Claude Vorilhon - Racecar Driver

Racecar Driver

In 1994, wealthy Japanese Raëlians rented a racecar and showed it to Vorilhon. They believed that if Vorilhon would race it, it would generate publicity for the movement. Vorilhon accepted the offer on the condition that the funding not come from member tithes or embassy funding. Funding for Vorilhon's races, which took place in the 1990s and early 2000s, came mostly from well-funded European and Japanese people. His best finishes included "a 3rd place finish in GT 1 in Lime Rock with the Mosler Raptor in 1997, and a 7th place finish at Watkins Glen with a Viper GTS R in the FIA GT 1999 race". Vorilhon, under the name of Raël, participated in the 1999 BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series and the 2000 Speedvision GT Championship. According to Palmer, Vorilhon made an announcement in November 2001 that he intended to retire from professional auto racing. She said that Vorilhon still enjoyed automobile racing, albeit in the form of video games.