NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger made history the first time she got behind the wheel for an ARCA Menards Series race. She became the first Arab-American female driver in NASCAR history. Now she is telling her story to a national audience and reflecting on a historic race at Daytona International Speedway.
Breidinger appeared on the TODAY Show on Monday and opened up about making NASCAR history. She explained that she first fell in love with racing after getting behind the wheel of a go-kart as a child. She quickly earned the nickname of “hot shoes” and began working toward turning pro. This passion led to Breidinger taking part in an ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
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At Daytona, @ToniBreidinger recently made history by becoming the first female Arab American driver to compete in a NASCAR national series event. @KathyParkNBC sat down with the 21-year-old rising star ahead of her next big race. pic.twitter.com/cv0K1hOfGn
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 5, 2021
“I’ve been dreaming to race at Daytona ever since I was a little kid,” the 21-year-old said during the TODAY interview. “I went to the race the year before and watched it. I was like, ‘You know what? I want to race here next year. I’m going to do it.”
Breidinger made her season debut during the Lucas Oil 200 in mid-February. She got behind the wheel of the No. 2 Young Motorsports Chevrolet SS and competed with a stacked list of competitors. Breidinger started the race 31st but worked her way to 18th over the course of 82 laps.
Pursuing a full-time career in motorsports is not an easy task. There are difficulties in finding a racing team with an open seat, as well as sponsors to help put the car or truck on the track each week. Despite the steep level of difficulty, Breidinger explained that she continues to pursue her dream due to the inspiration her parents provided.
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“My mom, she had a little bit of a rough childhood growing up, being born in Lebanon and being a war refugee,” Breidinger explained. “She really chased her dreams, came to America and really made her own path, which was really inspiring for me. Same with my dad.”
Breidinger will continue to pursue her dream of a racing career with another race in the near future. She will head to Talladega Superspeedway in late April to get behind the wheel once again. She will compete in the General Tire 200 ARCA Menards race on April 24.
