Toni Breidinger Discloses Avoiding Social Media In Races Amid NASCAR Fans’ Unwarranted Hate

Toni Breidinger, the 24-year-old trailblazer has locked in a full-time ride with Tricon Garage for the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series, but her path to NASCAR’s big leagues has been anything but smooth. Between intense competition on the track and relentless scrutiny online, Toni’s learned how to keep her head in the game while blocking out the noise.

In a recent chat with Claire Lang, Toni shared how she stays mentally strong despite the extra pressure often placed on female drivers.

Toni Breidinger explains how she handles online hate like a pro

For Breidinger, racing isn’t just about what happens on the track—it’s also about tuning out the critics. The internet can be a tough crowd. One second you’re a hero and the next you’re back to zero and the cycle repeats. She’s no stranger to judgment from fans and commentators. Claire Lang pointed out how quickly fans are to demand success from female drivers, and also how quick they are to hurl mud at them if they aren’t. Toni agreed that handling so much of it boils down to the mindset.

“I think so much of it is mental,” she said. “People tell me, ‘You’re so much better now than a couple of years ago,’ and I’m like, it’s not because I’m working harder. It’s because I’m mentally more stable and confident in myself.” With over 2.6 million followers on Instagram alone, her social media presence even dwarfs many of the sport’s greatest drivers, so you’d be safe in assuming much of her life revolves around it. Many fans have attributed the opportunities she receives to her following and her looks, and they wouldn’t be completely wrong.

However, some fans take it much too far, constantly undermining Breidinger’s genuine talent and bringing forth their deep-rooted sexism. That can be a very hard position for a young person to deal with amidst the already-intense pressures of racing in a raging field of Truck series drivers. Have no fear though, as Toni’s got a secret weapon to handle the haters and it’s pretty simple.

She just hands her phone off to a friend on race day. “Even though I love social media, I usually turn it over to someone else so I can just focus,” Toni revealed. “That way, I don’t let the outside noise in.” This mental clarity has been a game-changer for her, especially as she prepares to face NASCAR’s intense Truck Series full-time.

This becomes especially difficult for her since Breidinger is also a model for Victoria’s Secret. Social media plays a large part in her modeling work. Breidinger has over 2 million followers on Instagram alone. She has more followers than any Cup Series driver. This was one of the things the NASCAR community chided her about. Because she has such a large social media reach, fans think Tricon brought her in because of the marketability aspect. It ignores her strong results in the ARCA Menards Series, finishing twice in the top 5 in the overall standings in a matter of a few years.

Now that she has her full-time Truck Series seat, it won’t get any easier for her.

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Getting a Taste of the Truck Series

Toni Breidinger made a few part-time starts in the Truck Series this past season, and the experience was eye-opening. “Trucks are obviously that next step up, so there’s going to be a learning curve,” she said. “Running Daytona this year and a few starts last year gave me a feel for what to expect next season.” One of the biggest surprises? The sheer aggression among competitors. Those opening laps taught her that in the Truck Series, hesitation isn’t an option, and survival means matching that same energy.

But it’s not just about raw speed. Toni Breidinger also had to adapt to the aerodynamics that define the series. “Learning about dirty air and how it affects your truck—that was a big takeaway for me,” she explained. “It’s not just about being fast; it’s about understanding how to position yourself to maximize performance in the draft and handle disruptions in airflow.”

Coming to her Truck Series Daytona race, it was a mixed bag of results. Breidinger impressed early on in qualifying, managing a 13th-place start for the race. However, once the race actually got underway, she struggled to maintain position, eventually finishing 27th. Now a part of this is the lack of practice she has on the car as well as the track. The 2025 season will be real testing grounds for the driver and will be key to determining her future in NASCAR. The competition is fierce, but Toni feels ready to face it head-on. She’s spent the offseason identifying potential weak spots, particularly at tracks she hasn’t raced on before.