Leah Pruett's Top Fuel Comeback Begins in Gainesville

The drag racer returns to competition at the track that launched key moments in her career.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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Leah Pruett is making her return to NHRA Top Fuel competition this year, and she's doing it at Gainesville Raceway, where the Gatornationals have played an integral part in her career. After a two-year hiatus to start a family, Pruett is stepping back into the powerful Top Fuel dragsters, feeling confident and ready to pick up where she left off in 2023 when she finished second in the standings.

Why it matters

Pruett's return to Top Fuel racing is significant as she is a top competitor in the sport, having finished second in the standings in 2023. Her comeback at Gainesville Raceway, a track that has been important in her career, will be closely watched by fans and the racing community.

The details

Pruett has been involved with her team, TSR, on a daily basis during her hiatus, working on tuning optimization projects, speaking engagements, and taking data science courses at MIT to help the team with data analysis, organization, and predictive modeling. Her preparations for her return didn't go exactly as planned, as she had to adjust her training regimen to accommodate her 14-month-old son. However, she has been working closely with an orthopedic surgeon and a chiropractor to ensure she is physically ready to return to the driver's seat.

  • Pruett finished second in the NHRA Top Fuel standings to champion Doug Kalitta in 2023.
  • Stewart won the 2025 regular season Top Fuel title driving Pruett's car, and finished fourth in that season's title run.
  • Pruett and her husband, Tony Stewart, recently moved into a new house in Lake Havasu, on the border between San Bernardino County, California, and Mohave County, Arizona.

The players

Leah Pruett

An NHRA Top Fuel drag racer who is making a comeback to the sport after a two-year hiatus to start a family.

Tony Stewart

Pruett's husband, who is also involved in the sport of drag racing.

Doug Kalitta

The 2023 NHRA Top Fuel champion, who Pruett finished second to that season.

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What they’re saying

“I have a level of confidence that I didn't have before whenever I had those other new beginnings. This is like old hat to a degree, and I have to remind myself of that. I need to have that mature emotional mindset. Yes, it's all new, but it's just the same. So, let's pick up where we were at in 2023 and move on.”

— Leah Pruett (autoweek.com)

“We built what I thought was going to be the hot ticket. It didn't work, so now it's in the trash and she's 'pretty much' back to the same pedal she used previously.”

— Leah Pruett (autoweek.com)

What’s next

After Pruett's first two qualifying runs in the Gatornationals, she was third fastest with a 3.690-second elapsed time, with Josh Hart leading qualifying with a 3.658-second ET.

The takeaway

Leah Pruett's return to NHRA Top Fuel racing at Gainesville Raceway, a track that has been significant in her career, is a highly anticipated comeback for the talented driver. Her confidence and experience, combined with her team's continued support, make her a contender to watch as she looks to pick up where she left off in 2023.