TONI BREIDINGER SPEAKS ABOUT NASCAR'S INCESSANT "WHITE MALE" STEREOTYPE, TOUCHES ON NEW WAVE OF DIVERSITY IN THE SPORT

ARCA Menards driver Toni Breidinger voiced her opinion on NASCAR's historical image as a white male-dominated sport. She emphasized this stereotype is no longer reflective of the diverse talent pool within the sport.

Breidinger addressed the general notion surrounding the premier stock car racing series, acknowledging that there is still an association with outdated stereotypes. She claimed that the perception persists because people are unaware of the diversity in the garage area.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Breidinger was asked to share an opinion that she believes but isn't widely shared by fans. The 24-year-old delved into NASCAR's image and replied:

"People see it as a very White, male-dominated sport, but there's a lot more diversity in it. And it still needs a lot of work. But that's the general population's stereotype of the sport."

With over 2.2 million followers on Instagram alone, Toni Breidinger aims to leverage her popularity on social media to change the stereotypes. She wants her followers to see the new generation of drivers making waves in the sport.

Breidinger added:

"For me, it's what I like to use my social media for - to show there's a new wave of drivers coming up who are much more diverse and love to share more on social media and behind-the-scenes stuff than some of the older drivers do."

Toni Breidinger explains the common misconception about NASCAR drivers

The Venturini Motorsports driver explained that most NASCAR fans hold the misconception that drivers merely show up and drive the car. She added that most fans don't get to see the extensive preparation done for each race weekend.

In the aforementioned interview, Breidinger highlighted the demanding nature of a driver's schedule, emphasizing the extensive physical and mental training, time spent on simulators, and analysis of footage. She also pointed out that the business aspect of the sport is a distinct world on its own.

"They just see us on TV, on the track and they don't realize all the stuff that goes into it during the week," she said. "Sometimes people think we just show up, but there's a lot of physical training during the week and even mental training. I work with a sports mental coach, I have sim training, notes, watch lots of footage. And also the business aspect, which is a whole new other world."

2024-03-28T18:21:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd