and your brain's behind it going, ‘Wait a minute, what's going on? And how do I get caught up?' But like anything else — if you want to lift weights, you've got to work up to it. Your brain has the ability to do exactly the same thing. It is caught up now in the car," Tony Stewart said (via Fox Sports).
Much of Stewart's upward slope in Top Fuel performance can be attributed to Leah, who helped Stewart improve his game. The NASCAR legend thanked his wife for lending her expertise in his NHRA career development.
"Luckily, I've got a great wife that's a great teacher, and I got up to speed fairly quickly on what I need to do as a driver to drive the car. We've just struggled," Stewart said.
While Tony Stewart has yet to confirm his 2025 plans, in a conversation with Autoweek in September, Leah Pruett said the community can expect him in an NHRA Top Fuel car next year as well.