About
Toni Breidinger is a 25-year-old stock-car racer who also happens to work the fashion runway. In 2025 she is driving the No. 5 Toyota for TRICON Garage in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, becoming the first Arab-American woman to run a full national NASCAR season. Racing on weekends and modeling for brands like Victoria’s Secret and Coach during the week, she calls her schedule a “double life,” juggling fire-proof suits with photo-shoot glam.
The California native has 65 ARCA Menards Series starts under her belt, 27 of which finished in the top ten. Before jumping full-time into Trucks, her best ARCA championship result was fourth in 2024. Although she is still chasing her first NASCAR win, Breidinger’s steady progress and sizable social-media following have made her a sought-after ambassador for both racing sponsors and lifestyle labels.
Before Fame
Antoinette “Toni” Breidinger was born on July 14, 1999, in San Francisco and grew up in nearby Hillsborough with a Lebanese mother, a German-American father, and her twin sister, Annie. A weekend trip to a local kart track when the girls were nine sparked a passion that quickly turned competitive. The family bought second-hand karts, and Dad wrenched while the twins raced.
By her mid-teens Toni had switched from karts to USAC midgets, racking up 19 victories—still the most by any woman in the sanctioning body’s history—and claiming the 2016 Western U.S. Asphalt Midget championship. At 17 she made a bold move to North Carolina, finishing high school online so she could be closer to late-model teams and bigger tracks. Those formative seasons taught her how to hustle for sponsorship dollars and survive long hours in the shop—skills that serve her just as well today in contract negotiations as they do behind the wheel.
Trivia
- History Maker: Breidinger became the first Arab-American female driver to appear in any NASCAR national series when she debuted at Daytona in 2021.
- Model Turned Driver (and Vice Versa): In 2022 she signed with Victoria’s Secret, the lingerie brand’s first professional racer. She later joined IMG Models and fronted Coach’s Soho Sneaker campaign, saying modeling “helps pay for tires and fuel.”
- Manifestation Queen: At nine she wrote a school report outlining her dream to “race in NASCAR.” Two decades later her résumé reads almost exactly like that childhood vision board.
- 818 on the Hood: Breidinger is the inaugural sports ambassador for Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila, a partnership that puts the agave logo on her truck and her firesuit.
- Talk-Show Guest: Ellen DeGeneres once surprised her with a steering wheel signed by Danica Patrick—proof that speed and daytime TV sometimes share a stage.
Family Life
Family support is a recurring theme in Breidinger’s story. Her father, Charles, handled the early wrenching duties, while her mother navigated the logistics of two daughters racing across the West Coast. Twin sister Annie eventually pursued an engineering path but still joins Toni at kart tracks to run charity events for aspiring young female drivers. Their shared childhood hobby keeps them close despite hectic adult schedules.
Toni often credits her multicultural background for her resilience, noting that representation for Arab-American women in motorsports was virtually nonexistent when she started. She now uses her platform to mentor girls who remind her of her younger self, whether that’s through Women’s Sports Foundation appearances or simple pep talks in the garage.
Associated With
On race day Breidinger lines up alongside TRICON Garage teammates Corey Heim and Tanner Gray, sharing data and the occasional pizza after practice. Away from the track she collaborates with entrepreneur Kendall Jenner (818 Tequila), Victoria’s Secret Creative Director Monica Mitro, and Coach’s creative leads, proving that pit boards and billboards are not mutually exclusive.
She also stays in touch with trailblazers like Danica Patrick, who offered advice on handling media glare, and fellow ARCA alumna Hailie Deegan; the trio sometimes swap notes on balancing brand deals with lap times. Breidinger’s story highlights that success in modern motorsport can come from equal parts throttle, authenticity, and the willingness to step outside the expected racing script.
