CART Veteran Scott Pruett Wins the 25th Anniversary Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 8, 2001
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Ten-year CART racing veteran Scott Pruett took the overall checkered flag at the 25th annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race from a field of celebrity and professional drivers - just edging out last year's winner Josh Brolin. Toyota dealer Tom Rudnai barely won the celebrity category over Olympic Gold medalist swimmer Dara Torres - the best-ever female finisher in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race and the pole position winner.
"This was one of the most exciting and memorable races in our 25-year history," said Les Unger national motorsports manager with Toyota Motor Sales. "We not only had our first-ever female pole position winner, but the fans saw the closest race ever with the most competitive and fierce fields ever. Josh Brolin making a incredibly strong showing for the second year in a row."
Pruett stole the show from the celebrity drivers, tapping into his vast experience as a racing professional. Pruett, a relative unknown before receiving his first big break in racing with a second place showing in the 1984 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, has successfully risen to the top of the open-wheel ranks with more than 145 career starts. In 2000, he parked his open-wheel driving career to try his hand at stock racing in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Brolin was one of two celebrity drivers that were barely inched out by Pruett - proving once again that celebrities are fierce competitors in the field of racing. An accomplished stage performer and actor, the 2000 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race winner Brolin follows in his father's winning footsteps as an outstanding driver and avid racing enthusiast. James Brolin was the winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in 1978.
Torres, in a best-ever showing by a female driver, led the race for the first nine laps before being overpowered by Pruett in the last lap - finishing less than a half-second behind the winner. An Olympic swimming gold medalist with five medals and four Olympic games to her name, Torres is too familiar with competitive spirit. As a result of skill, fierce drive and determination, she is the highest finishing female racer in the celebrity category throughout the history of the race.
The final standings for the field are:
Overall Winner:
Scott Pruett - 18:36.569 minutes
Celebrity Category:
1. Tom Rudnai - 18:39.201
2. Dara Torres - 18:39.780
3. Christopher McDonald - 18:53.003
4. Dave Pasant - 19:01.680
5. Mark Consuelos - 19:23.800
6. William Shatner - 19:42.465
7. Erik Palladino - 19:43.709
8. Jim Kelly - 19:44.389
9. Elisa Donovan - 20:35.318
10. David Alan Grier - 17:42.935/9 laps
11. Piper Perabo - 19:28.872/9 laps
12. Billy Blanks - Did not finish
13. Mark Steines - Did not finish
Pro Category
1. Scott Pruett - 18:36.569
2. Josh Brolin - 18:37.642
3. Robert Huffman - 18:50.206
4. Sara Senske - 19:47.820
As part of the event, Toyota raised over $115,000 for "Racing for Kids," a national fund-raising program to benefit children's hospitals in Long Beach, Los Angeles and Orange counties through its involvement with the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
The 10-lap race, held on the 1.99-mile Champ Car track, features a field of 17 drivers and will be broadcast in its entirety on ESPN, Saturday, April 28 at 3 p.m. ET.
Text provided by Lynne Arciero
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