In 2024, Chandler Smith had a career season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He clinched two wins at Phoenix and Richmond, and recorded 17 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes, placing fifth in driver’s points. But the surprising fact at the end of the season was that Smith lost his ride for 2025. He scaled down to the Craftsman Truck Series – and this grim reality is something that all drivers share in NASCAR, as Toni Breidinger recently divulged.

Toni Breidinger broaches the money side

“The financial standpoint, motorsports is very expensive,” Toni Breidinger said recently on an episode of The Burnouts with Phoebe and Sophia. “Once you get up through like the ranks, then you start like making like purse money, and it’s a more significant amount. But motorsports is still so expensive. That’s why it’s so sponsor-driven, and you see so many logos in the sport because it takes a lot of bucks.” She added, “You can be an amazing driver, but like without partners, you’re not going to go anywhere.”

The sport’s expensive nature has been in the spotlight in recent times. Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan were waging a legal battle against NASCAR over charter money, and even won the lawsuit. Yet financial woes run deep in the sport, as racers need to constantly prove their mettle to sponsors who can propel their racing dreams. And Toni Breidinger, a powerful social media icon and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, knows very well how difficult the money game is.

“There’s like brands that want to say that they’re supporting a female athlete just to be like with the times, but they’re not actually giving the same amount of dollar support that they would give to a male counterpart. People are offering you like six figures to join Only Fans, and you’re like, absolutely not. I also don’t want to sexualize my uniform and my sport ’cause I feel like the guys don’t have to do that. I didn’t have the funding behind me. But I was like, I’m just going to move out, try to make connections with whoever, and I would just do like Instacart during the days and send out my cold emails.”

Toni Breidinger has partnered with heavy brands like Victoria’s Secret, Raising Cane’s, CELSIUS, and Sunoco. In April 2025, she scored a sponsorship from 818 Tequila, the award-winning brand founded by Kendall Jenner. It marked a unique milestone in the career of the only female driver who has claimed 27 top ten finishes in ARCA.

Despite Toni Breidinger’s stable standing, she needs to focus on her 2026 goals.

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A need to match the speed

Corey Heim fetched the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series championship after fetching a record 12 trophies. But at the same time,  his Tricon Garage teammate, Toni Breidinger, failed to score a single top 10 or top 15 while finishing 23rd in points. Her best finish was 18th at Rockingham Speedway. So she is way behind her teammates, including Heim, Tanner Gray, and Gio Ruggiero.

Regardless of where the 26-year-old driver competes in 2026, she must strive for increased speed and consistency. It is unclear where Toni Breidinger will race in 2026, with rumors claiming a possible TRICON Garage return or a move to Kaulig Racing. Either way, the Toyota driver has to perform at a high level to secure her future in NASCAR. All eyes will be on the No. 5 Tricon Garage truck to finish higher than 23rd in points.

Clearly, Toni Breidinger has her plate full. Let’s wait and see how she tackles the new season of 2026 in NASCAR.