PETA’s iconic cruelty-free pink bunny mascot likes to go fast. The vegan logo was prominently displayed upon James Weiland’s Ferrari as he raced in the Melbourne Ferrari Challenge this past weekend, spreading the cruelty-free message and finishing second in his first Australian race.
Weiland is part of the EMS Race Team, a racing organization dedicated to raising awareness for worthy causes. Currently, the team supports Cornerstone of Hope, Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation, and PETA Cruelty-Free. Drivers’ cars are emblazoned with the nonprofit’s logos, and Weiland proudly represents the rabbit. In an EMS press release leading up to the race, he said, “[Formula One] weekend is always a great opportunity to spread the word about PETA…There will be thousands of race fans in attendance and hopefully, we can encourage a few of them to search online and learn more.” He added, “Maybe we can even help get each one of those foundations up onto the podium while we’re there too.”
Prior to this Australian endeavor, Weiland’s race car (and the PETA bunny) zoomed by thousands of fans in the US. He competed at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida and the Circuit of the Americas in Texas. Weiland and his cruelty-free Ferrari will be racing next in New Zealand at the Hampton Downs International Motorsport Park during the weekend of April 14, 2018.
The EMS Race Team is not the only entity championing the cruelty-free message. Racer and activist, Leilani Munter, has exposed thousands of US race fans to both animal rights and environmental causes. She is known for her bold race cars and grand gestures to promote what she believes in. Most recently, she competed in the ARCA Race at Daytona, placing eighth out of thirty-nine in her neon green Vegan Strong car. Over the race weekend, she hosted a booth to greet fans and offer them free vegan Impossible Burgers. Munter, along with vegan bodybuilders Robert Cheeke and Ryan Nelson, handed out the burgers in front of a green sign saying, “Are you strong enough?”
Both the EMS team and Munter are scheduled to compete in future races throughout the year.
Image Credit: EMS Race Team.
