DI Women of Power 2024: Leah Pruett is Leading By Example
Leah Pruett hasn’t wasted any time adapting to her new role with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR). Her role, as she describes, is not confined to a single title, but rather, it spans across various dimensions. In fact, she was beginning to take strides in her new role while she was competing for a Top Fuel championship at the 2023 NHRA World Finals.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #189, the Women of Power Issue, in July/August of 2024.]
“It started with conversations last year when we knew I wasn’t going to be in the car, and there was a particular project that came to our opportunity, and we needed somebody to take the lead on that, so I did by enrolling myself in MIT and doing coursework,” she explains.
Even though Pruett cannot say much about the project she’s working on, she still feels very much part of the team.
“I do not have any feelings of disassociation with the team since being out of the seat,” she says. “Because of the responsibility and opportunity that Neal [Strausbaugh, crew chief] has given me, we wrapped our arms around it. I think it comes back to being smart about your decisions, so I’m enjoying being at the track in this new role.”
Pruett, who has spent more than 25 years in the sport, has been a role model for many young girls. Now that she’s stepped out of the driver’s seat of her Top Fuel dragster to start a family, Pruett has advice for females of all ages.
“The opportunities are endless,” says Pruett. “The driver’s seat is great, but this sport and industry fulfills passions from data analytics to mechanics, to engineering, to logistics, to marketing; there is a discipline throughout the entire industry.
“So, if you have a love for drag racing and you’re finding out what your skill set is, there’s a place to follow what your passion is, and it will guide you to the right spot within the sport.”
Life hasn’t slowed down for the Nostalgia Funny Car and Factory Stock Showdown NHRA world champion, who is also a 12-time event winner.
“I still do all the things that are associated with driving without driving the car,” Pruett continues. “I still have all the sponsor obligations – appearances, signings, strategic alliances, summits. I’m currently writing my keynote speeches for a couple of Fortune 500 companies that I do motivational speaking for, so I’ve definitely stayed busy.”
Pruett is also using her time away from the driver’s seat for another initiative that has come into focus this past year.
“I have been leading an initiative using my voice with the NHRA to create a pregnancy protocol in NHRA drag racing,” Pruett explains, mentioning she has collaborated with other women in the sport. “I have used our voice to be heard by the NHRA to implement a pregnancy policy for the upcoming and current generation of women that are racing so that they don’t have to make the absolute choice at a very distinct time in a season, whether they choose to start a family or not. We’re lobbying for something fair so you don’t jeopardize partnerships, sponsorships, or your crew members, and you maintain the integrity of everything that the team and driver have built, as well as fans.
“These are all things that don’t have anything to do with a race car, but they have everything to do with what we consider the most diverse motorsport in the world,” she adds. “I am focused on empowering women to maintain and continue to be strong in this sport as equally as possible. So, my experiences have shaped an opportunity to help other generations, and I’m thankful for that.”
Lastly, Pruett’s role that does have a title within TSR is “driver coach.” It’s a term she didn’t embrace at first when Tony Stewart, her husband and replacement Top Fuel driver for TSR, started referring to her as that, but is now getting more comfortable as the season progresses.
“I love working with him when it comes to driving because he is such an incredible student, and we can have such thorough conversations,” Pruett says, “but it took him about 10 times of saying it before it really resonated with me.
“When people tell Tony he’s doing a good job, he jokes, ‘I’ve got a good teacher.’ It made me feel cringy inside. Like, come on, you’re Tony Stewart. You’re doing great. He’s like, ‘No, Leah, you don’t understand. I stepped into this, and I have you, and I have Matt [Hagan, TSR Funny Car driver]. Any question I ever have, you are there to walk me through it, validate my opinion, change my understanding, and keep me safe. You don’t cut me any slack.’”
She pauses to make a joke, “Well, yeah, that’s me technically, right? That’s my driver coach role.”
Then Pruett continues explaining how she looks back on her own journey, stepping into a Top Fuel dragster with no one to hold her hand to make sure she was competing at her full potential.
“Tony understands that, and it’s really awesome,” Pruett says. “So once he said that and he explained it that way, I took a little bit more pride in being his driving coach because I took it from the angle of making sure he was safe. The crew is safe, and it’s very important that he looks like a professional and that he’s a threat.”
Reflecting on the 2024 season up to this point, Pruett says, “The round wins we’ve currently got means so much. It means the same as if I’m in the car, as when [Tony] is, and I believe it’s valued. I value our success, and I value Tony’s success so highly because it’s a representation of our efforts. I guess I’m enjoying living my racing career and everything that I’ve learned through Tony racing.”
This story was originally published on August 23, 2024.
The post DI Women of Power 2024: Leah Pruett is Leading By Example first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
