Racing’s rough-and-tumble stars have long moonlighted as social media comedians and hapless dads, turning parental pratfalls into viral gold. Dale Earnhardt Jr., for example, has spent episodes of his podcast cataloguing the sport’s greatest gags including Jimmie Johnson’s legendary kids’-bike prank on Martin Truex Jr.’s crew after a late-race incident at Charlotte cost Truex a shot at victory, and so, crew chief Cole Pearn jokingly told Johnson he could make amends by buying the team road bikes. Even off-track videos from drivers doing whisper-challenge reels to late-night show bits have been collected on YouTube as the best stunts that have left crews laughing for years. But if the paddock is fertile ground for pranks, parenthood has been the latest playground, and Tony Stewart’s entry into diaper duty has been one for the highlight reel.
Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett welcomed their son, Dominic James Stewart, in November 2024, a milestone that immediately made fatherhood a new storyline for the Hall of Famer. Stewart’s whirlwind weekend, racing in Pomona, rushing to the hospital, then returning to racing hours later, made for a headline that underscored the absurd logistics of a racer’s family life. Leah, a two-time NHRA world champ, balanced her own return to the sport with the couple’s new routines. Pruett posted a thread of pictures on Instagram in November, with a long caption, ending it with, “We are so happy with hearts so full. Thank you everyone for the love texts these past couple days Giving birth was the most exhausting thing my body and mind has ever experienced. Can’t wait to recover with my lil family! ” Which brings us to the recent collaboration everyone’s laughing about and why it landed so perfectly.
In an Instagram post by Stewart, in partnership with Novant Health, the NASCAR veteran is seen giving “Diaper changing tips,” which has caught the attention of many. In the video, he compares a typical diaper-changing experience to racing pit stops. “In racing, every second counts. Same goes for diaper changes. Let’s see if I got the speed and the technique,” he says, mimicking a pit crew call. “Pit crew, I think we have a blowout in turn three… But apparently quick isn’t the only thing that matters. Gotta get the fit right, too. Speed’s important, but a good clean pit stop, that’s what really wins the race.” The result is a small, perfect cultural moment. Racers showing vulnerability, a champion making light of rookie parenting errors, and a clip that runs a private first into a widely shared, warmly received piece of motorsports lore.
Tony Stewart’s commercial CV is surprisingly deep and varied. Media outlets track 48 nationally aired TV ad campaigns featuring him, with thousands of airings in recent months, showing he has been a go-to face for both national and regional brands. He has turned up in Mobil 1 spots alongside Lewis Hamilton, Mahindra tractor ads, trading friendly barbs with Chase Briscoe, Coca-Cola vignettes, and multiple Xfinity/X1 promos. Those placements aren’t one-offs: ad-tracking pages show repeated runs and measurable TV airings, which is why a short, funny parenting clip from Stewart is instantly usable in sponsor playlists and highlight reels.
For fans, the ad works because it collapses two worlds they adore: the precise choreography of a pit stop and the everyday scramble of parenthood, into admiring Stewart’s “Pappa Smoke” persona. That humanizing effect is exactly why a Hall of Famer’s offbeat diaper gag can feel as resonant as a big race win: it reminds fans that even heroes change diapers, laugh at themselves, and carry on with their double-duty life.
Tony Stewart’s viral spin on fatherhood sparks wave of reactions
One fan wrote, “I love Pappa Smoke! You were my Dad’s favorite driver, I have his Stewart Home Depot jacket now that he’s gone!” This makes it evident that Stewart’s name becomes synonymous with every brand he engages with. His long, high-profile run in the No. 20 Home Depot car for Joe Gibbs Racing made that orange kit instantly iconic. This comment acts as more than a sentiment, but a familiar, documented pattern among NASCAR families. And it seems like the same would be the case for the diaper brand in he coming years as well.
Another fan quipped, “You look like a great dad who knows what he’s doing!” This is easy to back up with concrete moments that show Stewart’s hands-on approach and good humor. He rushed from an NHRA weekend to be present for son Dominic’s birth and then still returned to competition that same day. He has also been candid about being on diaper change duties, even declaring that he would share the ordeal on social media. “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. I will make sure the world knows when I change my first one,” he said in March. And now, he lived up to that promise.
Others added to the fun, exclaiming, “Not the Ad I was expecting to see! Haha love it.” Viewers loved the absurd contrast between a hard-nosed Hall of Famer and a very human, messy parenting moment, which turned into a stackable social content and partnership moment that immediately caught the racing world by fire. What made the reactions stick was precedent, as fans had cheered similar driver-forays into everyday life before, including Danica Patrick‘s GoDaddy spots and Jeff Gordon’s prank ads. So, Stewart’s candid appearance also made it worth watching.
Some were quick to lean into the chaos-with-a-smile vibe, as one fan added, “Gotta change those lil fellas fast. They might go off mid diaper change.” It sparked several parenting jokes, including the infamous double-load surprise during a onesie swap to having to hustle like a pit crew between feedings, making the moment feel instantly relatable. On the other hand, Pruett enjoys every moment of it, as she said in an interview, “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? 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.”
Others offered more parenting advice, writing, “Tony u take the stinky diaper off first then put a fresh one on next.” After all, people with babies know the struggle firsthand. Tony Stewart‘s playful dive into diaper-change spotlight amid racing drama shows how seamlessly racing icons can cross into everyday storytelling. Beyond the laughs, it highlights how the line between athlete and relatable personality is thinner than ever. In a sport built on grit and timing, Stewart proves that authenticity off-track can be just as powerful as victory lane.
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