Toni Breidinger has already been one of the most dominant competitors on the race track.
Earned more than a dozen US Auto Club Western Midget Series victories, had one top-10 finish in the ARCA Menards Series East in four starts and nine top-10 finishes in 35 races on the main ARCA Series track Menards and became a Victoria’s Secret Model in September 2022.
All before his 24th birthday. And she’s not done yet.
On Saturday, Breidinger will compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Kansas Speedway for the first time and will make history as the first Arab American woman to compete on the truck circuit. She will race for TRICON Garage and drive the No. 1 Victoria’s Secret Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.
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Toni Breidinger outside her car (Roman empire)
«I feel like it’s very important to have representation in the sport,» Breidinger told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. «For me, it’s really exciting to pave the way for the younger girls.
«I feel excited but, at the same time, I wish I hadn’t been the first because I think NASCAR has been around for a long time. So, I feel like every time some of us are breaking down these barriers, all these things I feel like should have been broken ago. a long time, it’s like a mixed emotion type of feeling. But I’m very proud to be able to represent the sport.»
Breidinger, who grew up near San Francisco, wasn’t exactly on the road to racing when he was younger. She was just having fun.
Toni Breidinger (Roman empire)
«I started racing when I was go-karting at the age of 9 and just for fun,» he told Fox News Digital. «Basically, my dad was driving down the road to work and he saw a go-kart lesson sign, and he took me and my twin sister, Annie, there. We did a go-kart lesson.
«We both fell in love with him, and then he got us a cart to share. And every weekend we’d go up there to have fun. It was more of a way for my dad to bond with us and have it as a father-daughter activity than anything.
«But I took it very seriously at a young age and told him I wanted to be a racing driver. And he definitely thought it would just be a phase. But I stuck to it, and it’s been a long 14 years.» journey. But here I am.
The paint scheme for Toni Breidinger’s truck. (Distribute)
Aside from all the victories and best results at different levels of the sport, one of her greatest achievements was becoming a Victoria’s Secret model. In September 2022, she announced that she would be joining that lingerie family.
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«My little me is crying. Growing up, I struggled a lot with my body confidence. Last year I focused on my mental and physical health over appearance. I am honored to be a part of the @victoriassecret family. Thank you for allowing me to feel confident in my own skin!» she wrote at the time.
Toni Breidinger walks into the pit lane (Roman empire)
Breidinger told Fox News Digital that he realized his dream and is now able to ride in a company-sponsored truck.
«It’s so crazy. It’s funny because I joke that I expressed it when I was little because I had this journal. And I used to write that I want to be a race car driver. And I also wrote that I want to be a Victoria’s Secret model.» ,” she said. “So the fact that they both happened, like two worlds colliding, is so surreal. It’s pretty crazy.
«I’m so proud to be with the brand. It’s really amazing that they’re supporting me at such a big and important moment in my career. It’s surreal. It’s like crazy. I start to smile a lot when I start thinking about it.»
Being one of the few women in the truck series, Breidinger says, is a proud moment for her.
Toni Breidinger gets ready (Roman empire)
«I’m so proud of that and especially now with Victoria’s Secret in the truck for this. I’m proud to be standing next to a brand that really stands up for women because I feel like, for me, I really believe a lot in representation.» And I think a lot about the women who compete in this sport,» she said.
«When I was a kid watching race car drivers, that inspired me a lot. So I can imagine it’s the same for younger girls.»
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«So, it’s really important to me, and I put pressure on myself to get it right, to show people, ‘Hey, we’re capable of doing this,’ and for young girls as well. I add that extra pressure on myself because I really want to be a great representation for us women. But at the same time, I don’t really differentiate myself from the other drivers. I look like everyone else, so it’s like two parts.»
Toni Breidinger gets into his stock car (Roman empire)
Breidinger added that reaching the highest level of stock car racing, the NASCAR Cup Series, is in his «five-year plan.» She said she already has one more truck race lined up after Kansas.
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Breidinger will do double duty on Saturday. He will drive in the ARCA Menards series race, the Dawn 150, in the afternoon and then prepare for the truck race, the Heart of America 200, in the evening. The ARCA race is scheduled for 2 pm ET and the truck race is scheduled for 8 pm ET. Both races can be seen on FS1.