Sports

NASCAR’s Biggest Rising Star Is A Driver That Many Fans Have Never Even Heard Of

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Toni Breidinger is the fastest growing star in all of NASCAR.

She’s also made just three combined starts in NASCAR’s top-three series (all of which came in the truck series this season), and has zero victories in 45 combined ARCA Series stars.

So, what’s the catch?

Breidinger, a 24-year-old from Hillsbrough, Califronia, has a woman’s record 19 career USAC victories. She’s also a Victoria’s Secret model.

And those looks, combined with her promise behind the wheel, have made her an immensely valuable prospect in the sport.

Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal reports that Breidinger has already received interest from NASCAR Cup Series sponsors. That’s despite just three Truck Series stars and zero appearances in the Xfinity Series.

“(Agent Alvina) Roman said that she’s had sponsors in the Cup Series tell her that they want to sponsor Breidinger in 2025 but can’t do anything yet due to having exclusive team deals already locked in,” Stern repors. “She declined to reveal the brands. Breidinger competed earlier this year for the Toyota-affiliated Tricon Garage, but her plans for 2024 are not yet clear.”

But Breidinger is also a star on social media. And that’s a massive part of her appeal.

“Social media is where young athletes tend to drive value for partners these days, and the quality of Breidinger’s slickly produced content rivals or exceeds that of many full-time drivers in NASCAR’s top series,” Stern states. “She works with freelance videographer Tyler Cresser on her social video content. On social media, she’s turned into a genuine powerhouse — particularly on the buzzy, youthful platforms Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. While she only has about 32,000 followers on X (the former Twitter), she has 736,000 followers on Instagram, the second most of any active NASCAR driver behind another woman, Hailie Deegan…”

To her credit, Breidinger has been solid in all three Truck Series appearances. She’s finished each race (which Truck Series fans will tell you is not always easy) and twice finished inside the top 20.

NASCAR may well have a new star on its hands. And fans should get to the know the name Toni Breidinger.