Toni Breidinger makes history with two big announcements in one week

Toni Breidinger has established herself as a trailblazer in motorsports, making an impact both on and off the track. Days after she announced that she had expanded her off-track influence by stepping into the spotlight as part of the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, she landed her first ever full-time NASCAR national series ride.

The 25-year-old, whose national series career has thus far featured only four Truck Series starts over two years, is now set to replace Dean Thompson behind the wheel of the No. 5 Tricon Garage Toyota Tundra in 2025.

Tricon Garage, the team with which she made her four starts in 2023 and 2024, made it to this past season's Championship 4 with Corey Heim, and they also saw Taylor Gray advance to the round of 8.

Toni Breidinger continues to move up NASCAR ladder

Known for her history-making achievements as NASCAR's first Arab-American female driver, Breidinger is no stranger to breaking barriers. The San Francisco, California native has leveraged her platform in motorsports to carve out a successful career in modeling and a massive social media following.

Breidinger most recently competed in the ARCA Menards Series, doing so full-time in 2022 and 2024. She piloted her No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota Tundra to a fourth place finish in the standings this past season. With 27 career top 10 finishes, she holds the record for the most by a female driver in any NASCAR series.

Her growing success on the track has only been rivaled by her ability to captivate audiences off of it. Just last week, she made history again as the first race car driver since IndyCar race winner Danica Patrick in 2008 to appear in the prestigious Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.

Toni Breidinger making history on and off the track

Breidinger’s passion for motorsports began at the age of nine, when she first got behind the wheel of a go-kart. Growing up in the Golden State, Breidinger quickly excelled in local competitions and would soon make the transition to traditional stock car racing.

She found considerable success in the United States Auto Club (USAC), where she became the winningest female driver at the time with 19 victories.

It's her success away from the sport helps her stand out, however. Breidinger has forged a fruitful career as a model, appearing in high-profile campaigns for brands such as GAP, Victoria’s Secret, and Free People.

Beyond the race track, Breidinger has embraced opportunities to expand her influence, from advocating for diversity in motorsports to partnering with major brands including Toyota, CELSIUS, PepsiCo’s Gatorade brand, Mattel’s Hot Wheels, and Raising Cane’s.

Breidinger’s debut in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue added another chapter to her career and marked a fun milestone for motorsport, and just a few days later, she has added another exciting chapter with the announcement of her new 2025 NASCAR Truck Series ride.