Tony Stewart may have to start getting used to sleeping on the sofa a bit more.
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One day after announcing that he was stepping away from driving his NHRA Top Fuel dragster so that his wife, Leah Pruett, could get back behind the wheel after two years off to start a family with Tony, the three-time NASCAR Cup champion revealed Thursday that he isn’t going anywhere. He’s not leaving the NHRA, he’s not leaving drag racing, and he’s not retiring.
After saying he was turning his dragster over to his spouse because he didn’t want to go up against her in races, well, guess what? The NASCAR Hall of Famer WILL likely meet up with Mrs. Stewart several times next season in NHRA Top Fuel competition
But Tony will not be doing so, per se, in a total Tony Stewart Racing dragster. Instead, on the heels of last week’s announcement that his team has forged a marketing agreement with Elite Motorsports, a perennial Pro Stock championship organization. The second shoe of that announcement fell on Thursday when it was revealed that Stewart will race for Elite Motorsports in Top Fuel starting next season.
Which means, of course, it’s inevitable that Tony will meet Leah in qualifying or eliminations, potentially more than once or twice in the same race. And if he beats her, that’s where sleeping on the sofa will likely come into play, as Pruett is as competitive as Stewart is behind the wheel.
Stewart Had Intended to Retire Until Recently
The twist that will keep the 54-year-old Stewart in a dragster was apparently a recent development. According to online drag racing magazine CompetitionPlus.com, journeyman driver Josh Hart recently sold his entire Top Fuel operation to Elite Motorsports. While there was uncertainty about what Elite would do with the dragster going forward, it’s likely no one saw the signing of Stewart as being part of the plan.
Even when last week’s pooling of marketing resources between the two teams happened, it’s likely no one saw that Stewart would pick up and drive for Elite. It always appeared that Stewart would essentially retire from drag racing and involve himself more in TSR’s operations.
But Elite owner Richard Freeman was a man with a plan.
“As much as I wanted to continue driving, TSR is not in a position to add a second Top Fuel car,” Stewart told CompetitionPlus.com. “But with Richard buying Josh Hart’s team and our recent alliance, I can still work as an owner and a driver to help both our organizations grow.”
“Having Tony as our driver, adding another Top Fuel entry, we’re taking care of the sport and opening up possibilities, that’s why we’ll have Erica and Aaron get licensed in the car as well,” Freeman told CompetitionPlus.com of also having his two Pro Stock drivers, six-time champ Erica Enders and up-and-coming Aaron Stansfield, who will both earn their NHRA Top Fuel competition licenses most likely in the offseason.
Stewart’s 2026 Season Will Be Predicated Upon Funding
While the plan is for Stewart to race the entire 2026 Top Fuel schedule for Elite, there’s one caveat: Elite and TSR have to work together to secure enough sponsorship to field the dragster in all 20 NHRA national events.
“First things first, though, we need to get the program funded, but letting everyone know our intentions that will help,” Freeman said.
But honestly, if there is a deep-pocketed potential sponsor out there looking to align itself with a top NHRA Top Fuel or Funny Car team, having Tony Stewart behind the wheel of a 330-plus mph, 12,000-horsepower dragster is a major lure for sponsor dollars, media attention, and fan interest.
It’s unclear how long it took for Freeman to convince Stewart to stay in the Top Fuel game and to join the Elite team. But anytime you can get a Hall of Fame driver like Stewart, you have to go for it full-tilt.
“Tony is a great driver, we all know he can drive anything,” Freeman added. “He’s great for drag racing, not just as a team owner, but behind the wheel. We’re excited that through our marketing alliance with Tony Stewart Racing, we’re creating an opportunity for Tony to keep a Top Fuel seat and a chance to race alongside his wife, Leah.”
Pruett and Stewart Will Bring Out The Best In Each Other
Sure, the 37-year-old Pruett could carry a grudge to the starting line every time she faces her hubby and the father of the couple’s 10-month-old son, Dominic. But on the flip side, as good a driver as she is, racing against her better half (or worse half, depending on how you look at it) may actually elevate each of their respective racing games.
Stewart is knocking on the door of this year’s Top Fuel championship in only his second season in the sport’s fastest and quickest racing class. He entered the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff last week at Reading, Pennsylvania, No. 1 in the Top Fuel standings.
However, he lost to former No. 2-ranked Doug Kalitta in a second-round elimination match that ended in scary fashion as Kalitta crossed the center line and sideswiped Stewart’s car, sending it on its left side and sliding over 100 feet before righting itself and landing back on its four wheels.
Stewart was uninjured in the wreck, his worst thus far in his brief NHRA career (he also raced in the Top Alcohol ranks in 2023).
Stewart was a man of his word when he vowed he’d put Leah back into “her” car when she was ready.
“I said from the very beginning that I was just keeping Leah’s seat warm and that it was hers as soon as she was ready to come back,” Stewart said. “Well, she’s coming back in 2026 and that Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster is going to have her name on it, not mine.”
But Stewart’s Elite Motorsports dragster will definitely have his name on it, even if it means beating his wife will likely lead to several days or even weeks on his sofa. But if she beats her husband, will Leah be the one who winds up on the sofa?
