Leah Pruett is no stranger to the top step of the podium. Tony Stewart’s wife holds 13 NHRA Top Fuel national event wins and 19 total victories across all classes. In 2018, she captured the Factory Stock Showdown World Championship. She remains the only female champion in the history of that class. However, her priorities shifted after finishing third in the 2023 Top Fuel standings. She stepped away from the driver’s seat to start a family. She gave birth to her son, Dominic, in 2024. That time away made her recent comeback victory in New England incredibly special.
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Pruett returned to the NHRA Top Fuel ranks this season after sitting out in 2024 and 2025. She marked her comeback by winning the Wally at the New England Nationals on June 12. She decided to dedicate the victory to her son, and in a YouTube video released on the channel Tony Stewart Racing Nitro, she penned a message for him.
“Dear Dom, Friday, June 12th was an incredibly special day, and one day when you’re older, I want you to know exactly how it felt. Your mama won her first race since returning to the sport and becoming your mom,” Pruett began, before revealing why this win felt so different from the championships she chased in the past.
“I’m so proud that I got to go into the winner’s circle, surrounded by my team, hold you in my arms, and place this Wally right next to you, and even in your little hands. You’ve spent your life touching all of your daddy’s trophies on the countertops, and it fills my heart with so much joy to finally bring you one of my very own,” she added.
She also spoke about how becoming a mother has changed the way she looks at racing and life. Pruett admitted that she had relied on racing superstitions for years, believing they gave her an edge. But after praying and choosing to spend time with Dom during a long rain delay instead of following those routines, she realized that faith and family were more important.
Winning proved that letting go of those superstitions didn’t make her any less competitive. Instead, it showed her that she could still succeed while staying true to the values she hopes to pass on to her son.
“Dom, I love you more than any win, and I’m excited to share all of my future success with you. What’s been even more eye-opening about this is that drag racing was who I was. Everything about what I did, drag racing, that was me,” Pruett added.
Pruett knows she’s not quite there point-wise, but believes her team is closing the performance gap with every race, even if the standings don’t reflect it just yet. She is currently third in the standings, 279 points behind leader Shawn Langdon, with races left to go in the 2026 season.