Toni Breidinger Bio
Antoinette Marie Breidinger, known professionally as Toni Breidinger, is an American professional stock car racing driver and model. Born on July 14, 1999, in San Francisco, California, she is recognized as the first female Arab-American driver to compete in NASCAR, being of Lebanese and German descent. She last competed full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage.
Beyond the cockpit, Breidinger has built a parallel career in modeling, working with major brands and publications. She balances both pursuits while continuing to push her presence in one of the most demanding forms of motorsports in North America.
Early Life and Background
Breidinger was born in San Francisco, California, on July 14, 1999, and raised in the nearby town of Hillsborough. She is of German and Lebanese descent, with her father, Mark Breidinger, being German and her mother, Melinda Breidinger, being Lebanese. She was born alongside a twin sister, Annie, and the two remain close.
She was educated at Mercy High School in Burlingame, graduating in 2017. In interviews, she has spoken fondly of her high school years, citing the cultural diversity of the community as a meaningful part of her upbringing. Her father, who later became instrumental in launching her motorsports career, introduced her to racing as a young child.
Path to NASCAR
Breidinger began her racing journey at the age of nine, when her father took her and her twin sister to a go-kart school after spotting a newspaper advertisement. He eventually bought both girls go-karts, and Toni continued in karting for five years. During that time, in 2011, she suffered the most significant injury of her career, a broken arm sustained during a crash with competitor Logan Sargeant at the CalSpeed Karting Center.
In 2014, she stepped up to the USAC Western US Asphalt Midget Series at age 15, finishing runner-up in her first season and again the following year. She captured the series championship in 2016, becoming the winningest female driver in any USAC asphalt division at the time. After visiting late model races at Madera Speedway, her focus shifted from open-wheel cars to stock cars, and after graduating high school she relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, to pursue her new path.
Toni Breidinger Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Breidinger made her ARCA Racing Series debut in 2018 with Venturini Motorsports, finishing tenth at Madison. She added two more starts that season and continued developing in stock car competition. In 2019, she was selected for the initial top-60 round of the W Series but was not among the final 18 drivers chosen. She also joined GMS Racing’s driver development program, racing late models for the team.
In 2020, she ran a full season in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series, finishing fourth in the series standings. Those late model seasons built the foundation for her eventual move to higher-profile NASCAR-affiliated series.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2021–2024)
In 2021, Breidinger announced a part-time schedule in the ARCA Racing Series alongside the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Young’s Motorsports. She became the first Arab-American woman to race in a national touring NASCAR series. Midway through the year, she joined Venturini Motorsports and became part of the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) lineup.
From 2022 through 2024, she ran increasingly competitive ARCA campaigns with Venturini Motorsports, posting six top-ten finishes in her first full-time season in 2022. In 2023, she scaled back to a part-time ARCA schedule while also running the inaugural Toyota North America GR Cup for Nitro Motorsports to gain road course experience, earning her first ARCA top-five finishes and a best result of third at Kansas. Returning to a full-time ARCA slate in 2024, she posted eleven top-ten finishes, with a best finish of sixth, and placed fourth in the final series standings.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2023–Present)
Breidinger made her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2023 with Tricon Garage at the Heart of America 200 at Kansas, finishing fifteenth. She added two more starts that season. In 2024, she made a one-off Truck Series start for Tricon Garage, finishing 27th in the season-opener.
Tricon Garage Era (2025–Present)
Breidinger moved up full-time to the Truck Series for 2025, signing with Tricon Garage to drive the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Her rookie Truck campaign was a steep learning curve; through the first 15 races she recorded two top-20 finishes, with a best result of 18th at Rockingham. She was involved in a fiery incident at Watkins Glen caused by an engine failure, and she finished the year 23rd in the driver standings, with an average start of 26.7 and an average finish of 25.4.
For 2026, Breidinger transitioned to a part-time Truck Series schedule, departing Tricon Garage and joining Rackley W.A.R. in the No. 27 entry for an eight-race slate. She failed to qualify for the season-opening race at Daytona. Earlier wiki-sourced detail also lists a planned No. 20 entry with McAnally–Hilgemann Racing, and a most recent Truck start listed at the 2026 Ecosave 200 at Dover.
Driving Style and Strengths
Breidinger’s path through open-wheel midgets, late models, and ARCA stock cars has given her a versatile skill set that translates to the heavier, more physically demanding Truck Series. Her background in midget racing sharpened her car control, while her time in late models and ARCA built the patience and consistency required to manage long stock car runs. Her partnership with Toyota Racing Development has provided consistent manufacturer support as she continues to adapt to the Cup-style equipment of the Truck Series.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among her signature moments, Breidinger counts her 2016 USAC Western US Asphalt Midget Series championship and her 2021 debut as the first Arab-American woman in a NASCAR national series. Her first ARCA top-five at Kansas in 2023 and her fourth-place ARCA points finish in 2024 stand out as her strongest stock car results to date. In 2025, she also became the first NASCAR driver to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Toni Breidinger Career Wins
Breidinger’s career wins are anchored by her 2016 USAC Western US Asphalt Midget Series championship. Across her ARCA career, she has notched four top-fives and 27 top-tens without a victory, and she has yet to record a Truck Series win. Her results reflect steady progression rather than headline race wins, with consistent top-ten finishes in ARCA and a developmental Truck Series campaign in 2025.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Across four ARCA seasons, Breidinger amassed four top-fives and 27 top-tens. Her best ARCA season came in 2024, when she placed fourth in the series standings with eleven top-ten finishes. Her first ARCA top-five came in 2023, highlighted by a third-place run at Kansas.
Other Wins and Performances
In the ARCA Menards Series East, she recorded five top-tens with a best series finish of 10th in 2024, and in the ARCA Menards Series West she added a top-ten with a best finish of 35th in 2023. She also competed in the inaugural Toyota North America GR Cup in 2023, gaining valuable road course experience.
Toni Breidinger Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Breidinger comes from a close-knit family with German and Lebanese roots. Her father, Mark Breidinger, is of German descent and her mother, Melinda Breidinger, is of Lebanese descent. Her father played a pivotal role in launching her racing career by taking her and her twin sister, Annie, to a go-kart school when she was nine years old.
Personal Life
Outside of racing, Breidinger has built a modeling career alongside her driving, currently signed with IMG Models and having appeared in publications such as Glamour, GQ, Shape, Flaunt, and Marie Claire Arabia. She has spoken openly about her past struggles with body confidence and has partnered with brands including Raising Cane’s, Celsius, Sunoco, Coach, Dave & Buster’s, and 818 Tequila. She also supports the Women’s Sports Foundation, frequently displaying the foundation’s branding on her race vehicles.
2025 Season Performance
Breidinger’s 2025 rookie season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Tricon Garage was defined by adaptation and perseverance. Driving the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, she posted two top-20 finishes in the first 15 races, with a best result of 18th at Rockingham. She finished all but two of those first 15 races, demonstrating consistency even as raw speed proved elusive.
The second half of the season grew tougher, with four DNFs in her final ten races and no finish better than 24th. A fiery engine-failure incident at Watkins Glen highlighted the steep learning curve she has described in her own words. She closed the year 23rd in the driver standings, with an average start of 26.7 and an average finish of 25.4.
Looking ahead, Breidinger will depart Tricon Garage and move to a part-time 2026 Truck Series schedule, beginning with Rackley W.A.R. in the No. 27 entry, where she has emphasized continued seat time and steady improvement as her primary goals.
