Auto Pop and the 1973 Oil Crisis

The 1973 Oil Crisis likely caused Rael to reinvent himself as a UFO cult leader because his career as a race-car "journalist" was severely impacted.

Sociologist Susan Palmer writes:

"It is perhaps significant that Claude Vorilhon's close encounter occurred less than a month after his 2nd career [as journalist after being a singer] screeched to a hault through no fault of his own. On November 30, 1973, French prime minister Pierre Messmer announced on TV a series of drastic measures to limit speed on French roads and to suspend all automobile races and rallies. Claude's sources of funding, both his journal, Auto Pop, and his test driving, were cut off." (Aliens Adored, p. 34)

Rael's magazine skipped an issue in January 1974. In the December 1973 issue, Rael mentions the ban on motor sports. In the February 1974 issue, Rael turns political can calls his readers to vote the government out of office. It's possible that Rael had spent the time between the December and February issues to invent his fantastic story of meeting ETs. LOL

Auto Pop's last issue was in September 1974 (incidentally, Rael published his 1st book in the autumn of 1974 [Intelligent Design, p. 138])...