There are few things that all types of racing have in common, and I think the most important is FANS.  NASCAR  has been said to have the most loyal fans of any venue of racing or sports in general.  I found that out today when I received a package of 175 letters from 3rd, 4th and 5th graders from Cielo Azul Elementary in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.  The kids all hand wrote letters asking me questions about my racing career and what I have done in order to make my dream a reality.  The letters were very touching and I found myself smiling while reading them.  I was reminded that I am living my dream and that I get to do an incredible thing that people would love to do if given the chance, and I get to do it everyday.  Tim Johnson, who is now the Race Director at Elko Speedway, once told me before a very big race at Raceway Park, “to think about all the people across the nation who would love to be sitting where you are sitting right now.  No matter what happens in this race tonight, you have accomplished great things just by being in the seat of this super late model, and you are getting to do what you love to do”.   I remember that little pep talk almost every time I climb behind the wheel of my car, and it has helped me to stay focused and to take the good times along with the bad.   He also would tell me that no matter the outcome of the race tonight, bananas are still be 38 cents a pound at Kwik Trip.  Thanks Tim !(...)
Read the rest of No Matter The Outcome…Bananas Are Still 38 Cents A Pound.

© Molly Rhoads for Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports, 2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: circle track, molly rhoads, nascar whelen all american series, stock car racing

With this being my first blog ever, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself and my racing career.  I am the sole owner/operator of Molly Rhoads Motorsports and I have been racing since I was 16.  I just had a big birthday last week which makes me not a twenty something anymore.  I started racing in the bomber division after my older brother AJ Rhoads, held a mini tryout for my twin sister Megan and I.  We both had the chance to test his car and the faster one of us would have the chance to race his car the following year.   I was the faster twin and spent my sophmore year of high school  racing a bomber car !   I continued to move up the ladder and I have been racing in the Super Late Model division since 2004.  I have accomplished a lot throughout my years and also have been very blessed in my racing career.

It hasn’t been an easy road and I have had to make a lot of sacrifices along the way, both financially and personally.  I have chosen to miss many social outings, best friends weddings, prom and even my college graduation party to continue to chase my dream of being a successful race car driver.  I am a very proud and independent person and I take great pride in the fact that everything I have accomplished, I have truly earned.  I haven’t been given any handouts or special treatment throughout my career and I am very proud of that.  I can look back and be very happy with my results because they were earned.  (...)
Read the rest of Keep Busting Mine In Order To KICK Theirs !

© Molly Rhoads for Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports, 2012. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: molly rhoads, nascar whelen all american series

May 21-22nd NASA Socal Event

This past weekend was round 3 of the NASA Socal series and I was back to compete again in the TT-E class.  The weekend also hosted the first Global Time Attack event with association of NASA.

Willow Springs International Raceway was the first track that I took the 2011 Crawford Performance Scion Racing tC on, so I was excited to have a chance to improve my personal best lap time.  With some changes to the car since then, I set my own goal of a 1:40, about 4 seconds faster than my previous time.

Saturday consisted of the usual first practice session and followed with the time trial sessions.  I used the practice to remind myself of how the tC handled on this track and to get a good feeling of its new set up.  This track has a lot to do with maintaining your momentum through the turns, and it is very important to use the brake as little as possible to do so.  Our R1R Toyo tires provided great grip through the long sweepers like 2, 8, and 9.  The car felt really solid and I was excited to find myself shifting into 5^th gear just before turn 1 and 8.  By the end of the day on Saturday I set my fastest lap of a 1:42.1 which placed me 2^nd for the day’s TT-E class results.(...)
Read the rest of Michele Abbate Earns Podium at Willow Springs

© Michele Abbate for Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: crawford performance, michele abbate, nasa, scion tc

Name: Leilani Munter
Age: 32
Type of Racing: Open wheel and stock cars
Series you participate in: Indy Pro Series and ARCA
Short Introduction: Leilani is a female racer using her voice to speak up for the environment.
Current Season: Indy Pro Series

Racing Accomplishments:

In 2007 Leilani became the fourth woman in history to compete in the Indy Pro Series, the developmental league of IndyCar.

Leilani was 5th quick in her very first laps at Chicagoland Speedway in a practice session for the Indy Pro Series Chicagoland100 on Sept 8, 2007.

In her first Indy Pro Series race, Leilani turned the 5th quickest lap of the race with a speed of 192.399 mph at Kentucky Speedway on Aug 11,2007.

Leilani qualified 5th for her debut in the Indy Pro Series at Kentucky Speedway on Aug 11, 2007. She had trouble on a restart and dropped back to 13th but dazzled the crowd by racing her way back up to the front of the field. She was about to pass for 4th place when she was collected in a multi-car accident. Four time Indy 500 champion Rick Mears, IndyCar driver Jaques Lazier and many others in the IndyCar community spoke very highly of Münter after her debut.

Sports Illustrated named Leilani as one of the top ten female race car drivers in the world.

In her very first laps at Daytona International Raceway, Leilani was 24th quick of 59 ARCA race cars testing on Dec 16, 2006.

Leilani set the record for the highest finishing position for a female driver in the history of the 1.5 mile Texas.

Motor Speedway when she finished 4th in the Konica Minolta 100 on June 10, 2006.

Leilani became the first woman to qualify in the 45 year history of the Bettenhausen Classic at Illiana Speedway in Indiana on September 16, 2006.

Leilani set the record for the highest qualifying effort for a female stock car driver in the history of the 1.5 mile Texas Motor Speedway when she qualified 4th for the First Convenience Bank 100 on June 12, 2004.

Racing Goals: To race and win in IndyCar and NASCAR Sprint Cup

Personal Info: (other hobbies, career, etc..)

Leilani is not just a race car driver, she is a biologist and an activist. Leilani purchases an acre of rainforest for every race she runs to offset her carbon footprint. She is a long time vegetarian and eco activist. She has traveled to Capitol Hill to speak with members of Congress on behalf of the Lieberman Warner Climate Security Act. She holds a bachelors degree in Biology specializing in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution from the University of California San Diego. While attending college she worked as a volunteer at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.

Trivia:

Leilani once worked as a photo double/stunt driver for actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Leilani’s other hobbies include snowboarding and scuba diving.

Leilani’s sister Natascha is married to Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir.

Leilani is a vegetarian.

Leilani has three older sisters: Svenja, Nicolette, and Natascha.

Leilani’s mother was born in Hawaii and her father was born in Germany.

Leilani volunteered for a wildlife rehabilitation center while attending college.

Media:

Leilani’s television appearances include: ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, Spike TV, Speed Channel and National Geographic.

She has hosted television shows on Spike TV and DIY Network. Leilani was also an on camera correspondent for Turner Sports

Interactive’s NASCAR.com for three years. Her weekly “Leilani Reports” were available to over 10 million users and the website had over one billion pageviews annually.

Leilani’s print media includes: USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Italian Vogue, Esquire Magazine’s “A Woman We Love”, en’s Journal, ESPN Magazine, Washington Post, and five magazine covers to date.

Leilani is also an accomplished writer. Her work has been published by Turner Sports on NASCAR.com, Corvette Quarterly Magazine, and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Leilani’s public speaking engagements include the American Heart Association, ABN-Amro Bank, and the Leadership Forum.

Thanks to:

I would like to thank my family: my father Manfred, my mother Doris and my stepfather Frank, my sister Svenja, my sister Natascha & her husband Bobby, my sister Nicolette & her husband Jon, and my fiance’ Kiwi. Without these people in my life I would have never made it this far. I also have to thank the many people in racing along the way that believed in me and supported my career, you know who you are!

Website: http://leilanimunter.com

Contact: marketing@leilanimunter.com

Photo Credits:
Photo #1 AC Delco
Photo #2 Marc Roy
Photo #3 AC Delco
Photo #4 Shawn Mahoney

© Administrator for Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: leilani munter, Open Wheel, stock cars