NASCAR’s Toni Breidinger talks making history before Texas Motor Speedway race
Toni Breidinger wasn’t thinking of making history when she fell in love with racing, instead focusing on the freedom it offered and how cool she thought it was to be a 9-year-old who could drive. But she made it all the same.
When Breidinger got behind the wheel for NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway in 2021, she became the first Arab-American woman in the history of the sport to do so.
While some time has passed, she reflected on what this accomplishment means to her now as opposed to when she first made history.
“I think when I initially entered the space, I was just following my dreams and doing something that I’ve always dreamed of doing, and didn’t really realize that I was doing something different, or being a trailblazer, in a sense, and then I feel once I got that accomplishment, and kind of have now been through the sport a little bit more, I realized that I actually am making an impact, and that me showing up and racing makes a difference for younger girls coming up. So, yeah, I think I take more pride in now because I’m a little bit more self-aware,” said Breidinger.
“It’s honestly been really special, and I feel like I’ve been able to notice and just see younger girls coming up to me at the track, people of color coming up to me at the track, and just realizing that I’m actually making an impact, actually inspiring them is really special. Obviously I’m doing this for myself, and I’m chasing my dreams, but I also feel there is this other sense of, I don’t know if it’s like responsibility, but I know it’s not just for me. I want to do it for other people, too,” she said.
She’s also seen some of that impact, on young girls particularly, while she was hosting an event and panel with her sister in North Carolina several years ago.
“One of my favorite moments, actually, was I hosted this karting event for young girls a couple years ago with the Women’s Sports Foundation and Raising Cane’s. I invited all these girls from around the country to come go-karting at one of my favorite tracks growing up, and it was just such a full-circle moment. I did a panel with my twin sister, Annie, who also used to race, and it was just so cool looking out at the girls, and I could just see myself in them,” said Breidinger.
Breidinger remembers being that young girl and getting into motorsports along with her sister, and the lifelong love they would wind up sharing in the sport. They hope to pass that to the next generation of young women interested in NASCAR.
Breidinger, who has previously compared herself to Hannah Montana, does have a double life of sorts, also modeling for Coach, Sports Illustrated and Victoria’s Secret.
One of Breidinger’s idols in the modeling industry was Adriana Lima, and while some say never meet your idols, she couldn’t have been more happy to have met Lima.
“So I grew up watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show like many young girls, idolizing these beautiful women that were so confident, so powerful, and Adriana was one of my favorites. I actually met her when I shot with Victoria’s Secret in Spain. I think it was maybe three years ago now, but she was the sweetest person ever,” said Breidinger. “She was amazing, so sweet, and it was very crazy to actually meet her and to shoot with her was insane.”
Doing double duty is tough, which Breidinger acknowledges, but knows that it’s a necessity.
“I actually just came from a shoot and I woke up so early for it. I woke up at 2 a.m. so I’m a little tired today. So it’s a balance,” said Breidinger. “Now tonight I’m gonna make sure I rest and really just lock in on the racing. So it is kind of a constant balance that I don’t think every driver has to do, but at the end of the day, I love it, and it helps me chase my dream.”
Getting ready for her first race of the season, she talked about the challenges posed by Texas Motor Speedway and how weather might be a factor in some of her decisions.
“So the weather is looking a little crazy for tomorrow, so we’ll kind of see, I think that our plan will change a little bit, depending if we’re going to practice [or] qualify versus just go right straight into the race, which is actually what we did last year here. [This] is a difficult track,” said Breidinger. “It’s not easy to go into the race without any practice, but I kind of don’t mind. I’m trying to be better at just adapting on the fly and just being present and kind of trusting my instinct.”
Breidinger will race at 7 p.m. Friday at Texas Motor Speedway and tickets are still available.
