Toni Breidinger leads history makers as ARCA Series witnesses a major first

Venturini Motorsports recently made history by fielding four women drivers in the ARCA Series; Springfield ARCA 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Isabella Robusto and Taylor Reimer joined full-time drivers Toni Breidinger and Amber Balcaen for the 100-lap event on Sunday.

Toni Breidinger is the oldest female competitor at Venturini Motorsports. In 57 starts, the 25-year-old has amassed four top 5s and 23 top 20s. She is currently running her second full season in the ARCA Series. Breidinger also drives the No. 1 Toyota Tundra for TRICON Garage part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

On Her Turf, powered by NBC Sports, commented on the team's line-up for Sunday saying,

"Women who race.❤️‍🔥"

"For the first time in ARCA Menards Series history, four women drove for a single team in a race, all driving for Venturini Motorsports."

Although it was the first time the ARCA Series witnessed four female drivers racing for the same team in a single event, Venturini Motorsports made the headlines back in 2018, when they fielded Toni Breidinger, Natalie Decker, and Leilani Munter for the Scott 150 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Venturini Motorsports is also known for forming an all-female pit crew for the first time in the history of the ARCA Menards Series. Known as the 'Ultra Blue Crew,' this skilled group of women assisted team owner Bill Venturini during his racing days.

Venturini was a driver in the ARCA Series from 1982 to 1996. The Ultra Blue Crew was his primary pit crew in 1985, 1986, and also in 1987, when the 71-year-old American bagged the first of his two championship titles.

Bill Venturini denies "gender specific" outlook towards Sunday's ARCA Series race

Motorsports enthusiasts have witnessed several promising female drivers like Shawna Robinson, Jennifer Jo Cobb, and Janet Guthrie competing in NASCAR throughout the years. Reports suggest that at least 134 women have qualified and raced in NASCAR's nationwide touring series. This includes 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series alone.

Therefore, Bill Venturini doesn't see this as something 'gender-specific'. During a pre-race interview (as reported by arcaracing.com), he said,

"This weekend will be special, but honestly, I don’t really look at it as gender-specific... for us, it’s just another day at the track with our drivers."

"Although female drivers competing at this level is nothing new, I’ve seen more and more talented women drivers coming up the ranks (in) the last few years. These women on our team are great role models for younger girls looking at our sport," he added.

Remarkably, all four Venturini Motorsports drivers managed to secure top 10 finishes in Sunday's ARCA Series race, with Isabella Robusto (driving the No. 20n JBL Toyota) and Taylor Reimer (driving the No. 55 BuzzBallz Toyota) making the top 3. Toni Breidinger drove her No. 25 machine to 6th, while Amber Balcaen delivered a P8 finish wheeling her No. 22 Icon Toyota.