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Driver Leilani Munter wants NASCAR fans to eat less meat, have some veggies

Racecar driver Leilani Munter is known for promoting environmental causes on her racecars.

From advocating clean energy to championing recycling and saving dolphins, her cars have carried special messages.

ARCA driver Leilani Munter is encouraging NASCAR fans to eat less meat and more veggies. (AP Photo)

So far, her causes haven’t attracted much backlash in the racing world. But the plan for her next campaign might raise some eyebrows.

Munter wants to encourage race fans to give up their barbecue.

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Munter is working with the group “1% for the Planet” to raise funds for a racecar that will be branded as the “VegNation” car to promote a vegan lifestyle.

“Obviously I know I’m not going to turn the NASCAR community vegan by doing this car,” the 37-year-old Munter said.

“But what I’m hoping to do is sort of encourage them to try some meat substitutes, to participating in ‘meatless Monday’ or just cutting back on their meat intake.”

Vegan barbecue? In NASCAR? Is she serious?

Munter, whose environmental work has led to her being profiled in Reader’s Digest and Glamour, has made three career ARCA starts and two career starts in the Indy Lights Series.

She hopes to compete with the car in select ARCA races later this year.

She promises that her campaign is more about the positives of eating vegan food and encouraging people not to dismiss the concept rather than telling people that they are choosing the wrong diet.

Munter already has some support from VegNews Magazine and is working to gain the support of animal advocacy groups and vegan food companies.

“I feel like there’s a stereotype that vegans eat carrot sticks and celery all day, which is just not the truth,” Munter said.

“If you were to look at my fridge, it would look very similar to somebody else just down the street. It’s just my sausage links will be a vegan version of that.”

Munter wants to promote the vegan lifestyle as a way for people to decrease their carbon footprint, the focus of much of her advocacy efforts. People often tell her they can’t afford energy-efficient cars or solar panels on their house, so she suggests eating foods that would create less carbon emissions to grow and transport.


Munter is used to her campaigns not being universally accepted and she expects this one to be no different, although she doesn’t see it as any more or less divisive than her other issues.

“I’m used to kind of carrying messages that are somewhat different than the other cars that are out there,” Munter said. “And I am used to rocking the boat a little bit more than the typical driver.

“I didn’t picture this being any more controversial than the other ones.”

What she doesn’t want to do is alienate people.

“(I don’t want) it to come off like I’m shaking my finger at them for eating meat,” Munter said. “It’s always a tough line when you’re carrying a message of some sort to not look preachy.

“I don’t want to look preachy. But at the same time when you’re carrying the flag for something it’s pretty hard to not sometimes be misinterpreted by people. We’re trying to have it be an educational car.”

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