Qualifying is how drivers set their starting positions before the race. A “low qualifier” means you start farther back, so doing well from there is harder.
Qualifying decides where you start the race. If you’re the “number one qualifier,” you were the fastest in qualifying and usually start at the very front.
A “funny car” is a type of drag-racing car built to go extremely fast in a straight line. They’re purpose-built for drag strips and usually race over a short distance like a quarter-mile.
Brake cleaner is a strong cleaning spray. People use it to wipe off oily or dusty buildup so parts are clean.
Term
processing speed
Processing speed means how quickly you can think and react. In racing, it helps you make the right driving inputs sooner.
Term
cadence of the tree and staging
In drag-style starts, the “tree” is the signal light system, and “staging” is positioning the car so the sensors detect you’re ready to launch. The cadence is the timing rhythm of when those signals change and when the driver reacts.
Nitro racing is a type of racing that uses a special fuel called nitromethane. That fuel changes how the engine makes power, so the team has to set up and manage the car very carefully to get good runs.
A crew chief is the team’s main decision-maker for the car. They help decide how the car should be set up and what changes to make so the driver can perform well.
In racing, “zero mistakes” is about eliminating errors in execution—things like missed adjustments, poor timing, or setup mistakes that can ruin a run. Because nitro/drag racing is highly sensitive to small changes, consistency is often as important as raw speed.
The “paddock” is the backstage area at a race. It’s where teams set up the cars and get ready, away from the main grandstands.
Concept
eat what they kill
“Eat what they kill” is a saying that means you only benefit if you earn it through your results. In racing, it’s about turning performance into real outcomes like wins and momentum.
They’re discussing a NASCAR-style truck race at Daytona. Daytona is a famous race track, and “truck” here means the race series with pickup-truck bodies.
Roadkill Nights is a car-focused event where manufacturers and fans show up for automotive stuff. Here, it’s where the hosts were when the truck-racing idea came up.
They mention “Stellanus,” which sounds like “Stellantis,” a big company that owns multiple car brands. The point is that someone from that company was at the event.
Trail braking means you start braking before the turn, but you don’t fully let off the brake right away. You gradually release it while turning, which can help the car turn in more smoothly.
A restrictor plate is a device that limits how much air the engine can breathe. NASCAR uses it to slow the cars down and make racing more even, especially on the biggest tracks.
The draft is when a car behind another car gets a “push” from the air. It helps the trailing car go faster with less effort, so drivers fight for position.
A superspeedway is a huge, fast oval track. Because it’s so fast, the cars act differently and air/drafting effects matter more than on smaller tracks.
Single car runs are practice laps where one car goes at a time. It’s easier to learn what the car does by itself before you have to deal with other cars and drafting.
Qualifying in on speed means your starting spot is based on how fast you can drive a timed lap. That’s different from racing, where you’re dealing with other cars and drafting.
Term
get out of line
“Get out of line” means moving away from the lane/groove other cars are using. In close racing, staying in line helps the car feel more predictable, while changing lanes can make it handle differently.
“Stepped out” means the car lost grip and started sliding sideways, especially at corner entry. It can feel sudden, and it changes how you have to steer to stay in control.
Practice is the time before the race when drivers get laps in to learn how the car feels. They use it to improve their driving and help the team dial in the car.
To “stall” means the engine shuts off. In a race car, it can happen when you’re trying to start moving and you release the clutch or brake too quickly, so the engine doesn’t keep running.
The clutch is what lets you smoothly connect the engine to the gearbox. If you use it too slowly or too quickly, the car can jerk or the engine can stall.
Pit Road is the area beside the track where the teams work on the race cars. It’s where cars come in for service, and it’s usually busy and tightly controlled.
A pit box is the team’s designated spot in the pit area. It’s where the crew works on the car during pit stops, and where people can sit or stand to watch.
The Volkswagen Bus is a type of van made to carry several people. It’s known for its distinctive shape and roomy interior. If it’s mentioned in the story, it’s likely because it was the vehicle used to move people or equipment around the event.
They’re saying the crew chief matters a lot. Even though the driver is behind the wheel, the crew chief helps set up the car and make race decisions that strongly affect how fast it can go.
NHRA is a big organization that puts on drag races in the U.S. It’s where racers compete in categories like Pro Stock, which are all about quick acceleration down a straight strip.
A “pro stock bike” is a motorcycle class in drag racing. These bikes are built and tuned for fast, repeatable runs, and riders compete to post the best times down the strip.
“Cup championships” means winning a major top-level championship in NASCAR’s top series. The speaker is basically saying these motorcycle racers are great, but they haven’t won that kind of top NASCAR championship.
Concept
turn this screw recorder turn
This sounds like a racing setup step where someone tells you to adjust a recording or measurement device. The idea is that changing the setting should make the next run go better.
LIVE
You might get a left hook to the face.
That's the problem with her is people don't realize
that she took up boxing in her teenage years.
And she might kill you.
Whoa.
You're not careful.
I am currently enlisting ideas to the world.
My Instagram DM is open.
We have other ideas.
And by the way, I tried to look for a spare air horn yesterday
at the house and you must have hidden it.
Here we go.
California's Kevin Harvick.
Go, Kevin!
You're very, very early.
Thanks for taking the time to join us.
It's a little bit different than the last time
we had this conversation because you're back racing
and he's the defending winner.
Is that how has that been at home?
Good for you.
Yeah, really good for him.
He just comes off of a win.
Yeah.
I mean, that has to feel pretty good to be with a new team
and do everything that you guys have done
and get to Victory Lane.
I'm sure you didn't even really know
that this was actually going to happen.
And then you put it all together last minute
and here you are in Victory Lane already.
Yeah, you look at the whole weekend.
I mean, Leah was low qualifier.
So she's number one qualifier.
I think we qualified seventh, I think.
And our funny car team wins the mission foods challenge
on Saturday and then he wins the 1,000 funny car race
on Sunday.
That was big.
We win first win for elite motor sports
in our third race with a top fuel car.
So yeah, everything about the weekend was really good.
I mean, Herbie and number one qualifier was huge
and for us to win the race, that's a great feeling.
But coming home, I mean, honestly,
I think we were both kind of riding the wave still together.
I mean, she was a much larger part of helping
get this program put together than I was even.
I mean, she worked really hands-on with Richard Freeman
and putting the pieces and she's like you were
of knowing every aspect of an understanding
how to do it the right way.
And Leah was a huge part of getting
this new program put together.
So I've gone back and looked at the video like 15 times
from the celebration when he crossed the start finish line
with the windlight.
Were you in that?
I was.
We're all wearing black.
And I actually looked at it a couple of times too.
I was like, I swear I was up there.
See my long ponytail.
But it was such, not necessarily a mosh pit,
but it was its own community on the starting line.
And yes, you just look for the windlight.
Like you care about what he ran five minutes later.
Mike Green, of course.
Garrett and it's stared at it what it was.
But for me, it was a really unique feeling
of that entire final round because the best way to put it
is someone had once said,
it's hard to read the label of a bottle
when you're inside of it.
And that's how I feel that I've been in a good way
helping create with our alliance with Ali and Momentum
and yet also being with my team.
And once I was out of eliminations in the second round
to this robot of a driver.
And I mean it in the best way.
This kid's amazing.
Justin Ashley cuts 025 lights three times in a row
in eliminations.
It's darn near impossible to beat.
But anyway, so I got knocked out.
And then Tony's going rounds.
And we're both superstitious in a way where I hadn't seen him
really throughout the race day.
Well, I'm not just going to go camp out with him.
He's got to keep that same mojo going.
So it's dark, he's lined up.
And it had world finals feels like that happens at Pomona.
It had championship feels.
And to see what everyone else saw of was it expected
for that team to win in the first three races?
Probably not.
But was it a surprise?
Absolutely not.
And for me, I get a lot of questions about how was it
our team, TSR, Dodge, Top Fuel Dragster versus their team.
And 99% of it is collaboration.
And so that's what I constantly feel.
We have yet to line up against each other directly in eliminations.
I can't wait for that.
That'll be a different one.
I can't wait for that.
Just so everybody knows, the first question that I did ask
after I told him congratulations was what?
Who had the best reaction time average this year?
And I was really disappointed that you told me that you did
because I'm seeing Leah, of course, I'm happy for you.
Like she is happy for you, but always want to have a leg up on you
with her kicking your ass.
Well, I've been racing for three straight years now,
and she's taken two years off.
So she's just coming back.
So she's just getting back in the swing of things.
So it won't be long till I have to sit there and report back to you
that it is the tides have shifted and she's now ahead of me again.
She might kill you.
You're not careful.
Listen, I like dateline, but...
I like dateline, but if you keep that horn out,
and all of this blow horn stuff,
you might get a left hook to the face.
That's the problem with her is people don't realize
that she took up boxing in her teenage years.
So she is very quick on reaction at home.
It's not just in a race car.
So it's like, I make sure when I pull the air horn prank on her
that I am out of arms length and in a safe spot.
She has long arms and she got long legs too,
so it doesn't take long to get somewhere else that she wants.
So you can box, kick.
Kick boxing.
Everything, yeah.
Kick boxer.
I really enjoyed it, and then I started getting really bulky
and then wasn't good for race weight.
But I am currently enlisting ideas to the world.
My Instagram DM is open, but there are other ideas.
And by the way, I tried to look for a spare air horn yesterday
at the house and you must have hidden it.
So I get a ma'am song here soon.
We opened that up last week on our speed broadcast as well
to make sure that the fans send ideas to us,
because we definitely want to see a,
not devastated Tony Stewart, but a defeated Tony.
This is like stacking the deck all of a sudden.
Yes.
Like I had to do, I had to just take inspiration
that I saw on the internet and come up with my own idea here.
And now you guys are catching her on fire with a,
with a tire torch.
With a lighter and a can of brake cleaner.
That, that she would start swinging immediately for sure.
So yeah, we'll not pull that prank.
So what's it been like for you taking two years off and coming back?
Is there anything that surprised you coming back?
Obviously the dynamic is different between the two of you now,
but what, what was, what's it, what's it been like being back
actually in the car after, after sitting around for,
for two years and watching?
I think what surprised me most from the drivability of the car
is how fast I got my processing speed up to speed.
The cadence of the tree and staging, you know,
I've been watching that for two years and thinking about it.
That's a whole other conversation,
but from throttle down to shoots out and turning off,
me feeling the car, I thought I would be farther behind.
I thought it would take more laps.
So I'm impressed.
I'm happy with how I operate that car.
And because I've had two years to think about being a better lever,
I have really not done myself a favor.
I'm overthought what is supposed to be a reaction.
You can't have a thought and a reaction at the same time.
So I find myself in a spot right now of three races in
finding my groove, but my groove went from starting out being okay
to trying something new and different and getting worse
and then getting worse, then kind of now I'm back in the middle
and then at Pomona was able to find what I needed
to be able to run Justin and have my best side of the weekend.
And that's the hard part of drag racing
is exactly the same as when I left.
I just thought since I'd been working on it for a little while
that I would come out of the hole a little bit better,
but it's part of it.
Something about Tony and I, we're such different animals
when it comes to the tree.
I overanalyze everything and he doesn't
and he tries to have his mind blank.
So we don't really get to talk about that.
And he does have a better average reaction time
elimination so far this season, but so hopefully we'll be...
What's the biggest thing you learned over the two years watching?
Just from a...
Not from the driving, just from...
Because you guys put this together
and you say that she's the brains behind the operation.
So what did you see?
What's the one thing you were like,
man, I didn't realize what?
I can't say I didn't realize it, but the...
Or you can do...
The best...
Yeah.
Oh, the performance of professional nitro racing
is very much most of the time on the performance of the car
and that comes from your crew chiefs.
And then the step down, right?
Your guys making sure that there are zero mistakes ever.
And so I always knew, yes, I hold the trophy at the top
and celebrate and everything, but me being a part of the team
and not driving for such amount of time made it so I could work
on places to help my crew chiefs in a better dynamic.
And so that was with Polaroor Technologies
and creating systems and programs and optimization
that helped them make decisions in a timely manner.
So my eyes really opened up in a way where as a driver
you don't have that time to be with them.
So for me, I mean, you see low ETs,
you know, Tony talks about I was low, a Pomona.
Yes, I was in the car and I was low and I did everything right.
My team was low.
Crew chiefs, they should really be the ones that
that adds to their accolades and their medals.
So for me, we always know it's humbling, but it's even more so,
but it puts more pressure on you as the driver to do
literally the one job that you have.
And I think that's kind of what has eaten at me
more so coming back into the seat.
And, you know, I think it really stands out
as I stepped away a little bit.
Unless you're born into it and have a whole bunch of money
of your own, you are always continuously scratching
and clawing to maintain a ride.
And I think the pinnacle of that person
is truly our teammate Matt Hagan.
You know, he's kept his dodge relationship for almost 18 years
and every year, I mean, we have long-term contracts and all that,
but you look in the paddock and the field of competition for top fuel,
there's various select few that have got to, you know,
they eat what they kill.
And a perfect example of that is also Justin Ashley.
So it's, it helps me just have a different view and understanding
and be thankful for where we're at and what we built.
And, you know, we're in April right now already talking about
2027 and how that looks, because that's what we have to do.
So that's what real race teams do.
Yeah. Yeah.
And I think that you know that from all the experiences that you've had.
And you mentioned Dodge.
And I never thought that I would be sitting here asking you this question,
but tell me how this whole truck came together.
And not necessarily a lot about that,
but just the truck experience, how it came together
and what it was like, because I looked down at the crowd,
I called that race and I looked down at the crowd and I'm like,
70% of these people are here to see Tony Stewart come race this truck,
because they thought they were living in a dream.
And here you are again in a truck race at Daytona.
And I don't know why you picked that one.
It was very entertaining talking to you the night before the race
and just with where you're like a little kid again,
just with all the thought processes and everything.
Was it fun?
Did you like it?
Would you do it again?
Tell me just the truck thing.
Well, first let's start with this.
Did you know at the same time he knew that the truck thing was going to happen
or it was like a conversation that happened?
I knew that a conversation was going to happen.
Okay.
And about five minutes later after it happened,
and you can tell the story about our conversation then,
but yes, that had happened in August of 2025.
So there was a long time leading up to Daytona.
So we were up in Detroit at Roadkill Nights that Dodge puts a lot of effort into.
And it's a huge event up there.
I mean, you're up where all the auto manufacturers are
and they've done this for years.
And it was the first year I got invited to go up and be a part of it with Leah and Matt.
And so we're up there and Tim Caniscus from Stellanus is there.
And I got tipped off that I might be getting asked a tough question.
So I get one-on-one with Tim and he goes,
hey, would you ever consider doing a truck race again?
And I'm like, yeah, it might be fun and very little conversation about it.
And so-
Do you think it was serious?
I knew he was serious.
But literally, after about three or four days after the event,
I didn't hear anything from him.
I'm like, maybe you forgot about it.
And I'm like, if he did, it's okay.
And about two weeks later, he makes a phone call and calls back.
And in the meantime, I've already been thinking about it.
And I'm like, yeah, he goes anywhere you want to run.
I'm like, well, let me think about it.
I'll look at the schedule and we'll see what's available.
So literally when he called back, I told Lee, I said, I just got the call.
And I told him I would do it.
I said, I'll let him know in the next couple of days what race.
And so I told her two days later, I said, hey, I think I'm going to do Daytona.
And her reaction was priceless.
She goes, what the-
Yeah.
She goes, I thought she told me it's like a 70% shot.
You're going to get crashed out of a race like that.
I said, yeah, that's-
You were right.
That's what he said.
Why Daytona schedules?
And honestly, I picked Daytona because this is Dodge and Ram's return to NASCAR.
And I said, to be there at Daytona with them, their first race out would give them,
I felt like, help get them the maximum exposure on their coming out party.
So knowing it was somewhat a suicide mission to go run that race,
I felt like I was doing the right thing for the company and for college helping those guys out.
So that's why we picked Daytona.
I mean, I knew it was-
And at the same time, I felt like from our perspective as drivers,
I mean, it'd been 10 years since I'd driven anything in NASCAR.
So going to somewhere else where I don't know if they're trail breaking,
I don't know what they're doing to drive these things and be good.
And they only run a couple of restrictor plate races a year.
I thought, well, we probably know as much, if not more than what they know about the draft.
So I felt like that was things that equalized it and a lesser amount of variables
that I was going to have to relearn going into the race.
So even though I knew the risk was a lot higher of something not going right,
I felt like the variables and homework I needed to do to get ready was less.
So what surprised you?
That I got loose on lap two.
That was what really surprised me.
And we weren't even all the way up to speed yet.
But in college's defense, I mean, they never had a truck.
Didn't have a truck team, didn't get to test at a super speedway.
All of our practice was single car runs because we needed to qualify in on speed.
So we didn't know what we were going to have.
So I knew starting the race, I'm like, I'm going to take six, seven laps.
I'm not even going to get out of line, just stay in line, see what's going on,
get a feel for the truck, see what I can see,
visually through trucks to the next truck.
And literally on lap two, we went into turn one and it stepped out and I went,
whoa, wasn't ready for that.
Yeah.
So literally the hard part about it was the rest of the race.
We were just working to get in a position where I could try to run hard.
I never even got to run hard yet by the time we got crashed.
So but it was fun to work with the guys.
It was kind of embarrassing, literally go out for our 50 minute practice
and I stall the thing trying to back up three times.
Well, I had people right in front of it and we're kind of on a little bit of a grade.
So you got to get off the brake and get on the clutch really quick and
just a super short throw and I stalled it three times.
And so I'm like, yeah, I said, don't worry guys,
we got 45 more minutes of practice.
I'll get a couple laps in.
But it was fun.
And I think being back and seeing how many people came to watch us run
and realizing what that was all about was huge.
Unbelievable when you look down on Pit Road.
But the very best part to me was actually being at a NASCAR race
and Leah gets to finally watch me race a NASCAR race.
And we get to do it with our son and he's not going to remember it,
but he's going to see videos and photos of it and everything.
Did you sit on a pit box?
I did.
Yes.
And I first time with him racing.
Yeah, I actually didn't realize I have seen him run a cup race before.
And I think it was in 2008 at Fontana when I was there for an internship or something
of some sort.
Didn't, you know, didn't spot Tony out because I was way up in the top.
But yes, I did not.
You don't have to lie to me when she's scoping me out the whole time.
I was scoping out the marketing situation.
And when I came down from the stands, I was like, where's what happened in the midway?
I had no idea that the midway packs up on like an HRA race.
But for me, I did not realize how mad I got in the pit box when he got crashed out.
I mean, because I knew and would hear everything and knew that he was working at getting a run
and just into that spot.
And then for something, how that came about, I was so mad.
And then I'm like, oh, Tony is going to be so mad.
And we're going to have mad Tony.
I don't know, mad Tony at a NASCAR races like.
And then and then that's not where he was.
He was back at the truck pit with Tim Kaniscus and Dana, I think was still there and cracking
open a beer and having a good time and ended up giving your helmet to Tim and came back
to the bus still had his driver's suit on, I believe, you know, hours and hours later after
the race, like hours and hours sometimes.
And it was awesome to see because the funny had that week leading up to the race.
He didn't let that crash, you know, eliminate that fun in it.
And it just kept going.
I was really happy to see happy Tony and his really and his natural atmosphere.
It was it was fun for me.
I'm a proponent of him doing it again.
But that's, you know, what do you think?
Do it again.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it again.
OK, well, let's do the same one.
Go to the same place where we got a 70 percent chance of knockdown.
No, I'm saying let's do the same race.
Us both run the same race.
Hell, I'm in.
Yeah, we I'm not going to Daytona, though.
All right, we're going to have to sit and where we all right.
Let's sit and figure a race out.
I think we could do it.
That'd be fun.
I think I'm all for it.
All right.
Well, we'll we'll have to plan it for next year at some point.
Yeah, not this year.
Yeah.
So last questions.
Let's see.
Dom is year and a half, almost a year and a half.
What's race life like now that you're back racing?
You've already been racing.
What's it like now that he's getting a little bit older and around the racetrack?
I got to spend a little bit of time with him.
He's a ball of fire.
I we've had him at the first two races.
And I found myself being quite fragmented and being mom and, you know, wake up at night
and everything, but yet still being on time for all of our daily schedules.
And then coming into the third race, Pomona was like, I want to experience what everyone
else experiences, just going to work and getting back in the real rhythm.
So we did that.
It turned out really well for Tony when in the race and and Matt, of course.
But he's here back for this race, the fourth race.
For me, it's enjoyable.
That's for sure.
It's a portion of my life that I never had before really racing with my family.
It's been such a long time.
And you know that no matter what happens, there's going to be, well, it's either a
crying baby, but usually really happy.
And he knows no different whether mom or dad lost.
So I am seeing now in HRA as the family sport that we talk about all the time,
but getting to live it and loving it, truly loving it.
And I am happy that you won at Pomona.
I'm sad Dom wasn't there to see it, but I would have been insanely upset if I had won.
Everything works out.
That's why we always took Keelan, right?
Because I mean, even if once you get into a system, then it's like, OK,
this is not a big deal.
Yeah, he's here.
I can go to this and you get that balance of life.
But you never have those pictures again.
You never know when the next one is gone.
You never know.
And that that is tough.
I mean, for you, as it been, you were already settled in.
I think for you, it's probably been the.
It definitely was a lot easier for me.
I mean, I didn't have to change anything.
But I think I get the fruits of the labor because, you know,
we get two rounds of qualifying on Friday, two on Saturday, and we race Sunday.
So, you know, say Friday, for example, it smokes the tires on the first run and
second runs, normally the money run.
It's normally an evening session when the track's cooler.
And that's normally what's going to set the field.
And, you know, you sit there and if you have two bad runs in a row on a day,
you're like the day it was a failure.
And then you walk up in the hospitality trailer that's 30 feet away from the pit
and he's up there and he looks up at you and smiles right away.
And you're like, you know what?
Those two runs weren't that bad.
Not that bad.
It's crazy to realize it in a reality of like,
yeah.
And it immediately puts you back in a different frame of mind.
I've sat all along.
It wasn't ideal to have a child in my 50s.
I wish I could have had him in my mid-20s or late-20s on because between Lea and Dominic,
I now have balance in my life that I never had.
Never had it in my life.
It's good for all of us.
But for me as a driver, I mean, I would like, I would love to be able to go back
in my cup career and have had her on my side and Dominic in our life and have that balance
and see how much better my driving I think would have been because of it.
Because I told her, I said, you literally came home Sunday.
If you won, you celebrated till the same time Monday.
And then after Monday, you were focused on how do you do it again.
If you had a bad race on Sunday, you thought about that all the way till Sunday race again,
no matter how good Friday and Saturday were.
You thought about that all the way through the following race the next week.
So as unhappy of a person as I was in my NASCAR career behind the scenes,
this is a drastic difference for me and definitely rounded out my life and created balance
that I wish I would have had along.
That's the thing that we tell a lot of our young drivers now.
Tell me about your circle of life.
I don't care how happy you are with your race team.
If your circle of life isn't well-rounded and in place,
you'll never get the most out of yourself.
So it's a tough way to live.
Back at Charlotte, is that a pain in the butt or do you like seeing everybody?
It's, for me, it's great.
I love it.
It's definitely, it is the second busiest race weekend for us.
The U.S. nationals, which are Indianapolis, that's home race for me, obviously.
That's our Super Bowl race.
But this is a close second for me because last year we had,
I think, two of my former crew chiefs, Boca was here, Chad Johnston was here.
Guys, former Terry Labani crew chiefs.
I mean, there were people here from the NASCAR world that I don't get to see anymore,
but they can sneak out on Friday night and to see those people and maybe it was only five
minutes or 10 minutes you got to spend with them.
But, I mean, that's what I left the weekend remembering was all the people that I got to
see and spend time with.
Ryan Newman comes and Ryan and I talk about the run and you know how Ryan is.
Ryan's like her on the engineering side, analyzing everything.
So we always tell him exactly what we're doing, why we're doing it and he enjoys
being able to think outside the box.
So just having your friends and your teammates come back out and get to see us do what we're
doing now, that part's fun for me.
I enjoy it.
But you do internalize it a little bit.
There is a little bit of extra pressure.
I think you always want to, I mean, no different.
You're in front of everybody.
Yeah, you always want to run well in front of the people that you worked with.
And you know, the hard part is like she said, I mean, the 70% of the success of the car going
down the racetrack is going to be the crew chiefs where we were 70% in the form of motorsports we
were a part of.
So if it doesn't go well and you come back, it's like you want to sit there and say,
that wasn't me.
It's just, that's just what the car did.
It's, you know, we'll work on it, try to make it better for the next one.
But you always feel that level of pressure with your peers that you want to do well in front of them.
Well, you guys are the dynamic duo of NHRA now.
You kind of got from the outside looking in it and peers a lot of it on your back.
So it is what it is.
The good thing is, the good thing is we have a couple that races as well in pro stock bike
that are friends of ours, Matt and Angie Smith are from North Carolina and they are,
that's the good thing is like, if I feel like in this, things get sideways, I go sneak over to
pro stock motorcycle and go find them.
Unfortunately for you, there's not any of them that have won three cup championships
NHRA races.
But they understand the dynamic of racing against your spouse though.
And that's, that is an element.
It tunes Angie's bikes.
So I mean, they got a different element going on too.
If he tells me, I guess got to turn this screw recorder turn, that's going to fix us.
That's going to be way easier.
But it's fun to be able to do it on everything.
Thank you for taking the time and good luck.
Thank you for having a good time.
About this episode
Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett talk through the adjustment from drag racing to truck racing, including Stewart’s Daytona run, the challenge of reaction time, and what Pruett learned while watching from the sidelines. The conversation also leans into family life, from racing with their son at the track to the balance and perspective that come with life away from the cockpit. They close by reflecting on NHRA weekends, Indianapolis, and the added pressure of performing in front of familiar faces.
Tony Stewart’s Top Fuel victory at Pomona, Leah Pruett’s highly anticipated return to NHRA racing, Truck racing at Daytona, racing family life, and behind-the-scenes moments take center stage in this high-energy motorsports interview packed with exclusive stories and insider perspectives. Kevin Harvick hosts NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and his wife, 12-time NHRA national event winner Leah Pruett as they break down Stewart’s big Pomona win, his hilarious pranks on Leah, her journey back to racing after two years away, Stewart’s experience racing the Ram Truck at Daytona, and how they’re introducing their son Dominic to the world of racing.
0:00 - Intro
0:27 - Tony Stewart & Leah Pruett Join The Show!
0:48 - Tony’s Top Fuel Win At Pomona
5:50 - Tony Pranking Leah
6:22 - Leah Coming Back After 2 Years Off
10:45 - Tony Racing The Ram Truck At Daytona
18:56 - Bringing Son Dominic To Races
23:00 - Reuniting With Familiar Faces In Charlotte
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