Track Chic's Woman Behind the Wheels LEILANI MUNTER

Atlanta, June 4, 2009: Born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota, to a Hawaiian mother and German father, Leilani combines the best of both heritages into her racing career and Eco Dream Team. The evolutionary path suits this “Carbon Free Girl” perfectly.

Leilani attended the University of California in San Diego and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. During her school years she worked as a model, and also began to attend racing schools and amateur races. She was hooked. Her talents behind the wheel were obvious.

“My passion is racing. Biology would have been the secure, responsible choice but I went with my heart.”

In 2004, Leilani gained the attention of the racing world when she qualified 4th and finished 7th at Texas Motor Speedway in the ROMCO Super Late Model Series. She returned to Texas Motor Speedway in 2006 and set a new record when she finished 4th, the highest finish for a female driver in the history of the racetrack. By December 2006, Leilani had raced her way from the short tracks of southern California all the way to the most iconic NASCAR track of them all, the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway. She completed her rookie ARCA test at Daytona and even though she was with a small underfunded team, she was 24th fastest of 57 race cars testing at Daytona.

In 2007 Leilani became the fourth woman in history to race in the Indy Pro Series, the developmental league of IndyCar. She impressed the open wheel racing world when she qualified 5th for her debut.

Declared by Sports Illustrated as “one of the top ten female drivers in the world”, Leilani has earned respect from legends in her sport, including four time Indy 500 Champion Rick Mears, IndyCar Driver Jaques Lazier and others.

Blending her exotic, free-spirited instincts with the discipline and focus required of a professional race car driver, Leilani also fulfills her keen interest in science as “The Carbon Free Girl “and share’s her journey to be carbon neutral by purchasing an acre of rainforest for every race she runs to offset her carbon footprint.

The mission of Leilani's Eco Dream Team is to send powerful messages to the number one spectator sport in America, calling to action 100 million race fans in the US to make a difference by spreading environmental awareness about sustainable living alternatives, clean energy, alternative fuel vehicles, and environmental legislation. Knowledge is power and Leilani wants to spread that power to the race fans. Additionally, Leilani hopes her efforts will encourage racing sanctioning bodies to increase their environmental initiatives with expanded recycling programs and the use of alternative fuels.

Track Chic talks with Leilani after her May 11th-13th competition in the Oslo, Norway Viking Rally Zero Emission Vehicles challenge, The competition is a road rally from Oslo to Stavanger designed exclusively for zero emission vehicles and proof that environmentalism can be fun.

The rally finished at the opening of EVS24 Towards Zero Emission, a world congress and exhibition for electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. With participants from 40 countries, the EVS24 is recognized as the premier event for academic, government and industry professionals involved in electric drive technologies.

1, How did you enjoy the road rally competition, with the combination of hill climbs, slaloms and drag race competitions throughout Norway’s scenic southern and western coasts. What was most memorable about the experience?

The Norwegian countryside was beautiful and along the way I met some really fantastic people that are working hard to bring zero emission vehicles to the world. One of the most memorable moments was running into Prince Albert of Monaco in a hotel bar in Stavanger. He loves racing and we had a nice chat about motorsports. It's not often you run into a Prince!

2. You were competing in a 65kW Horsepower, hydrogen fuelled Ford Focus for Team Hunt Green & Carbon Free Girl. It’s quite a change of pace from the speeds you are accustomed to. How did this experience compare to your previous race challenges?

It was not really the kind of competition I am used to. Obviously I am normally going speeds of close to 200 mph and the goal is to be the fastest. In this rally most of the time it was about timing and you do not want to arrive too early or too late to the next checkpoint. Penalty points are given if you arrive outside of the 60 second timeframe given.

In the two racing sections I competed in, where speed was the factor and you want to go as fast as possible, I finished second in both. In the hillclimb rally I was beaten only by the World Rally driver Henning Solberg and in the acceleration phase I beat him by 1/10 of a second but somehow a hydrogen powered Prius beat both of us.

3. There was a prestigious list of VIP attendees and participants, including His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon and Henning Solberg participating on the first leg of the competition. I am certain it was both intimidating and a privilege to compete with them; what emotions did you feel that day?

I was just enjoying the moment and having a lot of fun! The Viking Rally was a very symbolic event bringing together people from all over the world to promote clean energy vehicles and it was wonderful to have so many high profile people attend and bring attention to it.

4. How did your car handle the stresses of the competition?

My driveshaft broke on the second day of the competition. It had nothing to do with the car, it was actually damaged during transportation from Germany. They did their best to fix it for day three, but we didn't have all the right parts so we sort of limped home on the third day. On the bright side, we could relax and take photos of the countryside since we were no longer competing for the win.

5. I understand the hydrogen fuel cell of the Ford Focus has harmless emissions of pure water and heat and that you drank the water from the exhaust of your ride. That is a powerful statement!

I did drink the water from my exhaust and yes, it was very powerful! Exhaust so clean you can drink it!

6. The EVS Viking Rally also marked the opening of two new hydrogen fuelling stations in Norway. They take great pride as responsible motorists and take global warming seriously. Do you think the U.S. is ready to embrace that responsible approach and begin developing a nation-wide hydrogen infrastructure?

I think the US is taking the right steps towards cleaner, more efficient vehicles and I think you will see a combination of many different solutions. Hydrogen is one of the more difficult solutions because we don't have the infrastructure yet. Electric cars, hybrids, algae based biodiesel and a variety of renewable biofuels will be part of the solution.

7. Here in the U.S., top quality IndyCar & NASCAR teams are ready to field race cars for you in Indy Lights & ARCA. But as you know, drivers today, both male and female, are facing unprecedented challenges obtaining sponsorship in this tightened economy. How do you stay positively focused?

I am working with some great race teams that are working hard to get me back in a race car as soon as possible. It is hard for all drivers to find sponsorship right now, but I am very hopeful because of the quality of people I have around me. I can't wait to get back in a race car!

8. What is your proudest accomplishment behind the wheel?

My debut in the Indy Pro Series at Kentucky Speedway was a great day, even though it ended too early. It started out great, I qualified 5th for my first open wheel race. I fell back on a restart all the way to 13th but it was great because it gave me the opportunity to pass and show people that I could race. At one point I passed five cars in a lap and a half and raced my way back up to 6th place where I had run down the cars running in 4th and 5th place and I was setting up to pass them when the car in front of me cut a tire and I got caught up in a wreck. But I know I earned a lot of respect in the open wheel garage that day because I got a lot of phone calls after that and Jaques Lazier and Rick Mears said some really nice things about my driving to the press which is just a huge honor.

9. Who do you admire most in the racing world?

I have great respect for the women who came before me, that paved the way for more women to get into our sport. It must have been so difficult for them. I admire the determination and courage it must have taken to knock down those gender barriers.

10. On a personal note, you recently wed Craig Davidson in a beautifully romantic seaside ceremony in New Zealand. How did you meet this engineer from New Zealand?

We were introduced by a mutual friend and have been together since our first date almost five years ago. He is a great person and I feel very lucky to have found the person I want to grow old with.

11. How is life as a busy newlywed couple living near Charlotte? Do your public appearances, race schedules and responsibilities compliment your partner’s?

Busy is a good adjective for us! We both have careers we are focused on so we make the most of the time we have together. When we do have free time, we love to travel, scuba dive, snowboard, sky dive, anything that includes adventure!

12. Your list of accomplishments is impressive! You have spoken to members of Congress as an advocate for environmental responsibility, been appointed as an Ambassador for the National Wildlife Federation, landed a national ad campaign as a Lucky Jeans model and even served as a stunt double for Catherine Zeta-Jones. Your racing accomplishments have landed you on eight magazine covers and in the pages of Italian Vogue, Esquire, Sports Illustrated and USA Today; and you have enjoyed television appearances on NBC Sports, National Geographic, and ESPN. What’s next for you?

Hopefully you will see me back in a race car very soon! That is my number one focus right now and I have some fast race cars sitting in race shops in both Charlotte and Indianapolis just waiting to hit the track.

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