Pruett Gathers Momentum With Runner-Up Effort

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Drag racer Leah Pruett has many nice reminiscences at Firebird Motorsports Park, courting again to her Junior Dragster days and successful her first High Gas race in 2016.

The brand new mom was looking for one other one Sunday within the NHRA Arizona Nationals, reaching the ultimate spherical in her Tony Stewart Racing Rayce Rudeen Basis Dodge dragster.

Pruett settled for a formidable runner-up end in simply her second race since returning to the cockpit.

Pruett, who practically gained the 2023 NHRA Mission High Gas world championship earlier than taking a two-year layoff to start out a household with husband Tony Stewart, returned to motion two weeks in the past on the NHRA Gatornationals with a quarterfinal end in her TSR Dodge Direct Connection dragster.

This weekend on the Arizona Nationals, Pruett was set to struggle for the race win after qualifying second Saturday at 3.788 seconds.

With air temperatures over 100 levels and observe surfaces over 140, all the Nitro groups have been finding out their charts for the correct traction on the difficult observe, and Pruett’s crew chiefs Neal Strasbaugh and Mike Domagala have been no totally different.

Nonetheless, the TSR mind thrust was on its sport Sunday with spectacular spherical wins by Pruett over Cameron Ferre, Gatornationals winner Josh Hart and reigning NHRA Mission High Gas champion Doug Kalitta.

After wins of three.827, 3.887 and three.887 within the early rounds, Pruett confronted longtime rival Shawn Langdon, a fellow competitor in Junior Dragsters with Pruett. Langdon entered the ultimate spherical with two consecutive Arizona Nationals titles (2024 and 2025), however Pruett had lane selection. Each drivers had practically similar response instances off the beginning line, however Langdon’s 3.877 beat Pruett’s 3.930 for the California driver’s third straight Phoenix win.

“The perspective and confidence in our program actually confirmed all through your complete weekend of getting a very good deal with on our horsepower stage,” stated Pruett, who had son, Dominic, in tow when she wasn’t within the automobile and speaking with the crew. “So, apart from the ultimate spherical win, I couldn’t be extra proud of my crew, particularly in these circumstances. I’m so grateful. This weekend was a terrific testomony to my crew and my crew chiefs (Strausbaugh and Domagala) who actually carry the crew. I really feel ten instances higher than I did in Gainesville, and I didn’t assume that that was attainable.

“We’re aggressive and we’re proud of our constant runs and being fast given the recent circumstances. However that doesn’t imply that we’re not allowed to take a second and be slightly bit bummed and upset a few closing spherical that all of us wished actually dangerous. It’s wild. Our crew chiefs have been darn close to good. And that’s what we construct on. That’s momentum.”

TSR crew proprietor Tony Stewart, driving the Elite Racing High Gas dragster, really ran in opposition to his spouse in qualifying for the primary time in High Gas competitors in Friday’s first qualifying spherical. Pruett beat Stewart to the end line. Stewart certified fifth at Phoenix and superior to the quarterfinals after a powerful 3.823 run in opposition to Shawn Reed. However within the quarterfinals, Stewart misplaced to Maddi Gordon, 3.851 to three.950.

“I don’t assume Tony and I actually bought to take pleasure in our first head-to-head expertise (in qualifying),” Pruett admitted. “With it being Q1 and the brand new schedules have been printed, and we’re like, ‘oh, yeah,’ we’re gonna run one another. We really had very related performances as effectively. So, now we have that first one out of the way in which, however I’m wanting ahead to once we get to soak up the second extra sooner or later.”