How NASCAR Driver Toni Breidinger Went From Delivering Groceries to Modeling for Victoria’s Secret

One day, she was racing Daytona. The next, she was shooting for Victoria’s Secret.NASCAR driver, model, and trailblazer Toni Breidinger is living two worlds, and paying the price to stay in both.In this episode of The Burnouts, Toni sits down with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to reveal the brutal, behind-the-scenes reality of motorsports. She opens up about being told she needed $1–2 million just to race, moving across the country at 18 with no funding, and surviving by doing Instacart by day and cold emails by night.Toni breaks down why talent isn’t enough in NASCAR, how social media literally saved her career, and what it’s like being the only woman racing NASCAR full-time—from unequal pay to brand sponsorship politics. She also shares how she navigates modeling in a male-dominated sport, why she turned down six-figure OnlyFans offers, and how she built a sustainable career when every race depends on sponsorship dollars.Whether you’re chasing a nontraditional career, building a personal brand, or betting on yourself when the odds feel stacked against you, this episode is packed with raw honesty, hard lessons, and real strategy.Chapters00:00 – unequal pay & being the only woman in nascar03:00 – starting racing at age 906:30 – realizing racing costs millions09:00 – told she needed $1–2 million to compete11:00 – moving cross-country at 1813:00 – instacart by day, cold emails by night16:00 – how social media saved her career20:00 – brand deals, sponsorships & unequal pay25:00 – modeling, victoria’s secret & sports illustrated30:00 – turning down six-figure onlyfans offers36:00 – funding races & surviving motorsports48:00 – what’s next: the road to the cup series🔗 FOLLOW USPhoebe GatesSophia KianniToni Breidinger🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTSInstagramTikTokLinkedIn📲 Support What We’re BuildingPhoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts—they’re the founders of Phia, a fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download the app and help us grow.About The BurnoutsThe Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, athletes, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond the headlines to reveal the real stories behind ambitious careers.Past guests include Paris Hilton, Chelsea Handler, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and more.Subscribe for the insider playbook to build your dream career. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.