In the Professional Category, Unser overcame the pros' : 30-second handicap by the eighth lap and held off the scrappy Benson and Southern California Toyota Dealer representative Tom Rudnai, president of Longo Toyota in El Monte, Calif., who came in third overall. The 2008 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race winner, ESPN/ABC pit reporter Jamie Little, came in fifth among the Pros.
Mencia echoed the feelings of the rest of the drivers, concluding by complimenting Unser, saying, "It was humbling to be in this thing with a guy [like Unser] who has dominated this track for so many years, and still he made us feel great about being here, smiling and giving us tips. He was always smiling...even when he passed us on the track he was smiling!"
A race for kids
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race (TPCR) is a fan-favorite ontrack activity that took place during the 35th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend. Since its inception 33 years ago, the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race has grown into the largest, longest-running corporate-sponsored celebrity racing event in the world.
Hollywood stars attending this year included race winner Keanu Reeves and actors Adrian Brody, Tim Daly, Eric Close, Mary Lynn Rajskub, but also TV game show host Alex Trebek, comedian Carlos Mencia and pro-skateboarder Danny Way. They raced with pro drivers Al Unser Jr., Johnny Benson, Coy Gibbs and Jamie Little.
The target of the 2009 edition was to raise over $100,000 for "Racing for Kids," a national organization that benefits children's hospitals in Southern California. The 10-lap star-studded exhibition featured celebrities competing against professional drivers in identically prepared, race-ready Scion tC models.
Toyota donates $5,000 to "Racing for Kids" in the name of each celebrity racer, and another $5,000 to the winning racer's charity of choice. Racing for Kids is a national non-profit program benefiting children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. Toyota has donated $1.7 million on behalf of the race and it participants and various children hospitals since 1991.
Additionally, a $15,000 donation was made in conjunction with the annual "PEOPLE Pole Award." Sponsored by PEOPLE magazine, the award was given to Danny Way, this year's pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session. Way selected the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) as his charity, to support ASEC's mission of progressive eco-education and empowering people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Way is hoping the funds generated by the "PEOPLE Pole Award" will enable ASEC to build a "green" skate park for kids in Hawaii.
photo:Ken Pamatat & Scott Noot/Toyota Motorsports
Mencia echoed the feelings of the rest of the drivers, concluding by complimenting Unser, saying, "It was humbling to be in this thing with a guy [like Unser] who has dominated this track for so many years, and still he made us feel great about being here, smiling and giving us tips. He was always smiling...even when he passed us on the track he was smiling!"
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| 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race participants. |
A race for kids
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race (TPCR) is a fan-favorite ontrack activity that took place during the 35th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend. Since its inception 33 years ago, the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race has grown into the largest, longest-running corporate-sponsored celebrity racing event in the world.
Hollywood stars attending this year included race winner Keanu Reeves and actors Adrian Brody, Tim Daly, Eric Close, Mary Lynn Rajskub, but also TV game show host Alex Trebek, comedian Carlos Mencia and pro-skateboarder Danny Way. They raced with pro drivers Al Unser Jr., Johnny Benson, Coy Gibbs and Jamie Little.
The target of the 2009 edition was to raise over $100,000 for "Racing for Kids," a national organization that benefits children's hospitals in Southern California. The 10-lap star-studded exhibition featured celebrities competing against professional drivers in identically prepared, race-ready Scion tC models.
Toyota donates $5,000 to "Racing for Kids" in the name of each celebrity racer, and another $5,000 to the winning racer's charity of choice. Racing for Kids is a national non-profit program benefiting children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. Toyota has donated $1.7 million on behalf of the race and it participants and various children hospitals since 1991.
Additionally, a $15,000 donation was made in conjunction with the annual "PEOPLE Pole Award." Sponsored by PEOPLE magazine, the award was given to Danny Way, this year's pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session. Way selected the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) as his charity, to support ASEC's mission of progressive eco-education and empowering people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Way is hoping the funds generated by the "PEOPLE Pole Award" will enable ASEC to build a "green" skate park for kids in Hawaii.
photo:Ken Pamatat & Scott Noot/Toyota Motorsports
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