(Visit the Lionel Racing website and find the Tricon Toni Breidinger truck on Ebay here)
I promised more Lionel Racing content on Lamley, and I’m keeping my promise. But today we’re not in the Cup Series, but in the third rung on the NASCAR ladder: Craftsman Trucks.
In 1991, a group of desert racers (Dick Landfield, Jim Venable, Jimmy Smith and Frank Vessels) competing in the SCORE series were becoming increasingly concerned about the future of off-road racing. They came up with the idea of a circuit based truck series, and presented the idea to NASCAR vice president Ken Clapp. But the idea failed to gain traction, leaving the SCORE racers to chase other backers. By 1992, having exhausted all other avenues, they re-approached Clapp. He told them nothing would happen until they could demonstrate a running truck, so the team turned to a Bakersfield fabricator called Gary Collins, who built a Ford F-150 based racer ready for the 1994 Daytona Speedweek.
The truck drew great interest from fans and drivers alike, and suitably impressed NASCAR top brass enough for them to agree to a run of 7 demo races (with trucks from Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford represented) before the inaugural 20 round SuperTruck Series kicked off at Phoenix International Raceway on February 5th, 1995. The following year Craftsman tools joined as the main championship sponsor and the rest is history. Many budding stock car racers use the series as a springboard to the NASCAR Cup Series, arriving in Craftsman Trucks from Late Models or Midget cars, and some (like Christopher Bell, Austin Dillon, and Erik Jones) take championship trophies with them.
One driver competing in the current ranks is San Francisco-born racer Toni Breidinger, a name that maybe familiar to a few of you, especially Hot Wheels fanatics who have collected the Toyota GR86 Cup. The first livery Hot Wheels chose for that casting replicates her 2023 season GR86 Cup car.
Currently Breidinger is running the 2026 Craftsman season part-time for Chevrolet teams Rackley-Willie Allen Racing and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
Breidinger made her truck debut in 2023 after a sterling Midget Cars career and a solid five year run in the ARCA Menards Series including four top-five finishes and 27 top-tens. Racing for Tricon Garage, she took 15th place in a one off run in the Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway.
In 2025 Breidinger joined Tricon full time for her first full Craftsman season, running the #5 Toyota Tacoma. In typical NASCAR series custom, various liveries were used throughout the season, with a particularly stunning Sunoco scheme used at Pocono Raceway and Indianapolis.
Lionel Racing chose to replicate this scheme in 1/24 and 1/64, and the smaller scale resides in my newly allocated “NASCAR shelf” in my display.
The Sunoco colours make a great livery, and one that’s equally as eye catching in miniature thanks to sharp pad printing and a decent paint finish. The multitude of sponsors and stickers are easily read and the satin paint finish looks superb.
For the price bracket the Lionel replicas offer decent bang for buck. There’s nice details cast into the chassis like the exhausts, engine, fuel tank, and driveshaft. Through the window net there’s even dials and switches cast in to the dashboard.
The plastic Goodyears roll fabulously should you want to hit the desktop oval, though it looks fabulous sat static.
I’m a big fan of Breidinger, so the Lionel Car was an obvious addition when I started collecting them last year. And in a real “pinch yourself” moment, I was able to ask her a few questions recently about her journey in racing, diecast, and who inspires her.
What first hooked you into motorsport, and when did you realise it could become a professional career?
“I tried go-karting for fun when I was 9, and instantly fell in love with it. I never thought about becoming a racecar driver until that moment.”
Did you always have stock cars/NASCAR in mind as your goal?
“Growing up I wanted to race anything and everything that had 4 wheels on it! At around 14 is when I really set my eyes on NASCAR.”
Motorsports has traditionally been male-dominated, especially NASCAR and the feeder series. What challenges have you faced entering that environment, and how have they changed over time?
“While motorsports is still extremely male-dominated, it’s been special to see increasingly more females get involved in the sport over the years. Every driver needs to earn respect, but female drivers have to work harder for it. Learning to navigate the industry and surround myself with people who see me as a driver out there, equally capable to the other drivers has been important for me.”
Who in racing or other sports who has inspired you in your career?
“There’s so many phenomenal female athletes who really inspire me, Serena Williams is the top of that list for me.”
Switching to diecast, were you ever a collector yourself growing up, and do you collect now?
“Growing up I loved playing with Hot Wheels, and I now have my own little collection I’ve been gradually adding to.”
What was your reaction the first time you saw one of your cars produced by Hot Wheels or Lionel Racing?
“It’s so special to have my very own diecasts. Having my own Hot Wheels, is especially surreal and such a full circle moment for me.”
Is there a specific paint scheme or car from your racing career that you’d love to see in miniature?
“I’ve had so many schemes I’ve been able to race, I think the Raising Cane’s red would pop so well in a mini version.”
Why do you think diecast collecting remains such a strong part of motorsports culture?
“I think it’s because of the connection. Diecasts are really tangible memories that bring people together. It’s also a perfect bridge between generations, something children to grandparents can bond over.”
What does it mean to know younger fans may discover your career through a toy aisle or a collector shelf?
“Visibility is something that is so important to me because ‘seeing is believing’ . Inspiring a kid who sees my Hot Wheels on a shelf is the type of impact I want to make.”
Who is your favourite driver from any series out there now?
“Lewis Hamilton!”
It’s clear Toni is passionate about every aspect of what she does, diecast included. Many collectors reading this will know how important our favourite drivers are to our collecting habits, so it was refreshing to be able to hear how important collecting is from one of my favourite drivers! Toni is a fantastic role model in motorsport, and Lionel Racing have done a brilliant job of bringing one of her racers to the small scale world. That Raising Cane’s truck really would look good in 1/64….
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