The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is an annual 10-lap auto race held each April since 1977 as part of the United States Grand Prix West, and later the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend at Long Beach, California. Since 1991, the event has raised money for "Racing for Kids," a national fund-raising program benefiting children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County.
The TPCR pits celebrities against professional racers from various types of motor racing. From its inception until 2005, the drivers drove showroom stock Toyota Celicas. Scion tC's have been used since 2006. Celebrity contestants range from Hollywood's "A-list" elite, budding young stars and starlets, professional sports figures, local Southern California television and radio personalities and selected Toyota dealers. One seat is put up for auction, the high bidder for which also participates in the race. Often, a member of the broadcast team for the feature race will race in the event; Ken Squier, Paul Page, Jack Arute, and Jamie Little (the 2008 winner) have all participated in the race while broadcasting the feature.
All celebrities are given thorough practice, safety, and training sessions before competing, and thus far, no serious injuries have occurred, despite a large number of crashes throughout the years. Several celebrities who have taken part in the TPCR have gone on to take up auto racing as a part-time hobby or as team owners.
The celebrities receive a 30-second head start to begin the race against the professionals and past champions.
| Year | Pro winner | Celebrity winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Fredric Aasbø | Adam Carolla* |
| 2011 | Ken Gushi | William Fichtner* |
| 2010 | Jimmy Vasser* | Brian Austin Green |
| 2009 | Al Unser Jr.* | Keanu Reeves |
| 2008 | Mike Skinner | Jamie Little* |
| 2007 | Mike Skinner | Dave Mirra* |
| 2006 | Todd Bodine | Bucky Lasek* |
| 2005 | Rhys Millen* | Frankie Muniz |
| 2004 | Max Papis* | Chris McDonald |
| 2003 | Jeremy McGrath | Peter Reckell* |
| 2002 | Danica Patrick | Dara Torres* |
| 2001 | Scott Pruett* | Tom Rudnai |
| 2000 | Derek Daly | Josh Brolin* |
| 1999 | Roger Mears | Shaun Palmer* |
| 1998 | Sean Patrick Flanery* | Andy Lauer |
| 1997 | Tommy Kendall | Sean Patrick Flanery* |
| 1996 | Grant Show* | |
| 1995 | Rod Millen | Alfonso Ribeiro* |
| 1994 | Brian Redman | Alfonso Ribeiro* |
| 1993 | Eddie Lawson* | Rick Kirkham |
| 1992 | P. J. Jones* | Joe Amato |
| 1991 | Parnelli Jones | Donny Osmond* |
| 1990 | Bobby Rahal* | Stephen Baldwin |
| 1989 | Parnelli Jones | Rick Schroder* |
| 1988 | Dan Gurney | Paul Moyer* |
| 1987 | Juan Manuel Fangio II | Jason Bateman* |
| 1986 | Dan Gurney* | Perry King |
| 1985 | Al Unser Jr.* | Lorenzo Lamas |
| 1984 | David Hobbs* | Robert Hays |
| 1983 | Dan Gurney* | Ted Nugent |
| 1982 | Dan Gurney | Bruce Jenner* |
| 1981 | Elio de Angelis | Robert Hays* |
| 1980 | Parnelli Jones* | Gene Hackman |
| 1979 | Al Unser | Bruce Jenner* |
| 1978 | Gordon Johncock* | James Brolin |
| 1977 | Sam Posey* | Shelly Novack |
* = overall champion
Famous quotes containing the words pro, celebrity and/or race:
“It is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country.
[Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.]”
—Horace [Quintus Horatius Flaccus] (65–8 B.C.)
“The celebrity is a person who is known for his well-knownness.”
—Daniel J. Boorstin (b. 1914)
“The Jew is neither a newcomer nor an alien in this country or on this continent; his Americanism is as original and ancient as that of any race or people with the exception of the American Indian and other aborigines. He came in the caravels of Columbus, and he knocked at the gates of New Amsterdam only thirty-five years after the Pilgrim Fathers stepped ashore on Plymouth Rock.”
—Oscar Solomon Straus (1850–1926)