NHRA Unveils Driver Replacement Policy for Female Racers Starting Families
The NHRA has unveiled a new driver replacement policy amendment for female racers, spearheaded by several women who compete within the organization. This pioneering policy — one that is the first of its kind in motorsports —is designed to empower female racers who are starting a family.
Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, a key figure behind this change, shared her experience of navigating family planning while competing at the highest level of the sport. After getting married, Pruett found herself grappling with the challenge of balancing her passion for racing with her desire to start a family.
Pruett first mentioned her work on the initiative during her 2024 DI Women of Power interview. She had reflected on her own situation after marrying motorsports star Tony Stewart and wanted to start a family. Pruett had to take her team, partners, and fans into consideration to step away from driving, something she’s done her whole life, and not race in 2024.
Pruett’s decision to vacate the driver’s seat, despite a career-best third-place finish in 2023, highlighted a gap in the sport’s policies for female racers. Pruett, alongside fellow racers like Erica Enders, Angie Smith, Julie Nataas, Jasmine Salinas, and Ida Zetterström, rallied to push NHRA toward a more inclusive approach.
By early 2024, NHRA consulted with its chief medical officer, Dr. Phil Surface, and experts in reproductive health, including Dr. Peter Weiss and Dr. Carolyn Alexander, to develop a solution that balanced the physical demands of drag racing with the realities of pregnancy and fertility.
Dr. Weiss noted, “NHRA’s forward-thinking approach ensures that its women racers can compete safely without being disadvantaged by pregnancy or fertility-related concerns.”
Together, the racers and NHRA leadership revised the existing driver replacement policy. Initially, NHRA proposed that female drivers could earn points even if they only participated in a single race. However, Pruett and her colleagues advocated for a fairer approach. They proposed a system where points earned by both the pregnant racer and their replacement driver would be compared, with the higher total contributing to the season championship.
This policy reflects the ongoing collaboration between the NHRA and its racers, who are working to make motorsports more inclusive and family-friendly.
“It not only acknowledges that motorsports are becoming more diverse, but also that women are not just competing—we’re winning national events and world championships,” Pruett said in a previous interview with the NHRA. “But no one ever acknowledged the one thing that really stops that career, and this policy speaks to that.”
Pruett, who is now expecting her first child, is confident that this policy will not only affect the track but also spark important conversations in boardrooms and lead to stronger relationships between racers, sponsors and partners.
Tony Stewart Racing photo
With the support of NHRA, Pruett hopes this policy will create a lasting impact for women in motorsports.
Below is the outline for the new policy:
Participating While Pregnant
Participants who wish to participate in drag racing while pregnant must request a Pregnancy in Drag Racing information packet from the Racing Administration department. The participant’s OB/GYN provider must review and complete all forms provided in the information packet and return them to NHRA for review and approval by NHRA and its chief medical officer. Participation in drag racing while pregnant is completely voluntary and subject to the processes and policies described in the Pregnancy in Drag Racing information packet.
Stopping Participation
If, after having participated in one (1) or more races after the start of a season, a participant who is pregnant (or undergoing fertility treatment in advance of pregnancy) wishes to stop participating as a result of her pregnancy (or fertility treatment), the following rules will apply:
Upon submission and NHRA’s acceptance of a pregnancy verification letter signed by the participant’s OB/GYN provider, the pregnant driver may be replaced by a replacement driver.
2. The replacement driver must have proper credentials and meet event entry criteria.
3. For purposes of the series championship:
a. if the replacement driver earns fewer overall series points than the driver who stopped participating as a result of her pregnancy (or fertility treatment), all series points earned by the replacement driver will be credited to the driver who stopped participating as a result of her pregnancy (or fertility treatment); and
b. if the replacement driver earns more overall series points than the driver who stopped participating as a result of her pregnancy (or fertility treatment), all series points earned by the replacement driver will be credited to the replacement driver.
4. For purposes of calculating the points earned by each driver for this policy, NHRA will count only those points earned by each driver in connection with Mission Foods Drag Racing Series events (including qualifying bonus points, but not including points earned in specialty races such as the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge). Points credited to a driver as a result of points adjustments for the Countdown to the Championship will not count for purposes of this policy.
5. In the event the replacement driver and the driver who stopped participating as a result of her pregnancy (or fertility treatment) earn the same amount of points, the driver with the most rounds won during the regular season will be credited all series points.
6. Any event prize monies will be paid to the payee as designated on the original entry form.
Returning to Participation
If, at the start of a season, a participant chooses to refrain from participating in drag racing, or is not authorized to participate in drag racing, in each case as a result of a recent pregnancy, then the following rules will apply:
1. If the original participant (i.e., formerly pregnant participant and medically cleared to participate) competes in one (1) or more national events prior to the first event of the Countdown to the Championship, all points earned by the replacement driver will be credited to the original participant.
2. If the original participant (i.e., formerly pregnant participant and medically cleared to participate) does not compete in one (1) or more national events prior to the first event of the Countdown to the Championship, then all points earned by the replacement driver will be credited to the replacement driver.
This story was originally published on September 18, 2024.
The post NHRA Unveils Driver Replacement Policy for Female Racers Starting Families first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
