INDIANAPOLIS — After a two-year hiatus, Dodge NHRA Top Fuel standout Leah Pruett returns to the Tony Stewart Racing dragster for the March 5-8 season-opening NHRA Gatornationals at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway.
Pruett, a 12-time NHRA Top Fuel national event winner, shocked the motorsports world in 2023 when she walked away from the TSR Top Fuel car that nearly took her to the 2023 world championship to start a family with husband Tony Stewart.
Stewart, a NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC series champion and motorsports Hall of Famer, continued the TSR team’s Top Fuel success by winning two NHRA events (Las Vegas and Joliet). as well as the 2025 NHRA Top Fuel regular-season title.
But Stewart always said he was the substitute driver in the TSR Dodge dragster until his wife was ready to return to action. After giving birth to son Dominic in November 2024, and serving as a mother and team consultant in 2025, Pruett tested during the 2025 season and made the decision to come back as a driver.
“I wasn’t sure if I was ready to jump back into a Top Fuel dragster,” Pruett said. “Being involved with the TSR team the last two years kept me active in the sport, and watching from outside the cockpit was a different perspective. When I first tested the dragster again, my brain was at 150 mph, and the car was going 300 mph. We have a new dragster for this year and I feel much more comfortable as we head toward the Gatornationals.
“Working with the team in a different capacity the past two years had me deeply involved in the team’s activities, and I was like a student again talking with Tony. I was listening to Tony’s description of the car and engine, and it was similar to when he was starting in drag racing and I was his driver coach. Now, I am really anxious to make some ‘hits’ with the new race car. It feels great and I am ready to be behind the wheel again.”
Stewart, who placed fifth in the 2025 NHRA Top Fuel points, is happy to have his wife back in the TSR Dodge dragster in 2026 after her two-year break, but his Top Fuel career isn’t over. Stewart will be driving the Elite Motorsports Top Fuel car in 2026.
Chances are good the husband and wife will compete against each other when action starts at Gainesville.
“I’m excited to see Leah get back in our TSR Dodge Top Fueler,” said Stewart. “She’s done such an amazing job of becoming a mother, going through a whole year of pregnancy and our first year with Dominic. I knew deep down inside she wanted to drive that race car really bad, so I’m just excited to see her get that opportunity again. She has been a critical part of this team’s success and projects that we’re working on. And I know she wants to drive that car more than anything.
“And, yes, with me in another Top Fuel car, we are going to have to race against each other this year. At first, I wasn’t sure about that. But I win in both situations. If I win the race, I move on to the next round. If Leah wins, my race team moves on to the next round. So, it’s a win-win for me.”
Pruett wasn’t convinced she wanted to get back in the TSR Dodge Top Fuel car at first, but recent testing in Stewart’s car brought back her passion for the sport. Now she is more determined than ever to chase her first NHRA Mission Top Fuel crown when competition gets underway at the Gatornationals.
“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t totally sure that my passion for the sport was still there on the driving side,” said Pruett. “But once I got behind the wheel again, it was like I never left. My competitive spirit jumped right out again. I’m ready to go. And if I have to race Tony, then I’m set to beat him and he knows it. That matchup could happen as soon as the Gatornationals. Tony, myself, our respective teams and the fans will be ready for that one.”
