A diaper dandy? NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart ready to take steps in NHRA and fatherhood

New dad Tony Stewart insists he’s ready to change his first diaper. But it needs to happen “in the right situation.”

His wife, fellow drag racer Leah Pruett, rolls her eyes and shakes her head as the NASCAR Hall of Famer calls himself “still undefeated” when it comes to facing one of parenthood’s many daunting — and sometimes dirtiest — duties.

“She keeps telling me every time I say this answer that it is not a flex, that it is embarrassing,” Stewart said. “But I still am undefeated.”

Stewart and Pruett welcomed their first child, Dominic James Stewart, in November. And the baby boy has been along for the ride ever since – literally.

Dom was in tow for the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Lake Havasu, Arizona, on hand for two weeks of preseason testing in Florida and will be on site for the NHRA’s season opener, the Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, this weekend.

Stewart, 53, and Pruett, 36, provided a glimpse into their new normal Friday, beginning with Pruett hustling up three flights of stairs and arriving a few minutes late and a little out of breath to a scheduled media availability.

“I’m absolutely loving it, and I’m finding this balance between constantly comparing my love for racing and love for Dominic, and there’s two different types of love, right?” she said. “But I feel like I have won the absolute lottery, the beautiful baby, an incredible team on both sides, incredible partners. I couldn’t be happier.”

Striking that balance might be more intimidating considering Pruett is constantly trying to meld feedings, naps and playtime with business meetings, autograph signings and working on cars — all while shielding Dom from the deafening noises and toxic fumes of the drag strip.

“Leah has huge responsibilities, not only as a mom and a babysitter for me, but now on top of that, she plays a very crucial role with the race team,” Stewart said. “She doesn’t just sit around. She’s not sitting on her hands all day away from the kid. She’s working in this pit, so she has a full schedule.”

Pruett stepped away from driving for Tony Stewart Racing at the end of the 2023 season to focus on starting a family. Stewart, a three-time NASCAR champion and the 1997 IndyCar champion, replaced her last year in the Top Fuel dragster that Pruett drove to a career-best third in the standings.

Stewart, who reiterated his promise to turn the seat back over to Pruett “the moment she’s ready,” finished ninth in points in 2024. It was a solid start for a guy who took up drag racing just a few years ago. He’s hoping to take a step forward in Year 2.

“This year I’m way calmer,” said Stewart, who also announced Friday a multiyear extension with Stellantis, the parent company of automaker Dodge. “There’s still a lot of things that haven’t happened driving the car that I know are out there and that are going to come at some point. So it’s not like you say, ‘I got that.’ But I feel way more confident and comfortable where I am now versus where I was a year ago at this time.”

Having Dom around should help.

“If you have a bad run and you get a chance to go back to the bus just for five minutes, and he’s awake and you see him smile one time, that bad run doesn’t seem so bad,” Stewart said. “So I think this kid’s going to play a really crucial role in this team.”

Stewart and Pruett have full-time help, although the newborn care specialist got sick and was unable to make the trip to Florida. They were able to pivot to a new nanny, although the last-minute shakeup could be the twist Stewart needs to finally delve into the diaper bag.

“I never thought I would say this: I’m kind of looking forward to this a little bit because I feel like it’s a rite of passage to a certain degree as a father,” Stewart said. “So it is coming, and I’m planning and, psychologically, in the right frame of mind to do this.

“I’ve watched him pull the diaper down and I’ve seen what’s in there, and I immediately exit stage right. So I’m going to have to commit to this one. But once we do the first one, it’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

Stewart promised to share the ordeal on social media.

“I will make sure the world knows when I change my first one,” he quipped.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing