Toyota Motorsports today announced its exciting lineup for the 26th annual
Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, held in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, April
13. The 10-lap race, held on the 1.99-mile Champ Car track, will be part
of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend.
The expected field of 17 features an eclectic group of entertainment
personalities, internationally renowned celebrities, and figures from
sports and media.
Stars driving in the race include: Patrick Stewart, ("Star Trek's" 'Captain
Picard'), Goran Visnjic ('Dr. Luka Kovac' in NBC's "ER"), Bryan Cranston
('Hal' on FOX's "Malcolm in the Middle"), Bill Goldberg (Actor, Former WCW
Champion Wrestler), Dulé Hill ('Charlie Young' in NBC's "West Wing"),
Patrick Warburton ('Agent T' in the upcoming "Men in Black 2," 'Puddy" on
"Seinfeld"), Christopher Kennedy Masterson ('Francis,' FOX's "Malcolm in
the Middle"), Christopher Titus (FOX's "Titus"), Jacob Young ('Lucky
Spencer,' ABC's "General Hospital"), and Dara Torres (Olympic Gold Medal).
Returning to defend his title is the 2001 Toyota Pro/Celebrity race
champion, Tom Rudnai, the first Toyota dealer to win the race. Rudnai, the
VP and GM of Longo Toyota and Lexus in El Monte, Calif., will compete in
the professional category at this year's race.
Additionally, four other professional drivers competing for the checkered
flag are Sarah Fisher (rising Indy Racing League star), Danica Patrick
(rising open wheel star), Tommy Kendall (Four-time Trans-Am Champion) and
Mark-Paul Gosselaar (ABC's "NYPD Blue" and a former race participant).
"The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is renowned for attracting top-name
celebrity and professional drivers because it offers the high-speed
challenge of real racing," said Les Unger, Toyota's national motorsports
manager. "With stars from film, television, and sports, this year's race is
sure to be a blockbuster."
Also included in the current field of drivers are Keith Crain (Publisher
Automotive News, AutoWeek), and Dave Pasant, who earned a spot by making a
bid of $65,000 for the 2002 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race seat at last year's
Toyota Grand Prix Charity Ball auction.
The 10-lap race will be broadcast in its entirety on ESPN, Sunday, April
28.
As part of the race event, Toyota will help raise more than $100,000 this
year for "Racing for Kids," a non-profit program benefiting Southern
California children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County. Toyota
will be donating $5,000 in the name of each participant, and another $5,000
will be awarded to the race winner's charity of choice.
Finally, a $10,000 donation will also be made in conjunction with the
annual "PEOPLE Pole Award." Sponsored by PEOPLE magazine, the award honors
the pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying
session on Friday, April 12. Torres won the PEOPLE Pole Award in 2001, the
first female pole winner in race history. Throughout the past 12 years,
the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race has generated more than $1 million for
charity.