With 13 laps to the checkered flag, Tricon Garage’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standout Toni Breidinger was knocking on the door of a top-15 finish, until her day literally went up in flames. Running 17th on Friday at Watkins Glen International, the 26-year-old appeared to have found her rhythm late in the 2025 season. However, an unforeseen mechanical fault to her No. 5 Toyota Tundra relegated her to another disappointing DNF, tallying three this season.
The dismal fallout left Breidinger gutted, and her brief verdict stung worse than the flames.
What Caused Toni Breidinger’s Promising Run to End in Smoke and Flames?
Qualifying 28th in the 36-car field for Friday’s Mission 176, the No. 5 Tricon truck wasn’t the fastest of the lot. Yet, Breidinger appeared to have something going for her. By Lap 68, she had climbed to 17th and held her own against the field.
Then, coming off Turn 7, flames erupted from the No. 5 Toyota TRD Tundra before she even reached pit road. NASCAR called in the yellow as debris from the burning Toyota littered the track. An engine failure ended her charge in an instant. Just like that, her promising road course run came to a fiery climax.
Following the heartbreaking outing, Breidinger took to her social media with a subtle but stinging post about her mishap. She wrote, “:( cooked -bbq’d -fried- grilled.”
🙁 cooked -bbq’d -fried- grilled
— Toni Breidinger (@ToniBreidinger) August 8, 2025
Luckily, the Victoria’s Secret model was unharmed, but it was a tough way to end a rough day for the San Francisco native.
How Did the Pre-Race Carjacking Impact Breidinger’s Weekend?
Prior to her qualifying run, Breidinger had tweeted out that she had been carjacked and her belongings were stolen, including some personal items and her 818 and Coach suits.
She reached out to her social media followers in search of help. “Anyone in the Ithaca, NY area!” Breidinger, who was also NASCAR’s first Arab-American racer, wrote, “My car was broken into last night, and my suitcase was stolen. It’s a custom Tumi suitcase with TB on it. Inside were personal items, including my 818 and Coach suits.”
Breidinger urged her followers to keep an eye out for her stolen belongings on online marketplaces, saying, “If you happen to see a suitcase or my racing stuff that’s being sold on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, or anywhere else, please send me the link.”
Despite the early pre-race setback, she eventually qualified for the race but once again succumbed to a disappointing finish. Sitting 22nd in the points standings with just one more race remaining in the regular season, it’s do or die for Breidinger.
