LONG BEACH, Calif., April 7, 2001–Neither wind nor cold nor on-again-off-again rain could keep star drivers off the track last Saturday as the 25th Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race lured William Shatner, Josh Brolin, David Alan Grier and others into the fast lane.
Of the 17 drivers, 4 were professionals, 13 were celebrities. Brolin, who won last year racing as a celebrity and raced this year as a pro, was barely edged back into second place by 10-year CART veteran Scott Pruett in the ninth of ten laps. Afterward, as Brolin emerged from his modified Celica, his now-fiancée Minnie Driver (they announced their engagement over the weekend) rushed up for a hug and kiss. “I’m shaking!” he said. “That was great, so much fun!” Brolin, who says this was only his second-ever time racing, follows in the footsteps of father James, who won the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race back in 1978.
Despite crashing twice, Mark Consuelos (All My Children) came in an impressive fifth place among the celebs. ER star Erik Palladino was amped about his seventh-place finish. “That was awesome!” he said. “Did you see my car? It’s all smashed up!”
Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Dara Torres, who won the pole position the day before, led the 10-lap race up until lap 9 when she was bumped by Toyota dealership owner Tom Rudnai (who finished third overall). However, Torres set a record as the highest-finishing woman in the celebrity race’s history.
In contrast, Entertainment Tonight correspondent Mark Steines was bumped out of the race by actor Christopher McDonald (Family Law) on the first lap. “I am pointing the finger,” Steines joked. “I’m pointing it at Mr. McDonald, and he knows which finger I’m pointing.”
Tae Bo guru Billy Blanks, who also didn’t finish, claimed DAG star Grier knocked him out in lap 3. Grier himself came in tenth. “With all the stuff I talk, you gotta eat crow sometime. I guess this is one of those days!” Grier said from the winners’ circle.
But the stars agreed it was all in good fun. “They gave us this lecture on sportsmanship and I was buying that for awhile, until everyone started passing me. Then I was like, the hell with that!” said sixth-place celeb Shatner from trackside, laughing. “Really, I had so much fun.”
The celebrity race raised more than $200,000 for the program “Racing for Kids,” which benefits Southern California children’s hospitals.
Here are the final standings:
Pro Category:
- Scott Pruett–18:36.569
- Josh Brolin–18:37.642
- Robert Huffman–18:50.206
- Sara Senske–19:47.820
Celebrity Category:
- Tom Rudnai–18:39.201
- Dara Torres–18:39.780
- Christopher McDonald–18:53.003
- Dave Pasant–19:01.680
- Mark Consuelos–19:23.800
- William Shatner–19:42.465
- Erik Palladino–19:43. 709
- Jim Kelly–19:44.389
- Elisa Donovan–20:35.318
- David Alan Grier–17:42.935/9 laps
- Piper Perabo–19:28.872/9 laps
- Billy Blanks–did not finish
- Mark Steines-did not finish
