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Antoinette Marie Breidinger, popularly known as Toni Breidinger is an American stock car racing driver. A trailblazer in women's motorsport, Breidinger has led the charge from the front for several years now. In an interview in 2021, she opened up on how it all started when she was just nine years old and started driving cars just for "fun," and eventually fell in love with the sport.
Born in San Francisco, California on July 14, 1999, Breidinger comes from Lebanese and German descent. She found interest in racing after her father took her and her twin sister to go-karts when she was just nine years old. It was the start of her journey, and now she stands as one of the pioneers for women in the sport.
In an interview with Arab News in 2021, she disclosed how she found mojo in racing,
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"It all started in go-carts," Breidinger said. "I just went go-carting as a kid just for fun. I was nine years old. My dad took me and my twin sister Annie just up to the go-cart track for the weekend, just like a family activity."
“He wasn’t trying to make anything come from it. But I just fell in love with it and so did my sister. So, we just started racing and traveling all over the country for races. Just from there climbing up the racing ladder," she added.
Breidinger is the first female Arab-American driver to compete in a NASCAR national series event. She is a full-time ARCA Menards Series driver and a part-time East and West Series driver. Besides this, she drives in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series under a part-time obligation. In the ARCA Menards Series, Breidinger drives the #25 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports, whereas in the Truck Series, she drives the #1 Toyota Tundra for Tricon Garage.
The 25-year-old is also a renowned model and has worked with globally renowned brands such as Victoria's Secret. Most recently, Breidinger was featured in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition magazine.
A close look at Toni Breidinger's racing career
Toni Breidinger started racing in the go-karts in 2009 when she was nine years old. It was the start of her illustrious career, and she quickly moved up the racing ladder and reached the ARCA Menards Series in 2018, where she made her debut in the 2018 Herr's Potato Chips 200 at Madison.
So far she has taken part in 65 races in this category in over five years, where she claimed 27 Top 10s. Three years later in 2021, Breidinger made her debut in the ARCA Menards Series West at the 2021 General Tire 150 at Phoenix.
In 2022, Toni Breidinger debuted in the ARCA Menards Series East with the 2022 Calypso Lemonade 150 at Iowa. In the West Series, she appeared in six races, whereas in the East Series, she has taken part in 13 races over the years.
Toni Breidinger made her debut in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2023, and so far took part in four races, her last being the 2024 Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona. Given her trajectory, Toni Breidinger, the winningest female driver in the USAC (United States Auto Club) with 19 wins, one can expect her to reach further heights in the future.
