Editing Raël (section)

==Racing career==
In 1994, wealthy Japanese Raëlians rented a race car and showed it to Raël. They believed that if he raced it, it would generate [[publicity]] for the movement. Raël accepted the offer on the condition that the funding not come from member tithes or embassy funding. Funding for Raël's races, which took place in the 1990s and early 2000s, came mostly from well-funded European and Japanese people.<ref name="Palmer, p. 41.">Palmer, p. 41.</ref> His best finishes included "a 3rd place finish in GT1 in [[Lime Rock Park|Lime Rock]] with the [[Mosler Raptor]] in 1997, and a 7th place finish at [[Watkins Glen International|Watkins Glen]] with a [[Dodge Viper|Viper GTS R]] in a 1999 [[FIA GT Championship|FIA GT]] race".<ref name="Raël to compete in Charlotte">[http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=40215&FS=SCCA-WC Raël to compete in Charlotte] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920055037/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=40215&FS=SCCA-WC |date=20 September 2010 }} ''Motorsport.com''. 27 March 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2007.</ref> Raël participated in the 1999 BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series and the 2000 [[Speedvision]] GT Championship. According to Palmer, Raël announced in November 2001 that he intended to retire from professional auto racing. He said that he still enjoyed racing in the form of video games.<ref name="Palmer, p. 41."/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 1999 [[Goodrich Corporation|BFGoodrich]] Tires Trans-Am Series
|-
!Round
!Date
!Car
!Start
!Finish
!Laps
!Track
!Source
|-
|Two
|23 May 1999
|[[Chevrolet]]
|21st
|19th
|35 out of 40
|[[Mosport International Raceway]]
|''Motorsport.com''<ref name="Mosport Race Report, Results and Points">[http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=27783&FS=TRANSAM Mosport Race Report, Results and Points] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014747/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=27783&FS=TRANSAM |date=30 September 2007 }}, ''Motorsport.com''. 23 May 1999. Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref>
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 2000 [[Speedvision]] GT Championship events
|-
!Round
!Date
!Car
!Start
!Finish
!Laps
!Track
!Source
|-
|One
|1 April 2000
|[[Lotus Esprit]]
|29th
|32nd
|15 out of 29
|[[Lowe's Motor Speedway]]
|''Motorsport.com''<ref name="Charlotte GT Opener Race Results">[http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=40429&FS=SCCA-WC Charlotte GT Opener Race Results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930011038/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=40429&FS=SCCA-WC |date=30 September 2007 }}, ''Motorsport.com''. 1 April 2000. Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref>
|-
|Two
|21 May 2000
|Lotus Esprit
|31st
|18th
|27 out of 27
|[[Mosport International Raceway]]
|''Motorsport.com''<ref name="Mosport GT results">[http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=43424&FS=SCCA-WC Mosport GT results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930022328/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=43424&FS=SCCA-WC |date=30 September 2007 }}, ''Motorsport.com''. 21 May 2000. Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref>
|-
|Three
|27 May 2000
|Lotus Esprit
|38th
|style="background:darkgray;"|
|style="background:darkgray;"|
|[[Lime Rock Park]]
|''Motorsport.com''<ref name="Lime Rock Park line up GT, Touring">[http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=43748&FS=SCCA-WC Lime Rock Park line up GT, Touring] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930022402/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=43748&FS=SCCA-WC |date=30 September 2007 }}, ''Motorsport.com''. 27 May 2000. Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref>
|-
|Eight
|15 October 2000
|[[Porsche 911 GT3]]
|32nd
|25th
|25 out of 26
|[[Laguna Seca Raceway]]
|''Motorsport.com''<ref name="Laguna Seca Fitzgerald wins third straight in GT">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014719/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=54315&FS=SCCA* Laguna Seca Fitzgerald wins third straight in GT], ''Motorsport.com''. 15 October 2000. Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref>
|-
|Nine
|29 October 2000
|Porsche 911 GT3
|25th
|25th
|29 out of 30
|[[Las Vegas Motor Speedway]]
|''Motorsport.com''<ref name="Las Vegas GT results">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927190304/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=55110&FS=SCCA* Las Vegas GT results], ''Motorsport.com''. 30 October 2000. Retrieved 18 August 2007.</ref>
|}