"I have no setup sheets for this" - Tony Stewart shares his thoughts on preparing for parenthood with wife Leah Pruett
Retired Cup Series champion Tony Stewart recently sat down for an interview to discuss his upcoming fatherhood. The three-time Cup Series champion said he and his wife, Leah Pruett, are in the final stretch as they are expecting their child in three weeks.
The co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing appeared on Cars and Culture with Jason Stein to talk about his soon-to-be fatherhood life. The 53-year-old believes he's ready to be a dad but added that a first-time parent never knows when they're ready. Stewart went on to say people can always feel nervous when trying something new and compared parenthood to racing.
Similar to his approach to racing, the Indiana native said he plans to learn as he goes. However, unlike racing, he admits to knowing nothing about fatherhood, saying:
"I mentioned to a lot of my buddies that I have no setup sheets for this, and my racing friends are like, 'Even if you did, you wouldn't be able to use them.' No two kids do the same thing." (4:42 onward)
The former driver of the #14 SHR car is doing his best to prepare for the arrival of his first child. He's been using a few "daddy apps" on his phone, one of which sends a daily update with something to think about, typically aligned with his wife's pregnancy progress. Stewart has found these apps helpful in learning about becoming a good dad.
"It's been very educational," Stewart said. "It's been fun to sit there and my wife will say something and I'm like, 'Oh, you mean this? Yeah, you're supposed to have this ready by the end of this week,' and she looks at you like, 'How did you know that?' Because she knows I'm not going to pick up a book on purpose unless it's to smack something with it." (5:09 onward)
Tony Stewart announced the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of this season
Tony Stewart and co-owner Gene Haas announced last May that Stewart-Haas Racing will cease operations at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The organization, which opened its doors in 2009, has amassed an impressive record: 70 Cup Series wins, two Cup championships, 29 Xfinity Series wins, and one Xfinity Series title.
Here's what a statement by Stewart and Haas said:
"We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season. It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly." (via NASCAR on FOX)
Despite closing its doors, SHR still has a chance to go out on top. Cole Custer will compete for his second straight Xfinity Series championship this Saturday at the Phoenix Raceway. Custer earned SHR its first and only Xfinity crown last season and will look to become the first back-to-back champion since Tyler Reddick, who achieved the feat in 2018 and 2019.