Leah Pruett Reflects on the Funny, Wild and Beautiful Weekend of Welcoming Baby Dominic with Tony stewart

It’s not every day that a race car driver is juggling both the birth of their first child and a high-stakes competition at the same time. For Leah Pruett and her husband, racing legend Tony Stewart, the 2024 NHRA World Finals weekend was an unforgettable whirlwind of emotions, adrenaline, and triumph.

The extraordinary events began on the morning of Saturday, November 16, when Leah’s water broke in Lake Havasu, Arizona, just as she was preparing for the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals. Meanwhile, Tony was in Pomona, California, still facing two rounds of qualifying. Despite the distance, Leah, who was also racing in the Top Fuel category, remained determined to handle both her labor and her professional responsibilities.

In a heartfelt post shared on social media, Leah recounted the chaotic but beautifully orchestrated sequence of events. “At 4:43 AM Raceday morning, we welcomed our baby boy Dominic James Stewart (Dom) into this world!” she wrote. “It was a wild sequence of events; with my water breaking Saturday morning in Havasu, and Tony being in Pomona, CA, and still having 2 rounds of qualifying that day.”

Faced with a tight schedule, Leah and her friend Dara quickly made their way to the Phoenix hospital to meet her trusted midwife, Heather Anderson. Her hope was for the birth to occur at a time that would allow Tony to be there while still giving the Top Fuel team a chance to get both runs in. “Ultimately it was God’s will of how it all went down,” Leah reflected, expressing her gratitude for how everything unfolded.

As the day wore on, Tony made his way back to the hospital after finishing his qualifying rounds. Despite having previously joked that he wouldn’t be in the delivery room, Tony was by Leah’s side through every moment. “There had been a lot of big talk on his end for months about how he wasn’t going to be in the room, but let me tell you, he was there for every moment and helping me through it all,” Leah shared.

After nine hours of building labor and an hour and a half of pushing, Leah finally held their perfect baby boy, Dominic. True to his word, Tony was there to cut the cord—a moment that even surprised a few people who had joked about his reluctance. “Smoke Daddy was able to fly back in time for the first round of Eliminations,” Leah continued, detailing how Tony managed to return to the track in time to race, securing a solid semifinal finish to cap off the season.

Despite the high-paced, back-and-forth nature of the weekend, Leah expressed immense gratitude for the entire experience. “We are so happy with hearts so full,” she wrote, thanking everyone for the love and support they received in the days following Dominic’s birth.

For Leah, the physical and mental toll of giving birth was a profound experience. “Giving birth was the most exhausting thing my body and mind have ever experienced,” she said. Yet, with her family by her side and the memories of both an incredible personal milestone and a successful race weekend, she was more than ready to recover and embrace this new chapter of their lives.

As the Stewart family embarks on their journey as parents, they are undoubtedly cherishing every moment with their new son, Dominic. It’s a story of love, endurance, and devotion that fans of both racing and family will undoubtedly remember for years to come.