TONI BREIDINGER Sports Illustrated Debut Gets Mixed Fan Reactions

May 15, 2025

GRRL! SUMMARY:

TONI BREIDINGER made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut alongside Olympic stars like Gabby Thomas and Sunisa Lee, photographed in Boca Raton by Ben Horton. The NASCAR Truck Series driver has built an impressive modeling portfolio with GQ, Glamour, and Marie Claire, plus secured sponsorships from Coach and Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand – proving women can excel in multiple arenas.
Fan reactions to her SI announcement revealed the familiar double standard we see for women in motorsports: praise for her beauty mixed with demands to “go win some races.” Critics pointed to her 23rd place championship standing and single top-20 finish in nine Tricon Garage starts, with one bluntly stating she should “just be a model” because she’s “super slow” despite driving “top equipment.”
The inevitable DANICA PATRICK comparisons emerged, with fans claiming modeling destroyed Patrick’s NASCAR credibility just like it allegedly hurt Courtney Force. But here’s the thing – Patrick’s NASCAR struggles weren’t about photo shoots, they were about factors largely outside her control. The narrative that women can’t balance media success with racing performance needs to die, especially when male drivers routinely pursue endorsements without facing the same scrutiny.