NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Toni Breidinger is deemed a bright spark who has the potential to go places. Being one of the few active female drivers in NASCAR, Breidinger has proven her mettle in a male-dominated sport.
However, Breidinger is more than just a pickup truck driver. She is also a model and has worked with a handful of big brands.
As a rising female star in NASCAR, she is often compared with former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
Recently, when Breidinger appeared on this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, she posted her achievement on X. Her post got mixed responses from fans, and some once again compared her to Patrick.
Toni Breidinger’s Appearance in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
After appearing in GQ, Glamour, Marie Claire, and Shape, Breidinger made her debut in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit edition.
Earlier this year, she also announced her association with Coach and received sponsorship from Kendall Jenner’s tequila brand ‘818 Tequila’.
Her shoot was carried out in Boca Raton, Florida, by veteran photographer Ben Horton.
A couple of other big names, including freestyle skier Eileen Gu, 3x Olympic gold medal winner Gabby Thomas, and gymnast Sunisa Lee, also appeared alongside Breidinger in Sports Illustrated.
In the issue, Breidinger donned swimsuits from a handful of renowned brands, including Andi Bagus and I.AM.GIA. On May 13, she posted a picture on her X handle announcing her debut in the issue.
2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is finally out!!🩵 @si_swimsuit #SISwim25 pic.twitter.com/3TJNFr8Af1
— Toni Breidinger (@ToniBreidinger)
Her post gained instant traction and drew several responses from her fans. While some congratulated the driver, many pointed out her recent disappointing performances.
One user wrote, “While I appreciate your beauty… I prefer you as the bada** race car driver you are!! Stay beautiful and fast!! 👍🏻👍🏻✌🏼✌🏼.”
While another commented, “Nice, now go win some races…”
An X user named Speaking Facts blatantly pointed out Breidinger’s slow performances, saying, “She should just be a model because she doesn’t have it in NASCAR. Not trying to be rude, but she is driving top equipment and is super slow every week.”
Then came the comparison with the 2008 Indy Japan 300 winner, Patrick. A user named Daver compared Breidinger with Patrick and former racer Courtney Force. He commented:
“This same thing ruined Danica Patrick and Courtney Force. Respect just flew away.”
As Patrick’s career reached new heights, she made a leap from IndyCar to NASCAR.
Starting with JRM for the Xfinity Series, she eventually moved to Tony Stewart’s SHR and ended her career at Premium Motorsports. While foraying into NASCAR, Patrick also became a popular face in the media.
Now, Patrick’s NASCAR stats show that despite all her attempts, the racer was unable to make a huge mark in the league. Although many believe it was her focus on her media career that caused her downfall, it is not strictly accurate.
Her declining NASCAR career was a result of many factors, and a couple of them were outside the racer’s control.
As for Breidinger, her first full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with Tricon Garage has been a rocky road thus far.
In her nine starts for the team, she has only finished once among the top 20 drivers. Currently, she holds the 23rd driver rank with 121 championship points.