Former NASCAR driver Tony Stewart donated $2,250,000 to the Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital through his foundation. The donation provided improved health services for young individuals, including new patient rooms.
Stewart, who is worth $90 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), retired from full-time competition in NASCAR in 2016 before completely leaving the sport as a team owner last year. He became a father to Dominic James with his wife Leah Pruett last November.
In an Instagram post, Novant Health Foundation announced Tony Stewart’s multi-million donation that would benefit children needing medical care.
“We are excited to announce that Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital is growing, thanks to a $2.25 million gift from the Tony Stewart Foundation,” the foundation wrote.
According to the Novant Health Foundation, the former NASCAR driver’s donation provided six patient rooms that would serve 2,100 more patients annually. It also allowed the addition of a nurses’ station, an increased RN-to-patient ratio, and a provider workspace.
By March, Stewart will return to the Top Fuel class in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). It will mark his sophomore year in the said class. He substituted for his Leah Pruett while his wife focused on family planning last year.
Pruett sits out again this year to look after Dominic James, who was born during NHRA’s season finale at Pomona Dragstrip last November. Stewart qualified on Saturday in California before flying to Phoenix to see his newborn. He returned to the drag strip on Sunday.
The three-time NASCAR champ was eliminated after the semi-finals but at least he concluded the season with the Rookie of the Year award.
Tony Stewart praised wife Leah after their son’s birth
Tony Stewart commended her wife Leah Pruett for getting back in shape weeks after delivering their son, Dominic James. He argued that Pruett would even be ready to get back and drive the 11,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster in no time.
In an interview with EPARTRADE released earlier this month, the 53-year-old said:
“I’ll be honest, she is literally just over two weeks from having Dominic and I’m pretty confident in about two to three weeks she would be ready to get back in a Top Fuel car.” [17:38]
“She absolutely looks amazing. Looking at her, you wouldn’t even tell that she delivered a little boy to us so it’s just amazing how strong and tough my wife is, and what she does.”
With Stewart exiting NASCAR, the Indiana native can focus more on NHRA and his family. His departure ended a three-decade-long run in the sport.
After the 2024 season, Stewart-Haas Racing was rebranded as Haas Factory Team. The team sold three of its four charters, with the remaining charter assigned to Cole Custer. He will pilot the No. 41 Ford Mustang previously driven by RFK Racing-bound Ryan Preece.
