Meet Toni Breidinger, the Model Taking NASCAR by Storm

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Toni Breidinger is off to the races. 

Throughout her rookie season with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which is now halfway complete for this 26-year-old racer, she’s found herself juggling both her racing career and modeling assignments. As she celebrates this significant moment, she must maintain a delicate balance between these two demanding professions.

In the same interview with TopMob News, Breidinger shared that each week and day brings something new. Consequently, she’s learning to be understanding about her own schedule. Last week, she found herself in LA for appearances, while this week has been all about race preparation, but earlier it was New York.

Breidinger, who is both the initial female racer to compete in two NASCAR races on a single day and boasts the highest number of top 10 finishes in the 2024 ARCA Menards Series, has recently become the first NASCAR driver to be showcased in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue. She now offers guidance for those aspiring to walk in her footsteps.

The racecar driver emphasized, ‘Don’t shy away from being uniquely yourself.’ It’s tempting to measure yourself against others’ paths and journeys. My path was far from traditional, but that’s perfectly fine. Just because it doesn’t resemble someone else’s doesn’t make it the wrong choice. If you haven’t seen someone else follow a similar path before, don’t worry about it, just stay true to yourself and cherish your unique journey.

For Breidinger, this has involved accepting a busy timetable, and it’s essential for him to find chances to unwind away from the race track. Doing so has proven vital.

She clarified, “I really appreciate my daily self-nurturing habits. Previously, some people have advised me to make time for myself to avoid burnout. While it’s challenging for me to carve out an entire day, I’ve realized that even small moments, such as taking care of my skin, give me a sense of calm and help me stay focused on the present.

Another approach she takes is by participating in games outside of a racetrack at Dave & Buster’s, making it perfectly appropriate for her collaboration with the well-known sports restaurant and arcade.

In my younger days, I never had free weekends that weren’t filled with races. My twin sister, Annie, and I would often spend our leisure time at Dave & Busters in the Bay Area. So when this chance presented itself, I eagerly replied, “Absolutely yes!” This moment feels incredibly full circle and nostalgic for me.

To be precise, racing has long been a familiar endeavor for Breidinger, as her first recollections involve participating in go-kart races alongside her father and sister.

Every weekend, we’d head to the go-kart tracks, and eventually, we began taking journeys to various competitions as a duo on road trips, she reminisced. “In essence, it became a special bonding time for my father and his two girls.

For more stars whose athleticism runs in the family, keep reading… 

As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: Being the son of arguably the greatest basketball player ever, Michael Jordan, it was only natural that his sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, felt drawn to the same court. After honing their skills in high school, Jeffrey pursued his passion further by playing college ball at both the University of Illinois and the University of Central Florida, determined to carve out his own identity on the basketball scene.

In an interview with The Washington Post in 2005, Jeffrey expressed that he might not be among the best five players in his state, but he aspires to prove his skills and demonstrate that he’s not just a well-known name.

Besides studying at UCF, Marcus likewise participated in basketball, attributing his father for guiding him on his personal journey.

In 2011, he shared with The Gainesville Sun that he would provide me with advice whenever I had queries. However, what he was essentially doing was encouraging me to stay focused and put in effort daily, as he believed that this dedication would ultimately lead to success.

Bronny James (born LeBron James Jr. on October 6, 2004) spent his high school basketball years at Chatsworth Sierra Canyon in the San Fernando Valley. After completing his education there, he moved on to the University of Southern California.

Despite the NBA schedule frequently preventing LeBron from attending all of his son’s games, he has made significant efforts to watch Bronny play live. In fact, he even chartered a plane on one of his off-days to see Sierra Canyon compete against St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, which happens to be LeBron’s own alma mater.

LeBron explained to reporters that he would be going to watch his son play, not just any game, but against his old college team. He described it as an incredibly special, full-circle, almost unimaginable experience.

In June 2024, Bronny got selected for the Los Angeles Lakers team, a unique occurrence that had both him and LeBron on the court together as they became the initial pair of father and son to play in the NBA simultaneously.

 

Besides being part of the Sierra Canyon all-star team, there’s also Zaire Wade, the elder son of the retired Miami Heat player (who once teamed up with LeBron James) – none other than Dwyane Wade.

Zaire, who joined the team in December 2019 from Florida, shared with Yahoo! Sports that they’re experiencing an extraordinary amount of focus. He said, “We need to take it in stride,” reflecting the constant presence of cameras following them everywhere. Although he’s been accustomed to attention throughout his life, he noted that this level is off the charts – it’s something completely new and different.

Instead, Zaire opted for a change, expressing his decision on Instagram in April 2020 to transfer to Brewster Academy, located in Wolfeboro, Florida, due to insufficient playing time.

2021 saw Zaire selected as the 10th pick in the NBA G League draft, joining the Salt Lake City Stars. Later, he played for the Cape Town Tigers of the Basketball Africa League. In April 2024, he signed with a team in the ASEAN Basketball League.

 

The former football legend has a daughter, Cha’iel Johnson, who could potentially outshine him now. This is because Cha’iel, at just 12 years old, was already a star in track and field. She participated in the 2017 AAU Junior Olympics and won the girls’ 800-meter run.

Previously, she competed for St. Thomas Aquinas High School located in Florida. Later, she became a member of the athletic team at the University of Kentucky.

 

The third-born child of the NBA Hall of Famer, standing tall at 6 feet 10 inches, played basketball for UCLA in college but had to stop due to a heart condition that necessitated an operation.

Following the absence from his 2018-19 academic year at the Californian institution, he moved on to Louisiana State University, which boasts an impressive 900-pound bronze statue of Shaquille O’Neal outside its Basketball Practice Facility, commemorating one of its esteemed alumni.

Following his graduation from LSU, the basketball prodigy signed up with the NBA G League Ignite – an NBA G League developmental basketball team – in the year 2022.

 

In 2020, Shaq’s 6-foot-2 daughter (depicted alongside her brother Shareef O’Neal) revealed her decision to attend LSU, intending to participate in college basketball like her brother at the same institution.

Making the transition from high school to college is one of the toughest decisions for someone my age,” she revealed earlier. “I may not be fully aware of what lies ahead, but I am eager to take on the challenge. It never crossed my mind that I would say this, but I am thrilled to announce that I have decided to become a student-athlete at LSU together with my brother Shareef O’Neal. I can’t express enough gratitude for the opportunity to spend the next four years as a Tiger.

Later, she joined the Texas Southern University basketball squad for the 2021-2022 season, moving there.

 

In college at Sierra Canyon, the oldest child of two-time NBA All-Star Zack Randolph played basketball with Izela Arenas, who is also an NBA star’s daughter (daughter of Gilbert Arenas), during her academic years.

Randolph shared with the Los Angeles Times in December 2020 that he attended Michigan State under coach Tom Izzo. He described Izzo as tough and demanding, but added that the boys could handle a rough approach. In contrast, he said, the girls were more delicate and endearing, making it easier for them to win you over. He expressed a particular fondness for the girls.

Mackenly mentioned that she had defeated her father on three separate occasions during one-on-one matches, adding humorously, “He doesn’t focus much on defense.

In 2019, the son of an NFL Hall of Famer who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall chose Florida Atlantic University as a preferred walk-on. Throughout most of his life, Terique was a basketball player, but he switched to football during his teenage years. He began his post-high school football career at Contra Costa Community College before transferring.

After his college football career, Terique signed with the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.

The student from Sierra Canyon High School was a consistent starter throughout his high school career and clinched two state championships. Later, he represented Vanderbilt University in college sports, and in 2022, he secured a dual contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Following a short tenure with the NBA’s affiliate team, the South Bay Lakers, Scotty Jr. secured a two-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies in the year 2024.

The esteemed former basketball player who led the Chicago Bulls to five NBA titles, is also known as a father.

Dennis Rodman Jr., often known as DJ, played both basketball and football while attending high school in Newport Beach, California (Corona del Mar High School). Following his graduation, he continued his basketball career as a forward at Washington State University. However, in the year 2023, he transferred to the University of Southern California.

In a conversation with the Orange County Register following a game in 2017, his high school coach, Ryan Schachter, commented that he is one of the less recognized or unfamiliar players from Southern California.

After his college career, DJ joined Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League in 2024.

While DJ, Dennis’ son, pursued a career in basketball like his father, his daughter, Trinity Rodman, forged her unique journey in the realm of soccer. The cancellation of her freshman year with the Washington State Cougars due to the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t deter her. Instead, she turned pro and joined the Washington Spirit in 2021, and later on, became a part of the United States women’s national soccer team in 2022.

In 2024, Trinity won Olympic gold as part of Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

 

It’s quite appropriate that the greatest golfer of all time has a son who possesses exceptional talents on the golf course. At eleven years old, Charlie Woods showcased his skills in televised golf for the first time, playing alongside his dad at the 2020 PNC Championship.

When asked if he had been practicing his golf swing before their upcoming father-son outing, the 15-time major champion replied, “I haven’t given it much attention. My focus is not on my game right now. I’m more concerned with ensuring Charlie has a great time and enjoys every moment of this experience.

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2025-07-28 23:47