Leah Pruett

Leah Pruett is one of drag racing’s most accomplished and visible drivers, with wins across four NHRA categories and a career that’s spanned nearly three decades since she started racing at age eight.

EARLY YEARS

Born Leah Christine Pruett on May 26, 1988, in Redlands, California, she got an early birthday present that would change her life: a trip to Pomona Raceway on February 6, 1996, just after turning eight[1]. That initial experience at the track stuck, and she dove headfirst into the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League the same year[2]. While details about her family background and upbringing in Redlands remain sparse, what’s clear is that she found her calling early and never looked back. By 2023, she was celebrating her 27th consecutive year in the sport—a remarkable streak of dedication that began when most kids were still learning multiplication tables[3].

At 5-foot-9 and 130 pounds, Pruett brought a natural athleticism to racing, though her path to the driver’s seat appears to have been singularly focused from childhood[2]. Unlike many racers who dabble in other motorsports first, her trajectory went straight from junior dragsters to the professional ranks, building skills in increasingly powerful machines as she grew up.

OTHER INTERESTS

Pruett isn’t the type to sit still when she’s not strapped into a 11,000-horsepower dragster. Her off-track pursuits lean heavily toward adrenaline: wake surfing, off-roading, snowboarding, mountain biking, and archery fill out her roster of hobbies[2][3]. She’s also into volleyball and maintains a fitness regimen that supports the physical demands of piloting a Top Fuel car through quarter-mile runs at over 330 mph[2][3]. And because apparently she needed something calmer in her life, she’s a self-proclaimed dog lover[2][3]. Beyond personal recreation, she’s also a business owner—co-running a professional drag racing team with her husband, NASCAR legend Tony Stewart, which scored its first Top Fuel win on July 17, 2022, at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colorado[4].

EARLY SUCCESS

Pruett’s rise through drag racing’s ranks followed a logical but impressive progression. After her junior dragster years, she moved into Nostalgia Funny Car competition, where she immediately made an impression. In November 2010, she won the rain-delayed final round at the California Hot Rod Reunion during the NHRA World Finals in Pomona—the same track where she’d first experienced racing 14 years earlier[4]. That victory helped clinch the 2010 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series championship in the Funny Car category, her first major title[2][3].

She then jumped to NHRA Pro Mod, where she proved the Nostalgia win wasn’t a fluke. In fall 2012, she notched her first Pro Mod win in Charlotte, North Carolina, then immediately backed it up with consecutive victories—a second in Charlotte and a third in Las Vegas in late October 2012[4]. Three wins in rapid succession with R2B2 Racing announced her as a legitimate threat in the competitive Pro Mod field.

But Top Fuel was always the goal. Pruett made her Top Fuel debut in 2013 with Dote Racing, and by February 2014, she was posting career-best runs at the Phoenix NHRA event in the Gumout-sponsored dragster[1]. Those early performances caught the attention of bigger teams, setting the stage for her breakthrough.

That breakthrough came on February 28, 2016, at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Chandler, Arizona. Pruett defeated Brittany Force in the final round to claim her first professional national event win—and not just any win. It was the first all-female Top Fuel final since 1982, a milestone moment for women in drag racing[1]. The victory validated years of work and marked her arrival as a Top Fuel contender.

The timing was fortuitous but also challenging. Just two months after that historic win, Bob Vandergriff Racing—her team at the time—closed its doors in April 2016[1][5]. Rather than derailing her career, the closure led to an opportunity with Don Schumacher Racing, one of the sport’s premier organizations, where she’d spend the next several years racking up wins and establishing herself as one of Top Fuel’s most consistent drivers[5].

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2010: NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series champion (Nostalgia Funny Car); victory at California Hot Rod Reunion final round in Pomona[2][3][4]
• 2012: Three NHRA Pro Mod wins (Charlotte, Charlotte, Las Vegas) in rapid succession[4]
• 2016: First professional Top Fuel national event win at Chandler, Arizona (February 28); first all-female Top Fuel final since 1982, defeating Brittany Force[1]
• 2018: NHRA Factory Stock Showdown champion (Dodge)[3]; career-best Top Fuel speed of 334.15 mph (February 24, Phoenix)[3]; career-best Top Fuel ET of 3.631 seconds (November 10, Pomona)[3]
• 2022: First Top Fuel win for Tony Stewart Racing team at Mile-High Nationals in Denver (July 17), defeating Shawn Langdon[4]
• Career: 11-time NHRA event winner across multiple categories (12 Top Fuel wins, 3 Pro Mod wins, 3 Factory Stock Showdown wins); 25 Top Fuel final rounds[2][3]

INSPIRATIONS

No documented information available regarding Pruett’s specific inspirations, mentors, or influences in her racing career.

REPUTATION

Pruett is arguably the most visible driver in drag racing history, a testament both to her on-track success and her ability to connect with fans and media[4]. Her career has been chronicled extensively by drag racing publications like Drag Illustrated, which dedicated feature retrospectives to her journey through the sport[4]. She’s managed to excel in multiple categories—Nostalgia Funny Car, Pro Mod, Top Fuel, and Factory Stock Showdown—a versatility that few drivers can match. The fact that she won championships in two different disciplines (Heritage Series in 2010, Factory Stock Showdown in 2018) while simultaneously competing full-time in Top Fuel speaks to her adaptability and work ethic[2][3].

Her 2016 all-female Top Fuel final against Brittany Force stands as a landmark moment for women in drag racing, coming 34 years after the previous occurrence[1]. Beyond the symbolism, Pruett has consistently proven she belongs among Top Fuel’s elite, with 25 final-round appearances and double-digit wins in the category[2].

Her personal life has occasionally intersected with her professional one in the public eye. She filed for divorce from Gary Pritchett, an NHRA crewmember for Steve Torrence, on July 31, 2019, in Hendricks County, Indiana[1]. She later married Tony Stewart in 2021, creating one of motorsports’ highest-profile couples and launching their joint racing venture[2][4]. The partnership has added another dimension to her career, transitioning her from driver-only to driver-owner.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Ahead of the 2025 season, Pruett announced she would delay her return to Top Fuel driving to focus on family[2]. As of the most recent information available, she remains affiliated with Don Schumacher Racing and Tony Stewart Racing, driving the TSR Dodge/SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster with crew chief Neal Strausbaugh when she does compete[2]. She currently resides in Avon, Indiana; Lake Havasu City, Arizona; and Columbus, Indiana[2][3]. While her immediate racing schedule for 2025 and beyond remains in flux due to family priorities, her dual role as team co-owner with Stewart means she’ll continue to have significant involvement in the sport regardless of her driving schedule.

References:

Cars and Racing Stuff (Crittenden Automotive Library)
NHRA Official Driver Page – Leah Pruett
Official Leah Pruett Website
Drag Illustrated – Leah Pruett Through the Years
Engine Builder Magazine