WELCOME
Leilani Münter is a biology graduate turned race car driver and environmental activist. She believes it is essential for humans to adapt and evolve the way we are living to a sustainable way that does not destroy the world around us. Leilani is an advocate for renewable energy, solar power, electric cars, plant-based diet, and animal rights. She sits on the board of Oceanic Preservation Society, an Academy Award-winning team of filmmakers using high-impact documentary films to expose the most critical issues facing our planet. She is also on the board of Empowered by Light, a non-profit that donates solar energy projects empower vulnerable communities to leapfrog dirty fossil fuels while protecting unique ecosystems. Leilani is also an ambassador for Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project and a patron of Population Matters. Leilani was featured in the 2015 documentary film Racing Extinction. Leilani wants our future to be a cleaner and kinder world. Read more
NEWS AND NOTES
For all the latest articles and media coverage, please visit our press page which is updated regularly.
Former Racing Driver Leilani Münter Wins BBC’s Evergreen Athlete Award
July 25, 2022 Former racing driver Leilani Münter has won the BBC's Evergreen Athlete Award, which is part of its inaugural Green Sport Awards.
The announcement comes before the main awards programme to be aired in October, for which you can nominate sports organisations you think are raising awareness or reducing their impact.
A panel of judges recognised Münter, 48, as one of the first athletes to use her platform to such prominent effect in raising awareness of environmental issues, as well as a continued and escalating effort over many years - often to the detriment of her career. Read more…
Leilani Has Strong Run in Farewell ARCA Race at Daytona
February 13, 2019 Climbing behind the wheel one last time, Leilani began the weekend with a new personal career best qualifying effort, starting third in her No.55 What the Health Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. Münter kept her green machine out front and at the halfway point in the race she was running in 4th place. When a caution came out on lap 43, Leilani came in for a pit stop along with the rest of the leaders. Read more...
Autoweek: Leilani Münter Brings Damaged Car Home 15th in Her Final ARCA Race
“I’m so tired,” she said, through tears, moments after she climbed from the No. 55 What The Health Toyota, to an ovation by a literal circle of friends surrounding her car. With a variety of usually green sponsors – her brother-in-law is, after all, Bob Weir, a member of the Grateful Dead – Münter came back each year, answering the bell, as tough as the 100-1 fighter who just wouldn’t stay down.
Read more...
Leilani Tops Daytona Speed Charts at ARCA Testing With Average Speed of Over 184 mph
January 12, 2019 Driving the No. 55 What The Health Toyota for Venturini Motorsports, Leilani Münter led the combined results of two days of testing for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Lucas Oil 200 driven by Geberal Tire at Daytona International Speedway. Münter was the fastest of 43 drivers attending the test with a speed was 184.064 miles per hour. View Speeds...
Leilani Partners with Rainforest Trust to Protect 1,500 Acres of Endangered Rainforest
July 6, 2018 Leilani has partnered with Rainforest Trust to protect over 1,500 acres of rainforest, which will prevent over 60,000 metric tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to taking over 13,000 cars off the road for one year. Read more...
The Atlantic: Defying Stereotypes at 200 mph
Oct 24, 2017 “Never underestimate a vegan hippie chick with a race car,” says Leilani Münter in a new video by The Atlantic. Münter, who drove the first-ever vegan-themed race car in the world, is gunning for a future in which NASCAR runs on 100 percent renewable energy. In the video, she challenges NASCAR stereotypes and explains why the sports world needs more activists. Watch the video
Rich Roll Podcast Interview
July 9, 2017 Leilani sits down with ultra-athlete and bestselling author Rich Roll to discuss the intersection of activism and sport and her singular commitment to leveraging her profile to educate, inspire and raise awareness around environmental issues. Listen to the podcast...
Leilani Münter Shines at Daytona
February 19, 2017 Leilani Münter had an incredible race at Daytona on Saturday night, racing her way all the way up to 4th place in her Vegan Powered racecar with 25 laps to go. Leilani was in contention for a career best top-five finish at the World Center of Racing when the car behind her made hard contact with her rear bumper on the backstretch with just 15 laps to go. Read more...
NASCAR Race Hub "Women in Wheels"
February 16, 2017 NASCAR Race Hub aired a "Women in Wheels" series segment on Leilani and her activism in racing. Watch the episode on FOX Sports
Take a Hot Lap with Leilani at Daytona
January 14, 2017 Have you ever wondered what it's like to run a lap at Daytona at speeds of almost 190 mph? Thanks to ARCA Racing and GoPro, you can take a ride with Leilani Watch the video
US Dept of Energy's Tesla Ride with Leilani
December 23, 2016 The US Department of Energy joined Leilani in her Tesla Model S for a ridealong in Washington DC to learn more about the benefits of electric cars. Watch the video
StarTalk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson
April 22, 2016 On Earth Day at 7pm EDT tune into StarTalk Radio when Leilani is a guest of astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to talk about the anthropocene era, Racing Extinction, solar power, electric cars, and bringing activism to the masses through her race car. Listen to Leilani's guest appearance on StarTalk
New York Times: A Tesla for Vegans
Jan 14, 2016 For the eco-conscious car buyer, Tesla’s luxury electric vehicles, with their neck-snapping acceleration, are proof that performance doesn’t have to be sacrificed at the altar of saving the environment. Read the article and see Leilani's vegan Tesla Model S in the New York Times
Racing Extinction: A Global Television Event
Dec 2, 2015 Leilani has teamed up with the Academy Award winning team who brought you The Cove on their next documentary Racing Extinction which premiered globally on Discovery Channel in December 2015. Watch the trailer or you can rent or buy the film here.
Leilani & SolarCity vs. Utilities
Oct 16, 2015 Re/code: It’s nearly 1:00 am in San Francisco, outside the California Public Utilities Commission building downtown, and Leilani Münter, a woman who drives a race car for a living, steers her Tesla as slowly and quietly as she can. Read article and watch the video on Re/code
