By Ben Deatherage
STUART, Iowa (Jun. 13, 2025) — In a town of just 1,700 nestled along Interstate 80, Skylar Pruitt’s story is one of grit, devotion, and second chances. Born and raised in Stuart, Pruitt now races Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks at Stuart International Speedway — the same track his family has been tied to since the late 1970s. But the road that brought him back to the driver’s seat wasn’t a straight one.
Racing Blood and a Restart
“My family has lived in Stuart or the area our whole lives,” Pruitt said. “They started racing I don’t know when — late ‘70s, early ‘80s — and the bloodline just stayed with me.”
He grew up going to the track with his dad Curtis and grandfather Ted. His first taste of speed came on two wheels, not four.
“My dad bought me my first dirt bike when I was three. We ran them for a while and then got out of that. I had a full ride with a company, but they went out of business, so I switched to go-karts and raced up in Jamaica until about 2010–11.”
But after a divorce within the family, everything changed. The karting program ended. Ted passed away in 2016. Pruitt enlisted a month later.
A Uniform, A Mission, A Calling
“I joined the military at 20. I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything, so I signed that contract for him — to make my grandpa proud.”
Pruitt served in the Iowa Army National Guard, stationed at Camp Dodge with Alpha Troop of the 113th Cavalry Regiment — a historic unit known as the Red Horse Squadron, with roots tracing back to the Indian Wars and combat history through World War II and the Global War on Terror. He later transferred to Bravo Troop, where he served the final 18 months of his contract.
Located on the eastern edge of Africa along the Indian Ocean, Somalia has endured decades of civil unrest, poverty, and extremist violence. U.S. troops deployed there often support counterterrorism operations and peacekeeping efforts in regions impacted by al-Shabaab, one of the most active terrorist groups in East Africa.
“We were deployed to Somalia in 2020–21, outside of Mogadishu. All the houses in the village were made of sticks and mud, and I was told no one could have a nicer house than the other — they all had to stay the same size. Later we moved to a huge base where there were mansions. It was wild to see the difference just a short flight could make.”
He returned home changed — and with a new sense of focus.
“I wasn’t the greatest kid after my grandpa passed. I couldn’t hold a job. I had a long sit-down with my mom, and that’s when I signed that dotted line. The military changed me into the good person I am today. It was the best experience I’ve ever had.”
Skylar Pruitt, kneeling front row at right, poses with members of his squad before a patrol in Somalia during his 2020–21 deployment with the Iowa Army National Guard’s 113th Cavalry Regiment. (Photo courtesy of Skylar Pruitt)
Rebuilding From the Ground Up
During his deployment, Pruitt saved every dollar he could. Then, a call from his dad changed everything.
“He said, ‘Hey, if you want to get back into racing, now’s the time to do it.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ He started calling around to chassis builders, but no one really gave us the time of day.”
Eventually, they found a used Charger Chassis for sale in Kansas. While Skylar was still deployed, his dad took the lead on building the car back home. “I called Jamie at Charger, and he answered every single question we had,” Pruitt said. “He stayed on the phone with us the whole time — that’s what really got us back into racing.”
Back home, the work began — in a garage that barely qualified as one.
“My dad’s shop was down in a flood zone. It was the only one left standing after the big 2008 flood. No electricity, no heat. We wired it to run off a generator. Bullet heaters in winter. No power tools. We started with a Craftsman 220-piece pack.”
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was theirs.
Hobby Stock Roots and a Number to Remember
They chose the Hobby Stock class as an entry point — both for cost and comfort. “We didn’t want to jump straight into Stock Cars without ever driving something with a suspension,” Pruitt explained. “We wanted to see if we liked it and if we could afford it.”
His car number, 96, comes with a smile.
“My dad was big into motocross, and I’d switch numbers all the time to match my favorite riders,” Pruitt said. “Eventually he got tired of it and picked a number for me — 96, for the year I was born.”
Riding High, Getting Humbled
After easing back into the sport, things began to click. His first win came at Stuart — a moment he still treasures. Then came a track championship, then another. Eight wins last year, including a title at both Stuart and Shelby County Speedway in Harlan.
This year has been the opposite.
“I’ve raced six or seven times and have gotten totaled four times. Our car got really bent up. We’ve been trying to work with what we have. We went to Boone on April 26, changed everything, and finally had a good car. We won. It was a dream. I could’ve retired right then.”
He’s not retiring anytime soon, but the start of 2025 has been a reminder that success doesn’t come easy.
“The last two years we were blessed, riding the high horse, doing anything we wanted. This year’s been humbling — to where you can’t do anything to save your life.”
Still, the work is starting to pay off again. Pruitt returned to victory lane at Shelby County Speedway on June 7, a sign that his season may be turning a corner.
Skylar Pruitt celebrates in victory lane at Shelby County Speedway on June 7 after scoring his second Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock feature win of 2025. (Photo by Purdy Photography)
On the Water, In Control
Pruitt’s day job is as unique as his path back to racing. After five years working at an ethanol plant, a buddy offered him something new — managing dock and lift installations across Iowa lakes. He took the leap and now works for Deluxe Docks & Lifts, operating a specialized barge outfitted with a crane.
“I run a 30-foot-long boat with a crane in the middle of it,” Pruitt said. “We work on Diamondhead Lake, Lake Panorama, down to Sun Valley. I sit on that boat and operate the crane. My guy on land’s the grunt. It’s fun working on the water — no one is rushing you. You go at your own pace.”
The company provides him with a truck that doubles as a race hauler, and this year, they became one of his primary sponsors — a perfect blend of work and passion.
A Family Legacy, and a Choice
Skylar Pruitt’s racing career is more than late nights in the shop or bent bumpers on race day. It’s a tribute to the generations who shaped him — a grandfather who helped raise him, a father who brought him back to the sport, and the young family that now cheers him on from the grandstands.
It’s also grounded in his years of military service, where he wore the patch of the Iowa Army National Guard’s 113th Cavalry Regiment — part of the storied 34th Infantry Division, better known as the Red Bulls.
The 34th Division’s history stretches back to World War I, but its most enduring legacy was forged in World War II. Red Bull soldiers were among the first U.S. troops to engage in combat in Europe and would go on to spend more days in active ground combat than any other American division.
The Red Bull insignia — a red steer skull imposed on a black Mexican water jug — became a symbol of relentless endurance. German soldiers reportedly nicknamed them “Red Bulls” and “Red Devils” for their persistence. That same legacy lives on today through Iowa National Guard units like the 113th Cavalry, with recent deployments spanning Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa.
Pruitt’s own deployment to Somalia in 2020 separated him from his young daughter, Raelee, who was just a year old at the time. While overseas, he missed the moments most parents treasure — her first steps, her first words, even her second birthday.
“I had a little one before I left. When I got back, an E-5 slot opened in Bravo Troop, so I transferred. But we found out we were going to deploy again — and that’s when I knew it was time to step away.”
After he returned, he and his wife Courtney welcomed their second daughter, Aubree. With a growing family and momentum building on the track, Pruitt made a difficult but clear decision: he had served his time — now it was time to stay home.
“I didn’t want to miss those moments again,” he said. “I had a family now. And racing — it’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Now, with Courtney’s support and two little girls watching from the stands, Pruitt races not just for wins, but for the life he’s building and the people he’s building it for.
That connection between his military past and racing present was front and center on May 29, when Boone Speedway hosted the official deployment ceremony for the 113th. The event drew a large crowd and featured appearances from Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Jesse Green, and Representative Dave Deyoe. In a powerful tribute, the color guard was accompanied by the race cars of Matt Avila, Johnathon Logue, and Bryan Zehm — machines standing still in solemn respect, side by side with the soldiers they honored.
“I’ve been through some hard stuff,” Pruitt said. “But I’ve also been blessed. And now, I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given — for my family, for my team, and for that kid who never stopped loving racing.”
Soldiers with the Iowa Army National Guard’s 113th Cavalry Regiment stand in formation during their official deployment ceremony on May 29 at Boone Speedway. The event featured race cars in the color guard and was attended by Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Jesse Green, and Representative Dave Deyoe. (Photo by Iowa National Guard)
