In the high-stakes world of NASCAR, where every turn tests a driver’s nerve, few have gripped the wheel with Tony Stewart’s raw intensity. The Hall of Famer etched his name in history back in 2001, becoming the only one to finish both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, logging all 1,100 miles without a single lap lost. With three Cup Series titles under his belt, plus 49 victories, Stewart’s grit turned skeptics into believers time and again. That same fire never dimmed, pulling him from retirement in 2016 straight into IndyCar, sprint cars, and now NHRA drag racing, where he stepped up for his wife, Leah Pruett, after their son, Dominic, arrived in November 2024.

Stewart’s drag racing chapter kicked off, filling Pruett’s seat at Tony Stewart Racing, and by 2025, he’d notched two Top Fuel wins, at the Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals and the Route 66 Nationals, while clinching the regular-season championship and holding second in points with five races left. His resilience shone through after a tough crash in the Reading Nationals finals, and he bounced back to race at Charlotte just days later, proving age 54 hasn’t dulled his edge. As the only driver to claim championships in both NASCAR and IndyCar, Stewart’s seamless shift to NHRA underscores a talent that’s as versatile as it is fierce. Yet, it’s Pruett’s intimate view of the “World’s Best Wheelman” from the garage that spotlights just how exceptional her husband truly is.

Leah’s high praise lights up Tony Stewart’s drag racing drive

On a recent episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, Leah Pruett didn’t hold back when talking about her husband’s natural edge behind the wheel. “Fantastic student. I mean, I think Tony is sawing himself a little bit short, and anybody listening or watching this definitely would categorize him as one of the world’s best wheelmen,” she said, highlighting how his instincts shine even in the split-second world of Top Fuel. It’s no small compliment coming from Pruett, a three-time NHRA winner herself with 18 career victories.

Stewart‘s background as the only driver to snag titles in both IndyCar and NASCAR gives him that rare adaptability; think of how he mastered oval drafting in stock cars and now nails the precision launches in dragsters, where a 0.001-second reaction can make or break a pass. Her praise underscores his seamless shift, turning a temporary fill-in gig into a legit threat on the 1,000-foot strip.

Those words landed amid some heavy-hitting news that Pruett dropped, as she shared, “Next year, there’s a lot, you know, if we’ve had some big announcements today that come out besides just me being in the car, but where Tony will be. And that specifically would be in the other lane for another car with another team,” she revealed, confirming her return to the Tony Stewart Racing seat for 2026 after maternity leave.

This isn’t just a seat swap; it’s a full pivot after Stewart kept her car competitive during her absence, posting those 2025 wins that locked in his season title. The move stems from TSR’s focus on one Top Fuel entry, pushing Stewart to seek a ride elsewhere while keeping family ties tight through a marketing alliance. It’s a smart play in a sport where team resources stretch thin, echoing how Stewart built his empire from dirt tracks to Daytona.

What really sets Stewart apart, though, is his relentless push for perfection, as Pruett explained during their coaching sessions. “I said from the very beginning that I was just keeping Leah’s seat warm and that it was hers as soon as she was ready to come back,” Stewart shared on the podcast, but he dove in with a student’s hunger, telling her upfront, “I don’t want to do this 98% right. I want to do it 100% right. So if I’m leaving anything on the table, you have to tell me that I’m not doing this right.”

Pruett watched him obsess over every detail, from staging thin to snap throttles, even getting “so mad… for an entire day” after minor slips, a fire that mirrors his comeback at Charlotte’s NHRA event just days after a brutal 325-plus mph crash in Reading. That resilience, honed from 20-plus years of bouncing back in NASCAR wrecks and sprint car flips, has him already eyeing more hardware. As a quick study in a sport that demands procedural cadence over raw speed, Stewart’s approach has slashed his learning curve, proving why Pruett calls him elite.

Yet with Leah reclaiming her throne at TSR, the stage is set for something even more electric down the lane.

Spouses on a collision course

The real spark flies when you consider what 2026 holds. Tony Stewart is suiting up for Elite Motorsports in a Top Fuel dragster, squaring off directly against Leah Pruett back in her TSR machine. It’s a setup born from necessity and alliance. After Pruett’s maternity break following Dominic’s birth, TSR couldn’t stretch to two cars, but a marketing tie-up with Elite, fresh off buying Josh Hart’s operation, keeps Stewart in the game as both owner and driver. This isn’t some distant rivalry; it’s family lanes crossing at 300-plus mph, testing bonds forged in the garage.

Elite owner Richard Freeman couldn’t hide his excitement over the matchup, saying, “Tony is a great driver; we all know he can drive anything. He’s great for drag racing, not just as a team owner but behind the wheel. We’re excited that through our marketing alliance with Tony Stewart Racing, we’re creating an opportunity for Tony to keep a Top Fuel seat and a chance to race alongside his wife, Leah.”

For context, Elite’s a powerhouse, and this deal hinges on landing sponsors. Freeman noted, “First things first, though, we need to get the program funded, but letting everyone know our intentions, that will help.” Stewart, entering his third NHRA year after two wins and a ’25 regular-season crown, brings that cross-discipline edge, much like his 1997 IndyCar rookie title before NASCAR glory.

Pruett’s comeback adds layers; her 18 career NHRA wins, including three in Pro Mod, make her a threat in her own right, especially with teammate Matt Hagan’s Funny Car prowess at TSR. Stewart wrapped it up plainly: “And as much as I wanted to continue driving, TSR is not in a position to add a second Top Fuel car. But with Richard buying Josh Hart’s team and our recent alliance, I can still work as an owner and a driver to help both our organizations grow.” It’s the kind of bold move that echoes Stewart’s career pivots, from dirt tracks to ovals, now drag strips, proving even at 54, he’s wired to race, win, and maybe even share the spotlight with the woman who knows his drive best.