![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wwtraceway.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/leah-tony.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter completing 27 consecutive years in NHRA competition, Leah Pruett is stepping aside from racing in 2024 to focus on starting a family with husband Tony Stewart, who will take over the controls of the team’s Top Fueler for the 2024 season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
fter completing 27 consecutive years in NHRA competition, Leah Pruett is stepping aside from racing in 2024 to focus on starting a family with husband Tony Stewart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stewart will move into the Top Fuel seat on behalf of Pruett at Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), following his first full NHRA season in a Top Alcohol Dragster for McPhillips Racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDrag racing has been an important part of my life for over three quarters of my life,\u201d Pruett said. \u201cTwenty-seven years of racing in the NHRA has molded who I am, and I am extremely grateful for the life it has given me. Through a long series of thought processes and a decision that did not happen overnight, I feel that stepping out of the seat right now is what\u2019s best for myself and Tony to start a family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pruett is a 12-time NHRA Top Fuel event winner. Her NHRA journey began in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League as an 8-year-old. She earned two victories in 2023 and finished the season third in the Top Fuel championship standings, which is the highest she\u2019s finished in her 14-year Top Fuel career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis has been one of the most difficult decisions to make because of what we have collectively created at TSR: a highly successful program and enjoyable operation,\u201d Pruett said. \u201cI had the best finish of my entire career. To step away from that can be a challenging move, but I had already made up my mind long before we were deep in the championship hunt. I\u2019m excited about how competitive this team is, developed through the leadership of Neal Strausbaugh and Mike Domagala, and to be able to have Tony compete in a very safe, vetted, and well-performing car with an established team makes my heart happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur final-round appearance at the NHRA Finals brought me the closest I\u2019ve ever been to fulfilling a lifelong dream of winning a Top Fuel world championship. We were so close that we could taste it, but it wasn\u2019t our time. Ultimately, it will be up to the Lord if we are blessed with what so many share as their greatest joy in life, a family of their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhile Tony and I prefer to keep our personal lives private, we\u2019re honored to share in this announcement with our partners, team members, and fans. There are no guarantees or promises on when I will be back in the seat, but I have every intention of returning as soon as I can. Everything in my heart says that I will return to driving Top Fuel as soon as I feel ready, especially after being so close to winning it all this year. For now, I am thrilled that Tony is getting a well-performing, safe car with an excellent caliber of people, both personally and professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With thoughtful consideration, Pruett and crew chief Neal Strausbaugh selected Stewart as the replacement driver. Stewart is humbled by the opportunity and looking forward to growing a family with Pruett.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am very proud of my wife,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cTo make a decision like this has got to be extremely hard. I don\u2019t think from a male\u2019s perspective that we can fully grasp it. To be a competitive, professional race-car driver and have to make the decision to take yourself out of the seat to start a family is not a position most males would want to be put in. We had discussed starting a family, and this was her decision. In those discussions, we came to the conclusion that the timing was up to her. I was very supportive as to whether she wanted to do it now or years from now. I\u2019m very humbled that Leah and Neal felt I was the driver to fill in for her. I feel honored that I can do that for my wife and this team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stewart, the adaptable racer, has earned championships across NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC, along with hundreds of victories on oval tracks, dirt tracks, and road courses. He finished second in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world championship standings in 2023 and also finished second in the North Central Region championship. Stewart earned two victories at national events, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals and the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, as well as two regional victories in Indianapolis and Reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoyed my time in the Top Alcohol Dragster class,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cI absolutely loved racing with the McPhillips Racing family, and as far as I\u2019m concerned, they\u2019re a part of my family now. It\u2019s hard to leave those guys, but to have an opportunity like this, where you have your wife, who\u2019s also the driver, and the crew chief feel you\u2019re capable to come in and do the job is very flattering. I\u2019m very honored to be able to fill in for her until she\u2019s ready to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stewart, the adaptable racer, has earned championships across NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC, along with hundreds of victories on oval tracks, dirt tracks, and road courses. He finished second in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world championship standings in 2023 and also finished second in the North Central Region championship. Stewart earned two victories at national events, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals and the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, as well as two regional victories in Indianapolis and Reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoyed my time in the Top Alcohol Dragster class,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cI absolutely loved racing with the McPhillips Racing family, and as far as I\u2019m concerned, they\u2019re a part of my family now. It\u2019s hard to leave those guys, but to have an opportunity like this, where you have your wife, who\u2019s also the driver, and the crew chief feel you\u2019re capable to come in and do the job is very flattering. I\u2019m very honored to be able to fill in for her until she\u2019s ready to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stewart, the adaptable racer, has earned championships across NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC, along with hundreds of victories on oval tracks, dirt tracks, and road courses. He finished second in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world championship standings in 2023 and also finished second in the North Central Region championship. Stewart earned two victories at national events, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals and the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, as well as two regional victories in Indianapolis and Reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoyed my time in the Top Alcohol Dragster class,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cI absolutely loved racing with the McPhillips Racing family, and as far as I\u2019m concerned, they\u2019re a part of my family now. It\u2019s hard to leave those guys, but to have an opportunity like this, where you have your wife, who\u2019s also the driver, and the crew chief feel you\u2019re capable to come in and do the job is very flattering. I\u2019m very honored to be able to fill in for her until she\u2019s ready to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pruett will continue to be involved in various aspects of the team in 2024, including assisting with technical projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen the majority of your life has been based around racing and what it takes to race, and you know that the fabric of your life is going to change, you focus on being proactive by developing new skills that will compliment your current talents,\u201d said Pruett. \u201cBesides driving the car, I have put my focus in this year on what my contributions will be to the team in 2024. I am excited that I get to grow as an individual in motorsports outside of the cockpit. I can\u2019t see into the future, but I know it looks to be even more fulfilling than it is right now, which I never thought would be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stewart will join the two-car TSR operation with existing Funny Car driver Matt Hagan. Hagan earned the 2023 Funny Car world championship, which was the first championship for TSR and the fourth title for the Christiansburg, Va., native.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaving been Matt\u2019s team owner for two years, that part obviously doesn\u2019t change,\u201d said Stewart. \u201cThe dynamic will change a little bit next year. Even though I drove for a different team in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, we\u2019ve considered ourselves teammates all year. That is the culture we\u2019ve created at TSR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“As much as Leah has been the best mentor and teacher you can ask for, Matt has also lent himself to help as much as he could. I don\u2019t think that will change. I think it\u2019ll actually grow this year being on the racetrack with him in the nitro category. I think it\u2019ll strengthen our relationship even more than it already is. I think we have a very strong bond on the driver, owner side. On a personal side, we\u2019re good friends also, and I think we\u2019ll be great teammates together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joining Stewart in his Top Fuel quest will be current Tony Stewart Racing partners, with the 2024 partner schedule to be announced at a later date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve reached out to all of our partners, and they\u2019ve all been very supportive of Leah\u2019s decision,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cIt was important to let them all know what our plans are. For all of our partners, it goes way beyond a partnership. It\u2019s personal friendships and personal relationships we have with these people. Their support means a lot to us on a personal level, not just a professional level. It means more to us on the personal level that our partners that are our friends have been behind this one hundred percent and being excited that we\u2019re trying to grow our family. Having their support means the world to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With 13 driving championships to his r\u00e9sum\u00e9, Stewart is looking forward to the year he\u2019ll have in his Top Fuel dragster and is cautiously optimistic on his expectations for the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRunning the Top Alcohol Dragster wasn\u2019t why we did it this past year, but I\u2019m very grateful that I did run in that class and ran with a quality team. With the limited experience I have in drag racing as a whole, that\u2019s not in my favor. However, being able to run in the Top Alcohol Dragster really helped me. It is the third-fastest class that the NHRA has and the fastest quarter-mile class they have. I don\u2019t know how you could drive anything else that would prepare you more for what we\u2019re going to go through in the Top Fuel dragster. <\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wwtraceway.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tony-Stewart-2023-trophy.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s no substitute for seat time, but having a full season under our belt this year helped. Just because I finished second in the points doesn\u2019t mean I feel like, \u2018Oh yeah, I deserve an opportunity in Top Fuel.\u2019 I feel like there\u2019s a lot of drivers that deserve the opportunity in Top Fuel cars. I do feel like I learned a lot this year. As much as Leah\u2019s role is going to change with the team, she\u2019s going to be very active on the team. Part of her responsibility will be babysitting me and helping to teach me all the things I need to learn. I have around 20 runs in the Top Fuel car right now, so it\u2019s not that I\u2019m going into it cold turkey. Hopefully, we\u2019ll get the opportunity for some preseason testing to be even more comfortable by the time we get to Gainesville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to set expectations for the year when you don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know. I didn\u2019t know what realistic expectations should have been for 2023 in the Top Alcohol Dragster. This will be a massive learning experience, and it will be very humbling. The Top Fuel class is arguably one of the toughest classes the NHRA has right now. There are so many quality teams and drivers in the series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt will be extremely difficult and challenging, but at the same time, I\u2019ve thrived on that my whole life. I\u2019ve always wanted to compete at the highest level with the highest level of teams and drivers. Because of our decision to expand our family, I get that opportunity. I\u2019m really excited to race with these guys and girls. In the last couple years, I\u2019ve really gotten to know the teams and a lot of the drivers I\u2019ll be competing against. I don\u2019t think any of us had the inclination this would be the path we\u2019d take, but I\u2019m excited to have the opportunity to support my wife and her decision for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prior to strapping in for the first race of the season, Pruett is confident that Stewart has proven to be the ideal candidate for the Top Fuel dragster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve gotten to be Tony\u2019s drag racing teacher for two years now,\u201d said Pruett. \u201cHe has been an incredible student. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019ll be telling him during the course of next season yet because he adapts so fast. It will come as the runs come. There will be new situations that he\u2019s never been in that we will address \u2013 how the car feels in different conditions, from shake, to smoke, to drivability, is different from the Top Alcohol car. It\u2019s going to be the fundamentals that I will be hard-pressing until he becomes as comfortable as he was in the Top Alcohol Dragster. His adaptability racing is unlike anything I\u2019ve ever seen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy concerns are very minimal in regards to his talent. What\u2019s at the top of my agenda is that the basics are always done, and then we can pick our way into the performance-enhancing features. Honestly, he is a natural off the line, and I look forward to watching he and the team work together. My husband\u2019s gift and passion for driving are unmatched, and I am grateful that he trusts my and Neal\u2019s judgement that he is the right choice for the seat. Safety is number-one priority, and Tony has proven that he can operate a Top Fuel dragster and other vehicles in a smooth manner for himself and other people around him. That truly is the biggest requirement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs I was \u2018selecting\u2019 my replacement driver, Tony was not in the conversation in early 2023. We did not feel he was ready to drive a Top Fuel car. We revisited that conversation around midseason and felt he had adequate Top Alcohol experience, so the conversation changed. He had proven to be a candidate to be considered for 2024, and that\u2019s when the trajectory changed. I believe Tony\u2019s driving ability in the 2023 season, specifically the last half, really shined. Even though that didn\u2019t translate into wins, in my eyes, it showed he can handle so many situations and pressure conditions. He\u2019s pedaled the car quicker and better than anyone else, left on everyone, and had the best reaction-time average of the entire class in a rookie season. Those are all pillars of success that are undeniable for him to be qualified to drive a Top Fuel dragster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TONY STEWART AT WWTR:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Raced at WWTR in the 2023 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional event \u2013 the largest Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event of the 2023 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One NASCAR Busch Series start at WWTR: October 17, 1998, in the Joe Gibbs No. 44. Led three laps and finished fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finished sixth at WWTR in the 1997 USAC Silver Crown race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TONY STEWART CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 49 NASCAR Cup Series wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Three NASCAR Cup Series championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1995: Won USAC National Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown championships, becoming the first driver to win the \u201cTriple Crown\u201d in a single season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1997 IndyCar Series champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2023 \u2013 Three NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n September 27-29 \u2014 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Midwest Nationals at WWTR.<\/em><\/strong> Tickets: CLICK HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wwtraceway.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/tony-stewart-tickets-on-sale-now.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n