Leilani Münter's Green Team Roars On To Daytona

GREENandSAVE Staff

Posted on Friday 29th January 2010

GREENandSAVE welcomes five leading ‘GREEN’ and Energy Smart companies as Co-Founders in this ground breaking sponsorship.

GREATER PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 29, 2010) The first fully eco-sponsored race car is set to rev up the American Energy Revolution and bring the green message with a roar to 75 million U.S. race fans. This first of its kind stock car sponsorship is set to hit the famous high banks of Daytona International Speedway at the most anticipated race of the year next week.

The #59 GREENandSAVE Dodge fielded by Mark Gibson Racing and driven by eco race car driver Leilani Münter is sponsored by GREENandSAVE and a collaboration of eco friendly companies. Leilani and her primary sponsor GREENandSAVE are happy to announce that they have signed five supporting energy and environmentally conscious companies as associate sponsors. They are all ‘co-founders’ of the first ever green race car team that is set for Leilani's ARCA Series debut at Daytona on February 6, 2010. The five associate sponsors are:

  • NativeEnergy
  • groSolar
  • LED Saving Solutions
  • Home Efficiency Report
  • Eco Academy

In conjunction with GREENandSAVE, these companies represent services and solutions in the key categories that will help take America towards Energy Independence and a more sustainable future: Green News and Resources, Carbon Offsets, Renewable Energy, Energy Reduction, Home Efficiency, and Green Jobs.

GREENandSAVE and the five associate sponsors have prepared a list of initiatives they hope Leilani's fans will adopt to save on energy costs, reduce carbon emissions and move America toward a more sustainable future. "If each of the more than 2.2 million fans expected to watch the DAYTONA race would take just one of the eight steps we recommend, they could collectively save more than $250 million dollars each year, and help avoid more than four million tons of carbon emissions over the next 10 years,” said Charlie Szoradi, CEO and founder of GREENandSAVE. "That's like taking 67,000 cars off the road each year.” The eight actions that Münter's sponsorship team encourages fans to take are:

  • 1) Correctly adjusting tire air pressures to improve efficiency - 3% avg. increase in MPG.
  • 2) Correctly setting home thermostats to save energy - $180 per year on avg.
  • 3) Switching to high-performance shower heads to conserve water & energy - $65 per year on avg.
  • 4) Installing a 5kW home photovoltaic solar system and saving 66% in electric costs.
  • 5) Getting a Home Efficiency Report and saving $200 or more annually.
  • 6) Helping employers switch to LED lights saving 80% on electricity
  • 7) Helping employers adopt a Carbon Offset Program for their offices.
  • 8) Getting trained as a Home Efficiency Consultant to help others learn how to save money and save the planet.

NEWS and RESOURCES
GREENandSAVE – www.GREENandSAVE.com
Green Leadership Category: Eco Solutions via free tips, tactics, and news for home and business owners
“We took the lead to build this GREEN Team and bring a simple message to the American mainstream: You can save money and the planet…more easily than you think! The DAYTONA venue is all about performance, and we pride ourselves on giving homeowners and business owners the best insight into the products and services that will make their properties perform more efficiently. We have also teamed up with our associate sponsors that represent the ‘Best of Breed’ in their categories.” Charlie Szoradi – President, GREENandSAVE

CARBON OFFSETS
NativeEnergy – www.NativeEnergy.com
Green Leadership Category: Carbon Offsets and Climate Solutions
“Leilani is an uncommon messenger for the planet, and we are very excited to join with her and this EcoDream team,” says Tom Boucher, founder of NativeEnergy, Inc. “We have built NativeEnergy by partnering with the leading ‘green’ businesses, organizations and individuals who have tackled their environmental impact, by helping us to build more than 30 new Native American, family farm and community based renewable energy projects. Leilani is the pace-setter for ‘green’ in educating the vibrant and growing community of racing fans. We’re pleased to support her mission.”

RENEWABLE ENERGY
groSolar – www.groSolar.com
Green Leadership Category: Renewable Energy via Solar Panel Solutions and Installation
"The most popular spectator sport in America has in Leilani Münter a gifted athlete and inspired activist for the planet,” said groSolar CEO Jeff Wolfe. “Reducing our carbon footprint is one of the most patriotic things we can do as Americans, and groSolar is honored to sponsor her work to make renewable energy a part of our national identity. groSolar is a mission-driven company dedicated to making solar power affordable and available for everyone, and Leilani is a fantastic partner in our effort to create a clean energy future for this country. Learn how groSolar can make solar power work for you by visiting our website.”

ENERGY REDUCTION
LED Saving Solutions – www.LEDSavingSolutions.com (now: www.IndependenceLED.com)
GREEN Leadership Category: Energy Reduction via High Efficiency LED Lighting
“We are pleased to help Leilani bring a powerful and timely message to a new marketplace! This GREEN sponsorship at Daytona may also give the fans some new perspective on ‘GREEN’ money in relationship to the ‘GREEN’ environment. With our lighting solutions that save 80% on electricity, that adds up to real green dollars and changes perception quickly. Leilani has changed perceptions across her career, and she literally walks the talk in her own life.” Jim Porter – Chief Operating Officer

HOME EFFICIENCY Home Efficiency Report – www.HomeEfficiencyReport.com (now: Green ROI)
GREEN Leadership Category: Home Energy Management via consumer friendly tools
“Two years ago, we were pleased to connect with Leilani, and today we are thrilled to team up with her and introduce our cost-effective reporting tools to American families that need to save money on utility bills…this year more than ever. We feel that measurement is the key to home energy management, and we applaud Leilani’s insight and tenacity in helping to bring this message to America.” Brian Rice – Co-Founder

GREEN JOBS Eco Academy – www.EcoAcademy.com (now: Green Career Training Center)
GREEN Leadership Category: Eco Career Training and Continuing Education via online and live programs
“Leilani is a true inspiration in promoting how we can make a difference. The ways that she has built her brand around breaking stereotypes and charting a new course shows passion and commitment to the environment. With this recession, we see that many Americans either need or want to also take a new path and make a difference. Our curriculum programs are ideal for those that want to join the new Green Economy and carve out new opportunities. Our programs service Americans ranging from Job Seekers and Contractors to Real Estate Agents and Home Inspectors. ” Catharine Swan – Executive Director

Leilani engaging with the Sponsors:
These partnerships fit well with Leilani's eco minded lifestyle, and this ‘team’ approach goes far beyond the traditional sponsorship to fund a race car. The driver's house features solar powered outdoor lighting, rainwater collection barrels, a compost center, an organic vegetable garden and…she has literally started to engage with the sponsors. The Eco Academy Chief Instructor provided a Home Efficiency Checkup on her house earlier this winter. GREENandSAVE along with LED Saving Solutions is retrofitting her house to be completely lit by Light Emitting Diodes (LED) light bulbs, which can cut lighting energy costs by 80%. The lighting team will also be retrofitting the lighting at Mark Gibson Racing's  10,000 square foot facility in Statham, Georgia. LED Saving Solutions has created the ground breaking "Savings Share" program that gives property owners like Mark Gibson options for a $0 start up cost advantage where they only pay for the cost of the retrofit from a portion of the actual money saved each month. When it comes to Carbon Offsets, Leilani met with NativeEnergy in Vermont to learn more about the ways to bring the message to corporate America, and her own home is poised ‘facing south’ for an opportunity to work with groSolar as well!

Leilani has been an outspoken advocate of environmental issues, serving as the first Ambassador for the National Wildlife Federation and making trips to Capitol Hill to speak to members of Congress on environmental legislation. Leilani is not new to the green scene. She holds a degree in biology from the University of California San Diego and since 2007 she has been adopting an acre of rainforest for every race she runs in order to offset the carbon footprint of her race car.

Race Details:
The 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards season kicks off on February 6, 2010 with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway. The race, which will air live on SPEED at 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, is after NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying for the Daytona 500 and precedes NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race, the Budweiser Shootout. It is widely anticipated to be the largest viewership in ARCA racing history given that Indy Driver Danica Patrick is also making her stock car debut.

More about primary sponsor GREENandSAVE
Headquartered in Greater Philadelphia, PA, GREENandSAVE has a 20 year legacy in the 'Green' energy saving market. The whole organization is dedicated to helping Americans grow stronger, maintain our coveted high standard of living, and serve as better stewards of the environment. The company drives initiatives that range from saving money for home and business owners to continuing education and re-training for new careers and green economy. Plus, through its divisions GREENandSAVE provides specialized energy and auditing services and high performance retrofits like LED lighting. For more information please visit GREENandSAVE.com.

More about Leilani Münter
Leilani Münter started racing cars in 2001 and in 2004 she 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. Texas would turn out to be one of Münter's favorite tracks. 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. In 2007 she made the move to in the Indy Pro Series, the development league of IndyCar, when she qualified 5th for her debut at Kentucky Motor Speedway. Leilani was running in the top six when a multi car accident took her out of the race. Leilani turned the 5th quickest lap of the race with a speed of 192.399 mph.

Leilani is also a biology graduate and a long time vegetarian and eco activist. Since 2007, Leilani has been purchasing an acre of rainforest for every race she runs to offset her carbon footprint. She founded the ground breaking "Eco Dream Team" with the mission 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 legislations. 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. Companies that sign up with GREENandSAVE to retrofit with energy efficient lighting have the opportunity to appear as a partner on her eco dream team race car.

In fall 2008, Leilani became the first Ambassador for the National Wildlife Federation and landed a national ad campaign as a Lucky Jeans model with the motto, "Race car driver Leilani Münter, saving rainforests one race at a time." Her racing accomplishments and environmental activism have landed her on the pages of Italian Vogue, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Sports Illustrated and USA Today. Leilani is an accomplished public speaker from environmental conferences to Capitol Hill. She is also a published writer, currently contributing to the green section of the Huffington Post, rated the most influential blog in the world by the Guardian and topping Time Magazine's blog index. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information visit Leilani.green.

For additional information about Leilani Münter please Contact Leilani.

2018 Update: Check out Leilani's VEGAN STRONG initiative.

Sample media coverage of the race from Advanced Biofuel USA: 

Leilani Munter Drives First All-Eco-Sponsored Car in Danica Patrick-Frenzied Daytona ARCA Effort

Race photos:

1

Danica Patrick's #7 GoDaddy.com car and Leilani Munter's #59 GREEN and SAVE car prepare for practice at Daytona International Speedway. More photos below.

2

Side panels

3

SPEED TV's Wendy Venturini interviews Leilani on practice day.

4

Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir adds his celebrity and media frenzy to sister-in-law Leilani's green racing.

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