Toni Breidinger might be the only stock car racer with a 10-step skin care routine. Meet the NASCAR driver who models.

Yahoo

6 hours ago

On most Saturdays, stock car racer Toni Breidinger can be found behind the wheel, outfitted in a fireproof suit and helmet as she speeds past other drivers. When she's not competing in the NASCAR Truck Series, it's a different story. You'll probably find the 25-year-old getting dolled up for a red carpet event or modeling for the likes of Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
'No day looks the same and no week looks the same,' the motorsports star tells me in a conversation for Yahoo's OT Diaries. 'I would honestly never call myself a model. I always call myself a race car driver, and I model on the side at times.'
Not all of her peers understand her having a side hustle. 'To them, it's like, 'Why are you doing all that? That's just a distraction,'' Breidinger says. But modeling — and building up her social media profile — also helps pay the bills. 'I quite literally would not be racing without all this extra stuff that I'm doing. I mean, motorsports is expensive. It comes down to partners.'
How does she juggle it all without getting burned out? As Breidinger explains below, it's all about journaling, sleep and a good skincare routine.
I'm very self-aware of burnout because it is very real and it happens to a lot of people. I listen to a lot of podcasts on it, and people will give me advice about it, telling me that I can't always be working. I'm not the best at taking that advice, but it really just comes down to balance and taking little moments to do things that you like.
I'm a very big advocate for journaling. I tend to be a very anxious person. So taking just a few minutes in the morning to express what I'm grateful for really helps me start off my morning right and not [feel] quite so anxious. I'm also very big into manifesting. I have so many stories about how manifesting really works. … Growing up, I always dreamed of modeling and racing … so it's kind of cool how it all worked out. It's all about attracting positive energy.
I don't love to be doing nothing, so even going to the grocery store is something that makes me happy and helps to avoid burnout.
On race day, my phone's always on do not disturb. I'm the type of person that when somebody texts me, I'm so accessible, I want to answer them right away. So it definitely helps me to set some boundaries with myself to not answer them and kind of be locked in and focused before a race. For me, that's a non-negotiable; it's nice to be able to have that tunnel vision focus because racing is so intense and you need to be physically and mentally there 100%.
When it comes to slowing down after, I've been terrible about it, to be honest. My mind is always racing, and I'll be up until like 4 a.m. for no reason. Taking a shower when I get home is a nice little moment, but I'll just stay up for hours after that.
I am because as soon as I don't get enough sleep, I automatically get sick. I'm a little bit under the weather now because I didn't pay attention to my sleep this past week. So, I definitely have to be very disciplined with it. It is tricky when you're traveling. On airplanes, the window seat is my best friend because that's my opportunity to catch up on that sleep that I'm missing out on. But before a race, I always make sure to get at least eight hours of sleep a couple of nights leading up.
My Oura ring really keeps me on track because there's been times where I'm questioning if I'm actually tired or if I'm just being lazy. I'm such a workaholic that I never want to allow myself a break. So it kind of validates me: OK, yes, your body is tired, you need some rest.
I feel like with motorsports, people don't realize how physical it is. You see our car, but you don't see us behind the wheel struggling, basically. So I feel like it's kind of hard for people to really [get it]. And also it's like, Oh, you're driving a car. I drive a car every day down the road to work. But it's very different in a race car.
It's not easy to turn the wheel, so there's a lot going on from the physical standpoint. Then the intensity of it just makes you so much more tense, which makes it mentally draining because you're racing against 30-plus drivers and you're all on the edge. A split second of not focusing can mean that you wreck. So it's very intense.
I love Pilates right now. That's been my go-to. It's so hard, but I love it. I'm shaking like five seconds into it.
My skin care routine is part of unwinding. It's long, but it's nice because it gives me that time to just focus on my routine and kind of quiet my mind a little bit before I go to sleep. With racing, there's the exhaust, there's rubber, there's sweat. You're in a crusty helmet for hours on end, so the odds are against me and my skin. So I'm like, I need this 10-step routine. Some drivers, some of the guys, they'll be like, 'Oh, I don't wash my face.' I'm like, 'How is your skin OK?' If I miss one step out of my 10-step routine, my skin is trash.
I've always been very interested in beauty and fashion, ever since I was younger. I do feel like it's taking more of a space in the motorsports world, particularly more in the F1 space now; I know people do their walkout outfits. I love doing that, too, though it's not quite as big in the NASCAR space.
Obviously, I do get to incorporate some of my creativity in the suit and in the car and definitely in the helmet as well. But it's fun to be able to show yourself and show who you are, and I feel like fashion and makeup is such a great way of expressing yourself. So I love to take the opportunity, like showing up to the track to get some photos and show people my personality a little bit. It's hard when you're always in uniform for people to really make that connection and not just see you as a driver in another suit. I feel like it's just about expression. Also, I feel like the better I feel about myself, the better I perform. So it kind of goes hand in hand.
Racing is a very humbling sport. I mean, for a lot of sports, it's [your team] vs. another team, so your odds of winning are 50%. Whereas with racing, it's you vs. 30-plus drivers. So those odds are so low and it's very humbling. Even growing up, it just taught me that when you get knocked down, you stand back up and try again. It's kind of instilled that work ethic in me.
My mom for sure.
Random cartoons that are on TV and [feel] nostalgic. Tom and Jerry is definitely a favorite, Pink Panther. Just like little ones that I watched when I was younger, when it felt like there were no problems in the world.
Definitely junk food. I have a sweet tooth. I love to end a little meal with a sweet treat. Hi-Chews are my favorite. So many people don't know about them, and I literally force them to try it, 'cause I'm like, 'No, your life will be changed.' I love those.
I'm an anxious person, so I feel like I always have random little fears. Failure would be my top one. I think I'm so competitive. But I also have a fear of losing people I love at the same time.
So it's like a constant battle in my mind of putting family first or work.
When somebody is a hypocrite, 'cause I'm like, how can you be hating on something that you're doing?
Celsius [energy drinks] every morning. I knock them back.
On my Notes app, I'll have a list of random questions that I think of throughout the day. And then I'll just take time to Google them and go on little rabbit holes. I'm a curious person.
Probably my wallet. Like, that's definitely an essential.
Honestly, every day is different, but if I'm feeling hype, a Sexyy Red moment.
The whole wellness and diet industry kind of annoys me sometimes. There's so many extremes. You see so many different trends on TikTok and on the internet, and I just think it comes down to balance. You can't obsess over one thing and think it's going to fix everything.
This is actually really random, but I'm really good at cornhole. They have it at races and I'll try it in the fan zones, and I'm just randomly good. There's been witnesses, so I'm not just saying that about myself.
Before racing was in the picture, I wanted to be an artist — so, painting. I feel like that would really relax my mind and be a good hobby. I just need to take more time to do it.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.