Tony Stewart’s second NHRA Gatornationals appearance this weekend comes with a new title: Dad. The NASCAR Hall of Famer, 53, and his wife, Top Fuel racer Leah Pruett, welcomed their son, Dominic James, last November. Stewart, who raced in Pruett’s seat during her pregnancy, now faces a pivotal question — when will he hand the wheel back?
Stewart’s loyalty to Pruett’s racing career remains unwavering as the couple navigates parenthood and competition. “I’m just the fill-in guy,” he said.
Tony Stewart Balances Fatherhood and NHRA Demands
Stewart’s rookie NHRA season in 2023 was a crash course in drag racing. This year, he combines familiarity with the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel car with the chaos of being a new dad.
“If you have a bad run and you have a chance to go back to the bus for five minutes and he’s awake and you see him smile one time, that bad run doesn’t seem so bad anymore,” Stewart said.
The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion credits Dale Earnhardt Jr. for some paternal wisdom.
“This is what’s missing in your life, that you don’t realize you’re missing,” Stewart recalled in a conversation with Earnhardt after congratulating him on his first child. “I realized it when he [Dominic] was born.”
Yet, some fatherhood duties remain uncharted — Stewart admitted he’s yet to change a diaper.
“I’m undefeated… but I’ll make sure the world knows when I do,” he joked.
Little scares @TonyStewart except CHANGING DIAPERS! That's why wife @LeahPruett_TF does the dirty work with newborn son Dominic. Says Stewart: “I've watched her pull the diaper down, seen what's in there, and I immediately exit stage right." Read more:https://t.co/PWkBmp2QES
— Jerry Bonkowski (@JerryBonkowski) March 8, 2025
Meanwhile, Pruett balances motherhood with team oversight.
“She’s the one doing all the work,” Stewart said. Though sidelined, Pruett remains deeply involved with their Top Fuel team.
“I’m finding this balance between constantly comparing my love for racing and love for Dominic,” Pruett explained. “But I feel like I have won the absolute lottery: a beautiful baby, an incredible team on both sides, incredible partners, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Leah Pruett’s Return Looms Over TSR’s Future
Stewart has always emphasized that his role is temporary.
“Whatever time, whatever event that is, if midseason she says she wants to get back in that car, I will gladly step out of that car for my wife,” he said. “That is her team over there, and I’m just the fill-in guy.”
Pruett, who paused racing to start a family, confirmed plans to return but hasn’t set a timeline.
“My heart says I’ll be back in a car… I don’t know which one or when,” she said.
The couple’s synergy extends beyond parenting. A multi-year extension with Dodge//SRT solidifies their team’s future, but Stewart remains focused on his own growth.
“You couldn’t have asked for a worse-case scenario last year. I think this year I’m way calmer,” he said, referencing his 2023 debut against Justin Ashley. “This weekend, I just don’t want to be first pair against him again.”
Pruett’s comeback strategy remains flexible.
“It’s really not about kicking Tony out of the seat,” she said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
For now, Stewart is soaking it all in — diaper avoidance included.
“I’m probably more scared about changing this first diaper than I was lining up against Justin Ashley in the first round,” he laughed. “But it’s a rite of passage.”
