NASCAR driver issues public plea after car theft ahead of Watkins Glen

A NASCAR driver has revealed that their car was broken into ahead of this weekend's action at Watkins Glen International.

All three national NASCAR series are racing at the historic track in upstate New York, with the weekend kicking off with the Truck Series on Friday evening.

READ MORE: NASCAR Qualifying Results: SvG denied pole at Watkins Glen as Kyle Busch boosts playoff chances

However, ahead of the race, Toni Breidinger, driver of the No.5 Tricon Garage Toyota, revealed on social media that she had experienced a car break in and had items stolen from her vehicle.

Pleading with the public to help out if they saw anything for sale that could belong to her, Breidinger wrote on X: "Anyone in the Ithaca NY area! My car was broken into last night, and my suitcase was stolen. It’s a custom Tumi suitcase with TB on it."

"Inside were personal items, including my 818 and Coach suits.

"If you happen to see a suitcase or my racing stuff that’s being sold on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, or anywhere else, please send me the link."

READ MORE: NASCAR star protests his innocence at Watkins Glen after HUGE penalty

How did Breidinger do in the Truck Series race?

Unfortunately for Breidinger, more disappointment would come in Friday's race, with a car issue hampering the 26-year-old's chances of a possible season-best finish at Watkins Glen.

Breidinger's best finish so far in 2025 was a P18 at Rockingham Speedway back in April, and she was sitting 17th in the No. 5 when her car experienced a major, race-ending issue on Friday.

It came agonizingly late on lap 60, too, with just 12 laps remaining of the scheduled 72, as Breidinger's No. 5 began to emit large amounts of smoke, resulting in an instant caution.

As the TV broadcast panned to Breidinger's car, huge flames began to appear under her vehicle, engulfing the entire floor and rear end before eventually calming down as she entered pit road.

As a result of her incident, Breidinger was officially classified as 29th, with the 26-year-old one of 11 drivers not to finish the race.

Toni Breidinger's truck goes up in flames and the caution is out with 13 laps to go pic.twitter.com/lJnUUVlCXD

— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) August 8, 2025

READ MORE: Kyle Busch forced to retire from race as car catches flames at Watkins Glen

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