LEAH PRUETT Returns to NHRA Top Fuel After Two Years to Start Family

February 19, 2026

• LEAH PRUETT makes her highly anticipated return to NHRA Top Fuel competition at the Gatornationals after a two-year hiatus to start a family with husband Tony Stewart. The 12-time national event winner stepped away from the sport in 2023 when she was nearly in championship contention, prioritizing motherhood after welcoming son Dominic in November 2024. Her comeback sets up the intriguing possibility of racing directly against her husband, who will be driving for Elite Motorsports in 2026.
• Stewart served as the substitute driver in PRUETT’s Tony Stewart Racing Dodge dragster during her absence, proving he was keeping the seat warm by winning two NHRA events and capturing the 2025 regular-season title. PRUETT admits she wasn’t initially sure about returning, but recent testing reignited her competitive fire – “my brain was at 150 mph, and the car was going 300 mph” – and now she’s determined to chase her first Top Fuel world championship with renewed focus as both a racer and mother.
• The potential husband-versus-wife showdowns add a compelling new dynamic to NHRA competition, with Stewart embracing the unique situation: “If I win the race, I move on to the next round. If Leah wins, my race team moves on to the next round.” PRUETT isn’t backing down from the challenge either, declaring “if I have to race Tony, then I’m set to beat him and he knows it.” This storyline could play out as early as the Gatornationals, giving fans a front-row seat to one of motorsports’ most fascinating competitive dynamics.

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