Leah Pruett is preparing for a comeback in NHRA Top Fuel drag racing, targeting the 2026 season after taking a break to focus on motherhood. Her return was developing quietly since the NHRA Winternationals in March at Pomona, California, as she balances family life with her racing career.
Pruett chose to step away from driving her 12,000-horsepower dragster shortly after narrowly missing the 2023 NHRA championship, prioritizing starting a family with her husband and team owner, Tony Stewart. Now, with their son Dominic James Stewart approaching his first birthday, she is ready to resume competing in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Tony Stewart Supports Pruett’s Return While Considering His Own Future
Tony Stewart, who has taken over driving duties during Pruett’s hiatus, emphasized his role was always temporary. He promised to step aside whenever she was ready to return.
“This was always the plan. The timing was up to her,”
Stewart said, highlighting the joint nature of their decision.
Although Stewart has enjoyed his time behind the wheel, including a test session in a Pro Stock car, he has not settled on his own racing plans for 2026.
“I don’t have set plans yet. We’re working on it,”
he said.
“We’ve got some irons in the fire. There’s definitely some things in the works, just nothing that’s 100% solidified yet.”
He added,
“Even if it all falls through and I don’t get a ride for next year, I’m excited to see Leah back in the car. We started TSR Nitro because of Leah. I can’t wait to see her do what she loves to do. I know what it feels like, because I’m a driver, too.”
Challenges and Decisions About Team Expansion and Competition
Neither Stewart nor Pruett are keen on expanding their team to include a second dragster, especially considering the presence of four-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan. Pruett stated,
“A two-car [dragster] team isn’t on the table,”
focusing resources instead on their current lineup.
While competing directly against each other could make for an intense scenario, Stewart joked about the inevitable rivalry:
“we would want to rip each other’s heads off”
on the track, and assured that losing wouldn’t send him to sleep on the couch. Despite this, both acknowledge the substantial financial and logistical challenges involved in fielding another dragster.
Maintaining Connection to Racing During Hiatus
During her time away from competition, Pruett remained deeply involved in the sport and her team. Determined
“to make sure I didn’t have an identity crisis,”
she contributed to tuning optimization projects and stayed active within the organization, ensuring she maintained close ties to racing operations.
In June 2024, after a 499-day break, Pruett returned to the driver’s seat for a test at Virginia Motorsports Park under challenging conditions. She said the return felt rewarding despite near 99-degree heat and a track temperature reaching 146 degrees.
“Trust me, I didn’t care that we were testing in some of the nastiest conditions ever,”
she said, emphasizing her readiness:
“Racer Leah can absolutely co-exist with ‘Mamma Leah.’ Keeping my NHRA license current means a lot to me.”
Pruett Reflects on Motherhood and Future Driving Goals
In December 2023, when announcing her decision to step back for motherhood, Pruett clearly expressed her intentions to return, though she acknowledged the uncertainties that come with this transition. She told Autoweek,
“I have every intent of returning as soon as I can, and I’ve also told Tony and our partners there are no guarantees. I mean, who knows? They say that motherhood changes you biologically, where you try not to put yourself in dangerous positions. I don’t know—won’t know until I get there. But it’s going to have to be something super, super strong for me not to return to a race car.”
Juggling responsibilities like breastfeeding while preparing parachutes, Pruett remains determined and enthusiastic. She firmly denied any plans to race during the 2024 season but is clearly eager to resume driving at the start of the 2026 campaign in Gainesville, Florida. “I’m stoked,” she said simply.
Support from the NHRA Racing Community
Among NHRA professional racers, Pruett is one of the few active mothers, alongside Funny Car veteran Alexis De Joria and Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Angelle Sampey, who balance motherhood with demanding racing careers. De Joria’s daughter, Isabella, is 22, while Sampey is mother to two daughters, Ava Jane and Mya Jade.
Stewart has remained vocal about his admiration for Pruett’s dedication over the past year.
“I’m excited to see Leah get back in a race car,”
he said.
“She’s done such an amazing job of becoming a mother and going through a whole year of pregnancy and our first year with Dominic. I know deep down inside that she wants to drive that race car really bad, so I’m just excited to see her get that opportunity again.”
He also praised her contributions beyond driving:
“I appreciate what she’s done to help our family and help this entire race team. She’s been a very critical part of this team’s success and projects that we’re working on, so she hasn’t sat on her hands, by any means, but first and foremost, I know she wants to drive that car more than anything.”
Looking Ahead to 2026 Season and Legacy
Leah Pruett’s return to NHRA Top Fuel racing in 2026 marks a significant moment for the sport, highlighting the balancing act between family life and elite competition. Her planned re-entry after nearly two years away showcases her passion and dedication to drag racing, supported by her husband Tony Stewart and their team.
The delayed announcement of her comeback allowed the team to focus on a strong finish through the 2024 Countdown season. Stewart’s impressive performance at the US Nationals boosted the team’s momentum, earning the top seed for the postseason.
The coming years will reveal how Pruett integrates motherhood with her racing ambitions and whether Stewart will resume competition alongside her or pursue other racing opportunities. For now, the drag-racing community awaits the return of a skilled driver determined to reclaim her place at the front of the Top Fuel field.
