While several drivers suffer the consequences of not having ideal sponsorship deals in place, even drivers who come with sponsors struggle. Nothing highlights that issue as much as Danica Patrick stepping away from a full-time Cup drive at the end of 2017 after her primary sponsor, Nature’s Bakery, pulled out of their deal early. Unwilling to downgrade to lower-tier teams without competitive machinery, Patrick stepped away following the 2018 Danica Double.
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“Every 100 dollars in sponsorship a guy gets, like a girl gets like one dollar,” said Toni Breidinger on The Burnout podcast. “There is like brands that want to say that they’re supporting a female athlete just to be friendly and with the times. But they’re not actually giving the same amount of dollar support that they would give to a male counterpart.”
Breidinger is a Lebanese-American racer turned model who has been an inspirational figure to women coming up in motorsports through her social media platforms and on-track performances. Yet, as a recognizable figure, the 27-year-old, who most recently drove for Rackley W.A.R. in the Truck Series, has struggled, even running a limited schedule in 2026 after a full-time Truck ride in 2025.
“I’ve worked with a lot of different people in the sport and not everybody believes in you,” Breidinger added. “Some people don’t give you the same opportunity because they’re like, ‘Oh, she’s just a girl, whatever; just give her whatever equipment; she’s not gonna win,’ so they don’t give you that fair shot. So for me now being with Toyota, like I’m around people that treat me like a driver just like everyone else.”
Breidinger’s response was from a podcast recorded when she was still a full-time Truck driver for Tricon Garage, driving the No. 5 Toyota. She revealed that she felt the parity because she knew how much her teammates were getting paid by shared sponsors.
The 27-year-old has modeled for Victoria’s Secret, Sports Illustrated, and uses modeling as a means to bring sponsors willing to support her racing journey. Breidinger has had the likes of Coach sponsor her for particular races in her career, while her primary sponsors currently are Raising Cane’s and Celsius.
On the podcast, Breidinger explained her journey into competitive racing and how she began to understand that racing is a business after she tested for Toyota and they informed her of the finances she would need to bring to the table as a driver to help out with the team’s operational costs for running races and even a full season.
The figure was in millions, and Breidinger even admitted to sending out over 750 cold emails, to which she barely got seven responses. Breidinger made the shift away from Toyota in 2026 to Chevrolet in the Rackley W.A.R. No. 27. Her schedule for 2026 was supposed to see her drive across eight races, yet one of those drives went missing.
When the Truck Series visited New Hampshire, a race where Breidinger was supposed to pilot the No. 27 Chevrolet, she was replaced by her full-time teammate Dawson Sutton. The No. 26 Chevrolet driven by Sutton had a mechanical failure, which prevented him from setting a qualifying time. Rackley took the call to switch out their two drivers, changing the No. 27 entry to No. 26 for the race, with Breidinger out of the seat despite setting a time that was quick enough to make the grid.
While she raced in Kansas in the rain-delayed Truck race on Saturday, Breidinger’s future is still uncertain.
Breidinger was one of the most talked-about prospects coming up, but it is possible that sponsorship issues that plague women in motorsports have kept her from securing a ride capable of competing with the best racers on the track.