SMART Papers today announced it is the lead sponsor of open-wheel race car driver Leilani Munter for her debut in the Indy Pro Series Aug. 11 at the Kentucky Speedway and again Sept. 9 at the Chicagoland Speedway. The Indy Pro Series is the pathway to the Indy 500, the world's preeminent open-wheel motorsport event.

Munter's race car will prominently display the SMART Papers logo for both races, which will be broadcast on ESPN2. Munter will sign autographs with her SMART Papers race car at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., Aug. 25-26.


She is racing on the Sam Schmidt Motorsports team, which is currently the leader of the 2007 Indy Pro championship. Schmidt's team has won two of the past three driver championships.


Munter, who drives at speeds topping 200 mph, bumper-to-bumper, was recently named as one of the world's top female race car drivers in 2007 by Sports Illustrated magazine. She has also been featured in Esquire magazine's long-running "Women We Love" series. Prior to joining the Indy Pro Series open-wheel racing, she was a stock car racer for NASCAR with nine Top 5 finishes and 19 Top 10 finishes in her 39-start race career.


"Leilani represents the next generation of women who are breaking barriers in sports," said SMART Papers chairman Tim Needham. "Sponsoring her is an excellent fit for us, because, like SMART Papers, she is entrepreneurial, a strong competitor and an advocate for environmental responsibility. We believe she has a smart, winning future in open-wheel racing and beyond."


Munter's Kentucky race airs Aug. 16 at 5:30 PM EDT, and the Chicagoland race airs Sept. 13 at 5:00 PM EDT. Both are on ESPN2.


Needham also lauded the Indy Racing League's move to 100% ethanol fuels, which demonstrates their commitment to doing their share to help improve the environment and conserve natural resources.