Racing in NASCAR comes with a price tag, and for Toni Breidinger, funding has been just as critical as finding speed. For the 26-year-old driver, staying in the truck series has meant balancing racing with a demanding off-track grind to keep funding flowing. She isn’t chasing attention but chasing seat time, and social media has become one of the few tools helping her keep their opportunity alive.

Speaking on The Burnouts podcast, the Truck driver didn’t shy away from mentioning how social media basically saved her racing career.

” So, along the way, I’ve built, like, a very great team that worked with me. I have agents that I work with. I’m signed with IMG. So, they get me a lot of my amazing fashion deals and everything. But, it’s been just like a lot of like building and growing and really just being in the right rooms with people,” she said.

At 26, Breidinger races the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but her career extends well beyond the racetrack.

Alongside racing, she has built a presence in fashion and media, working with Victoria’s Secret and appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, while growing her Instagram following to more than 2.5 million.

A partnership spans both motorsports and lifestyle brands, including Toyota Racing Development, Raising Cane’s, Coach, and Free People. But all these appearances only give Toni more spotlight and raise awareness of the lack of women in motorsports.

“Like I feel like it’s hard cuz I’m just being in a male-dominated space, you want to like be respected. So, I feel like I’ve always been cautious about just like how I present myself. And I was nervous even with Victoria’s Secret at times because some people think that, you know, if you’re more feminine, it makes you like a lesser of alesser driver, like they won’t respect you as much,” she added.

All these partnerships and social media aren’t about image or glamour; they are what make it possible to keep racing alive. Moreover, her ability to bridge NASCAR and mainstream culture has set her apart.

Backed by sponsors like Celsius and Sunoco, she has created a rare crossover presence that brings motorsports into spaces it rarely reaches.  Still, none of it is really a site project. Every partnership, appearance, and post ultimately serves one purpose: funding the racing career she is determined to sustain.

But with a slightly rough outing in 2025, her prospects to race in the years to come dwindle a bit, and here is why.

Why 2025 put Toni Breidinger’s NASCAR future in question

Toni Breidinger is heading into a very pivotal 2026 NASCAR Truck Series season with major questions still surrounding her future. Her ride for next year hasn’t been fully confirmed, with speculation pointing towards either a return to TRICON Garage or a move to Kaulig Racing.

Regardless of where she lands, the pressure will be on the Toyota driver to deliver strong results if she wants to remain in the NASCAR pipeline.

The 2025 season was a difficult one for the 26-year-old as she consistently trailed her TRICON Garage teammates Corey Heim, Tanner Gray, and Gio Ruggiero.

Although she shows flashes of competitiveness on certain tracks, the overall lack of speed and consistency is hard to ignore. A 23rd-place point finish in top-tier equipment raised concerns, and repeating that kind of performance in 2026 could put her seat at risk.

With uncertainty already surrounding her next move, finding more pace and producing steadier results will be essential if she hopes to secure a long-term future in the truck series