Tony Stewart is ready to face some homely competition as his wife, Leah Pruett, is gearing up for her return in the NHRA season after her 2024 hiatus for their son Dominic’s birth. But it’s not the racer Leah that’s back. She now gets back behind the wheel for the first time as a mother, aiming to balance her racing duties while raising Dominic.

But Pruett’s return isn’t just about competition. This chance helps her in proving how life as a mother and as a racer can coexist, even under the intense pressures of the track. But it’s easier said than done, as she opened up candidly about what it really takes to enjoy the roaring engines and demands of her motherhood.

Leah Pruett on being a racer mom

Ahead of her pre-race presser at Concord, Pruett was asked about that excitement of stepping into that TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster. She said, “Yeah I think there is, to some degree. I think its just the excitement level of it. It’s a new dynamic, I’ve never done it before, being a mother back into a race car. I think one thing about Tony Stewart Racing is that everything that we do is very methodical and no different in my decision to get back in.”

The feeling’s definitely going to be one-of-a-kind for Pruett, as it will be for any other racing mother. While other female racers have usually stepped back to focus full-time on motherhood, like former NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driver Courtney Force, but that’s where Pruett is carving a different path for herself. And her emphasis on the “methodical” approach of Tony Stewart Racing reflects how carefully the team plans each decision, ensuring that her return is measured, safe, and strategically aligned with both her personal and professional life.

She added, “I’m proud of everyone that has backed us in that and supported me coming back. Me staying out of 2025 has, in my opinion, developed me as a racer in ways that 2024 didn’t. I’m more into the race car with the team, our technology, than have ever been in my whole life. I look forward to what Leah the racer will be like, back inside that race car with this exact same team.”

Taking a break did more good than harm for her, as she got to experience the other side of racing like never before, especially during her racing days. By stepping away, she was able to observe the sport carefully and engage more deeply with her team, along with studying the tech part of things.

Her excitement about what unfolds for “Leah the racer” shows her excitement and passion for her comeback, with everything being the same except for the added role she’s going to play on the track.

But there are some other important and practical aspects as a racer to take care of, such as having that same swiftness and reaction time needed on the track behind the wheel. Pruett is self-introspective about these things, as she candidly shared an instance about how the dual role scenario on the track feels like.

“I was able to get some reaction, lift a little bit quicker without smoking the tires. I say this with as much love as possible for my son. He’s being watched by our nanny as she has being doing during our race weekends. I did not remember that I had a son and I was a mother until I had to stop and pump and pack my parachutes with pumps. We joked, ‘That’s the world’s fastest breastmilk,’ but that’s what I was looking for.”

The “that’s what I was looking for” pretty much sums it up. It shows she is following her heart, not doing it out of compulsion or obligation. The candid anecdote she shared about not just packing her own gear but also her son’s illustrates the practical realities of this dual role, something that she’s happily set to embrace.

Is racing on the cards for Dominic’s future plans?

From the moment of his birth, Dominic has unknowingly been a part of his parents’ racing world. But just because it’s a part of his beginning, will it also be his path moving forward? Pruett and Stewart have made their stance clear on this.

On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, Stewart said, “We’re not buying anything until he looks us in the eye and says this is what I want to do and I’m all in.” Pruett echoed the sentiment, adding, “You need to teach them dedication and not giving up… I don’t think we care which aisle, which lane, which racetrack… if he decides to race.” 

This shows how they support him in the right way, by fully supporting his choice, but to be absolutely sure of it before drawing a path for him. Their approach emphasizes more on choice and persistence rather than pre-decided compulsions.

Meanwhile, for now, the focus shifts back to Stewart, who’s gearing up to face his wife Pruett in the 2026 NHRA season. While both are preparing for the intense competition ahead, and Pruett managing her dual role, the season promises a unique blend of family and rivalry, as the couple navigates life both on and off the track.