First Arab-American Female NASCAR Racer Paves Way For Next Generation Of Women Drivers, Lands Major Sponsor

As the world is still experiencing female firsts, the sports industry is no exception. Over the past decade, the industry has become bolder in its pursuit of female talent. For example, Jennifer King made history in 2021 by becoming the first black female assistant coach in the NFL. In 2020, Kim Ng became the first woman to become a general manager for an MLB team and the first woman to hold that title in North American professional sports history. Although, when it comes to the competition itself, the industry has a long way to go. However, a few sports, like NASCAR, are working on leveling the playing field. 

Earlier this year, Toni Breidinger became the first Arab-American female race car driver to join the NASCAR family. At only 22, she’s been helping pave the way for up-and-coming female racers. 

This February, the monumental moment was solidified when she raced in the ARCA Menards Series at the Daytona International Speedway, finishing in 18th place out of 33—ahead of the two other women who competed. Afterward, she appeared on Ellen. She is one of 10 females competing across NASCAR races this season. More recently, she secured another top 10 spot at Springfield Mile for her first-ever dirt race.

“Honestly, I never really saw myself as a role model or as somebody for somebody to look up to because I’ve been doing this ever since I was nine,” she comments. “I don’t see myself as any different, and I just didn’t see myself in the way of making an impression on other people. This year, I did Daytona. We got such a large response, and I got so many messages from younger girls that want to get into racing, and even ones that don’t want to get into racing, but they want to do something. They’re all reaching out to me, saying that I’m such an inspiration. I was like, ‘Wow, I gotta know I can impact people.’”

Breidinger started racing at age nine with her twin sister. What started as a fun day out go-karting turned into a passion for the young girls. Eventually, they began traveling and competing. After her first race, she knew she wanted to be a professional race car driver. While in high school, unlike her sister, she decided to forgo college to focus on becoming a professional racer. 

“There are times where you obviously question, ‘Is this going to work out for me? Should I go to college?’” she explains. “But I think once I became a junior in high school, I was like, ‘No, I’m going to set my mind to this. I’m going to do it. If it doesn’t work out, at least I tried.’ I don’t want to go through life with a what-if. I can always go back to college.”

She partook in grassroots racing, which is basically the entry-level point to make it up the ladder system in NASCAR. Racing is expensive, and at this level, it’s more about affordability and experience. Throughout different race-sanctioned events, it becomes more costly based on the type of car required. 

Initially, she was just going to Daytona to watch; she wasn’t expecting to test race there. A few days before the race, her manager called, stating she would be testing. That opportunity led her to now racing under NASCAR’s ARCA Menards series. 

As for any professional athlete, sponsorship and endorsement deals are critical to the athlete’s brand, especially in racing—it’s pay-to-play. As the up-and-coming star establishes herself in the sport, she’s been attracting sponsors who align with her mission and vision that will help her continue competing. In July, Triller, an AI-powered social media company, announced its partnership with Breidinger, adding to her growing list of sponsors.

Having one of the largest social media followings for any driver in a Nascar-sanctioned series, with over 213,000 followers on Instagram, Breidinger makes it a point to connect and engage with her followers. “Triller is a social media platform, and social media is a big part of my life,” Breidinger shares. “They help me reach a larger fan base and help me create content to share with my fans.”

As Breidinger evolves as a race car driver, she focuses on these essentials points:

• Don’t hold yourself back. Go out there and do it. The hardest thing is to get started. Once you begin, it becomes natural. 
• Show up and try. The worst thing that you can discover is that you don’t like it. But don’t have any regrets.
• Develop a positive mindset. Sometimes your worst enemy is yourself, and you hold yourself back from reaching your potential.

“I didn’t even know I was the first [Arab-American],” Breidinger concludes. “I wouldn’t have expected to be the first. I was honestly disappointed that nobody had that chance to come up before me. That just made me more determined to represent us [Arab-Americans] and help pave the way. Representation is so important. Seeing is believing. If younger girls see me, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, she’s doing it. I can do it.’”