The Nürburgring is 96 years old, and the world's most daunting race track has completed all of those years without a mascot. That changes for the 97th, for some reason.

Today, the 'Ring introduced "Legend." While he may look like a friend of Sonic the Hedgehog, this fox in a racing suit is in fact the new face of the entire Nürburgring campus. According to the track's website, the fox's in-universe backstory is that he was raised around the sixth kilometer of the Nordschleife and developed an interest in racing by watching events. He apparently enjoys sneaking into a VIP lounge to steal food from a buffet, which suggests that security at the lounge is doing a very poor job of recognizing who is and is not eligible to enter the area.

The Nürburgring is not the first track to bring in a mascot to represent its circuit. It is a particularly popular choice in NASCAR, where tracks like Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway are represented by sentient dice and lug nuts. Pennsylvania's Pocono Raceway already has their own fox in Tricky, whose hobbies include "dancing, skateboarding, racing, and recycling." Those are tracks in the U.S, though, and mascots are more common here; in Germany, Legend is a unique proposition.

Legend is designed to welcome fans into the 'ring for spectator events, but replies to the tweet announcing the character suggest the mascot is already developing a following among a very specific group of racing fans. The new mascot will debut at the Nürburgring 24 Hours next weekend.

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