It is no secret that Toni Breidinger is more than a racecar driver. She is also a very successful model and social media influencer. As the most followed NASCAR driver on social media right now, Breidinger has a lot of leverage.
When it comes to her on-track abilities, Toni Breidinger has had a winning history. Coming up through the USAC ranks, she won 19 races. At the time, it was the most ever by a woman in USAC competition.
In the last two seasons, she hasn’t dazzled in ARCA. However, she finished fourth in the standings, better than any other woman in the national series before her.
What she lacks in on-track performance, Breidinger makes up for in marketing and exposure. She has millions of followers on social media, and has used her modeling career to parlay her opportunities into sponsorships.
“It’s kind of funny, cause everyone’s like ‘oh, you have to do one thing. You have to be a race car driver or a model, you can’t do both’,” Breidinger said to Forbes in a recent interview. “They kind of work perfectly for me because I do leverage my modeling to help me get behind the wheel…they kind of really go hand in hand for me. And I feel like I’m able to balance them really well.”
Next season, Toni Breidinger is taking over the No. 5 truck for Tricon Garage in the Craftsman Truck Series. That is going to be a major step up. One that she hopes she can take on without much adjusting. Oh, and she just made it into the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Talk about a one-two punch.
Breidinger is joining an organization that Hailie Deegan raced for. Will she have more success than Deegan at this level of NASCAR? Perhaps. We have to see how she does on the track before making any judgments.
Toni Breidinger is next woman in the NASCAR spotlight
With Hailie Deegan moving on from NASCAR to the Indy NXT series, Toni Breidinger is the highest-profile woman in the sport. Breidinger has worked her way up through the ranks and since gaining support from Toyota Racing Development has taken off.
The spotlight will be bright. Women in racing are scrutinized simply for being women for one, and because there are so few women in racing. No one cares about the dozens of men who make up the middle and back of the pack. As soon as its a woman, then it becomes a weekly talking point.
Toyota is heavily invested in Breidinger. She is a gateway to mainstream popularity. She will arguably put up the same or better results in the No. 5 truck as Dean Thompson the last two years, but with more marketability.
Next season is a big one or Toni Breidinger. A lot of fans will be eagerly waiting to see how she performs.