Racecar Driver Leilani Münter to Drive ‘Blackfish’ Car at Talladega in May

Two big joys in the activism world include the celebration of victories and passionate conservations with others who are fighting for the same cause. Yet, neither of these two components are possible without raising awareness and educating others about issues.

This is why the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) has again teamed up with race car driver Leilani Münter to place marine animal protection in front of the eyes of millions of race car fans and TV viewers.

“If we only speak to people who already believe in the same things we do, who is going to change the minds of those who don’t?” Leilani often says, as reported by OPS.

Münter, a biology graduate turned race car driver and environmental activist, worked with OPS back in 2010 after the release of its documentary, “The Cove,” to race a Cove-themed car at Daytona, bringing attention to the plight of Taiji’s dolphins to a whole new audience.

This year, Münter plans to race a “Blackfish” car to highlight the issues surrounding orca captivity and encourage the public to open their eyes and watch the 2013 documentary.

OPS is currently running a campaign to raise $115,000 for Leilani so that she can enter a race at Talladega Super speedway on May 3, 2014 and have the opportunity to compete with the “Blackfish” car.

The May 3^rd race will be televised live on Fox Sports 1, which has a reach of 90 million North American homes, marking serious potential for raising awareness about orcas and for sparking interest in their cause.

“We want to make sure Leilani has every opportunity to make history by becoming the first woman to win an ARCA race, and we want her to do it in a ‘Blackfish’ race car. Imagine how much awareness that would bring to mainstream America about the fight to end cetacean captivity,” writes OPS.

If enough funds are not raised in time for Talladega, OPS and Leilani aim to run the “Blackfish” car at another televised race once full funding is secured, although Talladega is the preferred race since the viewing audience is so large.

To help with this campaign and, as OPS says,“bring the issue of orca captivity to millions,” consider making a donation right here and note that the gift is “For Talladega.”

Image source: Oceanic Preservation Society