Brian Austin Green Wins the Celebrity Category of the 2010 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
Jimmy Vasser Takes Checkered Flag As Overall and Professional Winner
LONG BEACH, Calif., April 17 -- It was auto racing at its most exhilarating as actor Brian Austin Green prevailed over a highly competitive group of America's favorite celebrities from film, television, music and sports to win the Celebrity category of the 2010 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Former CART Champion Jimmy Vasser finished first overall and in doing so also won the Pro category, followed closely by Formula Drift Champion Tanner Foust.
Green, the actor who achieved fame as a teen idol for his role as David Silver in the original "Beverly Hills, 90210," first fought off comedian Adam Carolla, then battled much of the race with actor Adrien Brody, taking the lead in the eighth lap and holding it to cross the finish line in his race-ready Scion tC just fractions of a second before Brody and actor Zachary Levi.
Green was ecstatic after the race. "We all pushed each other and really battled," said the new celebrity champ. "This is such a great group of people. We've all become really close friends under very cool circumstances. I'd be just as happy had Zach or Adrien won."
"This was an exciting and entertaining race," said Les Unger, national motorsports manager with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "These drivers battled the entire race, and the crowd responded. Every participant was hungry to take home the trophy and brought their A game to the competition. The drivers remained intensely focused throughout their training, and yesterday's practice and qualifying sessions. Their commitment and enthusiasm exemplify the spirit of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race."
Vasser, who won the Pro category, did not overcome the pros' 30-second handicap until the last lap, holding off Foust and Green, who came in second and third overall. Vasser voiced the feelings of the rest of the drivers when he concluded by describing the charitable nature of the event. "This was great fun," said Vasser. I'd love to do this again. It's an honor, we develop great camaraderie and we get to race for the children's charity."
FINAL RACE RESULTS
Pos Class Name Laps Time
1 Pro Jimmy Vasser 13 27:31.586
2 Pro Tanner Foust 13 27:32.231
3 Celebrity Brian Austin Green 13 27:34.563
4 Pro Marty Nothstein 13 27:34.859
5 Celebrity Adrien Brody 13 27:37.746
6 Celebrity Zachary Levi 13 27:37.979
7 Pro Steve Millen 13 27:38.617
8 Celebrity Patrick Warburton 13 27:44.142
9 Celebrity Adam Carolla 13 27:44.225
10 Charity Auction Winner Dave Pasant 13 27:44.956
11 Pro Keanu Reeves 13 27:45.651
12 Celebrity Christian Slater 13 27:46.127
13 Charity Auction Winner Jerry Westlund 13 27:56.299
14 Celebrity Tika Sumpter 13 27:57.783
15 Celebrity Megyn Price 13 27:58.242
16 Celebrity Jesse McCartney 6 11:10.570
North Hollywood Toyota
17 Vice President Chris Ashworth 6 11:24.403
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18 Celebrity Tony Hawk 6 11:24.432
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19 Pro Jamie Bestwick 2 4:07.377
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Toyota will donate $5,000 to "Racing for Kids" in the name of each celebrity racer and an additional $5,000 to the winning racer's charity of choice. The organization for which Green raced is Cure Autism Now, an autism advocacy organization sponsoring research and spreading awareness of the disorder. "Racing for Kids" is a national nonprofit program benefiting children's hospitals. Recipients of Toyota's donations will be the children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. Toyota has donated $1.8 million on behalf of the race and its participants 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 Zachary Levi, this year's pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session. Levi selected Operation Smile, which works to transform the lives of children who suffer from cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. Levi is hoping the funds generated by the People Pole Award will go a long way to improving the lives of children.
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is scheduled to be broadcast on the Speed Channel on Saturday, May 1, and will air repeatedly. (See local listings or http://www.speedtv.com/ for times.)
Contacts: Kaymi Malave 212-367-6810 kaymi.malave@eurorscg.com Sharon Noot 714-527-7735 sharon@nootinc.com Kym Strong 310-874-2513 kym_strong@toyota.com