Tony Stewart adds new title (Dad!) to list but doesn't slow down. Wife Leah Pruett has son
Since retiring from NASCAR in 2016, Tony Stewart has made a habit of stepping out of his comfort zone.
Once his drag-racing infatuation culminated with him entering the NHRA’s Top Fuel division and regularly topping the 330+ mph barrier, we figured he’d hit his limit.
But “first-time dad at age 53” might be one of the few things to test the nerves more than the drag-strip’s green light.
Stewart combined all of that this past weekend, competing in the NHRA’s final event of 2024 and side-stepping back home for the birth of a son officially christened Dominic James Stewart.
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Meet our new teammate, Dominic James Stewart ☺️💙
Momma Leah Pruett and baby are doing great. Congratulations LP and Tony Stewart on becoming new parents!
Only Tony could pull off qualifying, rushing to Phoenix to make it in time for the delivery, then back to In-N-Out Burger pic.twitter.com/uRFJOMe245— Ford Engine Builders V 8 427, BOSS 429 (@ford_engine) November 17, 2024
Tony Stewart, Leah Pruett are now high-speed parents
Mama is veteran drag-racer Leah Pruett, whose Top Fuel seat Stewart inherited this year when Leah put down her helmet to focus on completing the family unit.
“When I saw his face today, it was an emotion I’ve never had before,” Tony told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass in a posted interview.
I also wondered how Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett came up with the name Dominic James Stewart. This is what Stewart said, and why there was one name that was definitely off the table: pic.twitter.com/0R9DOJlWrv
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 18, 2024
Stewart, by the way, reached the Top Fuel semifinals in the season finale in Pomona, California. Mid-weekend, the Indiana native flew to his adopted home near Phoenix for the birth. Tony and Leah have settled into a new house this year in western Arizona hotspot of Lake Havasu.
Upon returning to Pomona, Stewart taped over his name atop the cockpit of his Top Fuel car and scribbled a new name: Dad.
Tony Stewart Racing completes third NHRA season
Stewart’s race team, Tony Stewart Racing, entered NHRA in 2022, a year after Tony and Leah were married. Leah, 36, has raced in NHRA since 2013 and has 18 career wins, including 12 in Top Fuel. There’s no timetable on her possible return to racing, though she has said she’s unlikely to race in 2025.
Stewart began drag-racing in 2022 and last year won the NHRA's Top Alcohol Division championship. Those cars can reach speeds in the 280s over the 1,000-foot drag strip, which is obviously fast but still some 80 mph "slower" than the Top Fuel cars.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Tony Stewart is a dad after a fast, jet-setting weekend. Boy or girl?
