In less than two weeks, Tony Stewart will celebrate his 53rd birthday while facing the prospects of first-time fatherhood. So it’s only natural he’d be shifting gears – mentally.
But Stewart has already been doing that for the past four years — as he evolved from bachelor, racer and businessman to Leah Pruett’s boyfriend, fiancé, husband, race team boss and partner-in-grime.
And, this past winter, Stewart became the caretaker of Pruett’s 12,000-horsepower NHRA Top Fuel Dragster.
While she takes a hiatus to try to start a family, Stewart has shifted from 500-mile races to ones that last fewer than four seconds. He has traded a miles-per-gallon mindset to gallons-per-mile.
He has junked conventional racing wisdom of strategizing about tire and fuel management to The Drag Racing Way, which former Funny Car favorite Dean Skuza defined this way: “We’re not like NASCAR. We don’t conserve fuel. We don’t conserve tires. We don’t conserve nothing. What’s more American than that?”
THIS ARTICLE IS ACCESSIBLE TO INSIDERS ONLY…
SPEED SPORT Insider is the ad-free premium extension of SPEEDSPORT.com. Insider is dedicated to the best and brightest in motorsports journalism – created by the best writers, photographers and reporters in the business. From veteran Hall of Fame writers like Bones Bourcier, Dave Argabright, Pat Sullivan, Keith Waltz, Ralph Sheheen and Editor in Chief Mike Kerchner, to behind the scenes SPEED SPORT reporters like Grace Woelbing, David Hoffman and more.
By subscribing to Insider, you not only get exclusive access to this premium content, but you support the journalists that are vital to telling the stories that matter most. Subscriptions are just $5/mo or $44.95 for an entire year. View plans and details.
SPECIAL OFFER! Subscribe now with this link and save $5.00!
