‘Rookie of the Year’ Tony Stewart has an odd ring to it, doesn’t it? A driver with over 27 years of racing experience winning a title meant for newcomers in a sport is strange. With his wife Leah Pruett out of the NHRA seat to focus on motherhood, Smoke took to the sport like a champ, winning the ROTY title along the way, an accolade he feels conflicted about.

Having won the Rookie of the Year tag, Smoke explained how his position in the motorsports world may have influenced the decision, taking the ROTY award away from worthy candidates.

Stewart turns skeptical of ROTY tag

Stewart has been able to deliver justice even after being a first-timer in this domain of racing. Although Stewart finished in the 9th position for the final standing. His remarkable debut season and achievement have sparked both admiration and debate He reached the semifinals in five events and advanced to two finals, finishing with a 17-20 record in elimination rounds. Before he lost to Doug Kalita, he made an impressive run till the semi-finals. He was able to mark his career best of 3.688 seconds at 334.73 mph at Pomona itself. 

Speaking to Joe Castello from Racer.com, Stewart said, “I will say, if it was off performance, Richard Gadson would have definitely had this hands down. He did an amazing job in pro stock motorcycle this year. Daniel Wilkerson did an amazing job in the funny car. There were a lot of great rookies in all four classes this year. But the criteria is different what they consider Rookie of the Year and why they do it.”  The deciding criteria for this achievement span across all divisions and are not restricted to performance only. 

Although Stewart was quite a deserving candidate for the Rookie of the Year award, the competition was tough, with leading candidates like Brandon Foster, Sienna Wildgust, and Derrick Reese from the Pro Stock Racing class. Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Richard Gadson, Top Fuel competitor Jasmine Salinas, Funny Car driver Daniel Wilkerson, and Top Fuel racer Ida Zetterstrom were among the other names that had a high probability of making it to the Rookie of the Award. Gadson’s debut full-time NHRA season saw him lift the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge title. That’s not all. In four of his first six races, he managed to reach the semi-finals or better. Similarly, for the other popular candidate, Daniel Wilkerson, the biggest highlight of the season came at the Charlotte four-wide event, where we reached the final round. 

Additionally, fan votes also play quite an important role in this case. Stewart is a classic favorite driver, one who has 3 Cup Series titles in the bag. His appearance across diverse media platforms has added to the popularity of the race more than ever. Stewart recently appeared on the Pat Macfee podcast and shared how NASCAR and drag racing are different. This had added further popularity in mainstream media about the sport. The NHRA Rookie of the Year is a prestigious honor and is usually determined by a panel of auto racing journalists. The evaluation considers standout performances and contributions to the sport as two of the most important domains for decision-making.

Not to forget, there was an incredible amount of work that went into getting Stewart into the seat in the first place. Replacing his pregnant wife Leah Pruett, Tony Stewart brought a new challenge for his NHRA team. He was 60 pounds heavier than his wife. It meant his crew chiefs had to work around the car to ensure things worked smoothly. Managing a semi-final run in these conditions was an impressive feat, especially for a driver making his debut in the sport.

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2024 becomes a big year for Tony Stewart

It is not only his appearance in the NHRA domain of racing that has added a valor of sweet surprises to his life. Right during his travel to Pomona, Stewart had to head back to Phoenix so that he could witness the welcome of his little man – Dominic Stewart. Tony Stewart became a dad at the age of 52 with his wife Leah Purett. Since then, fatherhood has been one of the most important roles that he had to undertake.

Stewart is ecstatic about this new addition to his family. Reacting to the birth of his baby boy, he said, “I am a big believer that things happen for a reason and opportunities come at the right times”. This is also the reason why his wife Leah had marked her absence from the NHRA 2024 season and Tony Stewart had taken up her shoes. Given that they have just welcomed the little one, Stewart will be seen behind the steering for the upcoming season as well. As he explained a few days ago, Pruett wants to focus on motherhood and it means stepping away from racing a little while longer. 

Embracing both fatherhood and his thriving NHRA career, Stewart is navigating this new chapter of life with unwavering passion and joy. As he continues to excel on the track and at home, 2024 truly marks a milestone year for the racing legend.