200-MPH Woman: Leilani Munter, One of World's Top Female Race Car Drivers, Wins Indy Pro Series Lead Sponsorship from U.S. Papermaker SMART Papers

200-MPH Woman: Leilani Munter, One of World's Top Female Race Car Drivers, Wins Indy Pro Series Lead Sponsorship from U.S. Papermaker SMART Papers

Munter to Drive SMART Papers Car in Debut at Kentucky Speedway Aug. 11, Chicagoland Speedway Sept. 9

HAMILTON, Ohio, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

   (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/CLW031LOGO )   (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/CLW031-a )   (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/CLW031-b )  

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.

SMART Papers, a wholly owned company of Plainfield Asset Management, Greenwich, CT, is a premium brand in the graphic communications industry and a leading producer of environmentally responsible printing papers. SMART Papers is North America's largest independent manufacturer and marketer of premium coated and uncoated printing papers for offset and digital printing. Some of the world's biggest and best-known corporations use the company's papers to communicate with customers and investors.

Needham acknowledged SMART Papers' sponsorship of a race car driver is an uncommon marketing move in the paper manufacturing and graphic communications industries. "We believe this promotional campaign will attract attention among customers and prospective customers, and expand demand for our products."

About Leilani Munter

Minnesota native Leilani Munter began racing stock cars in 2001 and has been working her way up the NASCAR ladder since. She set the record at Texas Motor Speedway in 2006 when she finished fourth, the highest finish for a female stock car driver in the history of the 1.5-mile speedway. She tested at Daytona International Speedway in December 2006 and earned her license to run in the ARCA series, a feeder division into NASCAR's big leagues.

Munter joined the world of open-wheel racing this year. She earned her Indy Pro Series license at Kentucky Speedway in May. "I was very impressed with how quickly Leilani got up to speed and with the feedback she gave the team," said Indy Pro Series technical director Butch Meyer. "She will be a very tough competitor in the Indy Pro Series."

Konica Minolta was Munter's primary sponsor last year in the NASCAR Elite division and she currently stars in Interstate Bakeries' national ad campaign as a Hostess Race Diva alongside IndyCar driver Danica Patrick. She has also been featured in the magazines of ESPN Magazine, Men's Journal and many other publications and broadcast outlets.

Leilani graduated from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in biology, but left that and a career in Hollywood -- which included working as a stunt driver and photo double for Catherine Zeta-Jones -- to move to Charlotte, NC to pursue her racing career. Leilani is well known for being active in environmental and conservation causes and hosts an Earth Watch section and blog on her website leilanimunter.com. She uses her recognition to create awareness of renewable energies and environmental responsibility.

About SMART Papers

Hamilton, Ohio-based SMART Papers is the largest independent North American manufacturer and marketer of premium cast coated, matte coated and uncoated text, cover and writing papers. The company markets a wide range of premium papers, including the well-known brands of Kromekote(R), Knightkote(R) Matte, SMART Digital(TM), Pegasus(R), Carnival(R), Synergy(R), Passport(R), Genesis(R), Magna Carta(R) and SMART Brights(R). Customers include paper distributors, printers, designers and specialty converters throughout North America.

SMART Papers manufactures environmentally responsible printing papers. It created one of North America's first recycled premium uncoated printing papers in the 1980s. The company also produces a wide range of premium coated and uncoated papers with up to 100 percent post-consumer waste content -- as well as papers certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

SMART Papers' high-value premium branded products are used in producing annual reports, greeting cards, announcements, stationery, book covers and end-leaf, advertising and marketing collateral, packaging products, direct mail envelopes, security papers, tickets, high-end labels and gift wrap. Visit www.smartpapers.com, call 800-443-9773, or contact your local paper merchant for more information. Customers may also order papers in any quantity at www.smartpapersstore.com.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/CLW031LOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/CLW031-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070801/CLW031-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN6, PRN7, PRN8
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: SMART Papers

CONTACT: Tom Kleimeyer, Director of Marketing of SMART Papers,
+1-513-869-5288

Web site: http://www.smartpapers.com/
http://www.smartpapersstore.com/
http://www.leilanimunter.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: see companion photos of Munter and the SMART Papers race car.

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Profile: International Entertainment