Toni Breidinger has opened up about how she “leveraged” her successful modeling career to secure a full-time contract in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with TRICON Garage.
Last week, the team confirmed that the Arabic-American driver had signed a full-time contract for the 2025 season. Reflecting on her career milestone, Breidinger shared her excitement, as reported by Newsweek Sports:
“Racing full-time with TRICON is a dream for me. It’s been a 15-year process to get here, but I’m so excited for this moment and ready to capitalize on it. I wouldn’t have this opportunity if it wasn’t for Toyota, Raising Cane’s, CELSIUS, and Sunoco. I’m beyond grateful to have these partners and team in my corner to take this next step in my career.”
Now, Breidinger has revealed how she has utilized her modeling success to help land a seat in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In an interview with Forbes, she confirmed that she plans to continue balancing both careers, stating:
“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’. They kind of work perfectly for me because I do leverage my modeling to help me get behind the wheel… they really go hand in hand for me. And I feel like I’m able to balance them really well.”
Breidinger has already secured notable sponsorship deals with CELSIUS, Raising Cane’s, and Victoria’s Secret, and boasts an impressive social media presence with 5 million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
“Some of my partners are involved in NASCAR and sponsor other drivers, and some of my other partners don’t know much about NASCAR and I kind of brought them into it,” she explained. “So coming to some of my partners and saying, ‘Hey, I’m in the Truck Series,’ they’re like, ‘OK, cool, we really know what that is, but we’re going to support you no matter what.’ It’s exciting that they not only believe in me but also in female athletes… It’s very empowering to work with brands that have the same values as me.”
At just 25 years old, Breidinger also recently made history by becoming the first NASCAR driver to appear on the front cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
“It’s an honor to be featured in the 2025 @SI_Swimsuit @SInow issue. It’s very surreal to be in this issue alongside so many inspiring athletes. Thank you a million to everyone who made this dream of mine come true!!”
