(NAPSA)—Did you know that stars like Cameron Diaz and George Lucas fulfill their auto racing fan- tasies every year via the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race? In fact, the event has introducedclose to 300 top-name luminariesto the exhilaration of real racing, all while helping raise more than $1 million for children’s charity. For 26 years, the hottest personalities in film, television, music and sports have put the pedal to the metal behind the wheel of race-modified Toyota Celicas. As the world’s largest celebrity racing event, the prestigious Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race has attracted the likes of Ashley Judd, During training for the 2001 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, William Shatner and Josh Brolin discuss Shatner’s race against Josh’s famous father, James Brolin, in 1978. In 2001 and 1978, Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood, the Brolins came out on top, beating Shatnerto thefinish. William Shatner, Jay Leno, Anthony Edwards, Matt LeBlanc, Coolio, and Queen Latifah. tivated with the challenge and excitement involved in auto racing,” said Woody Harrelson, Cuba Gooding,Jr., Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Franz, A fascination with real racing has also appealedto celebrities from the diverse worlds of sports and fashion. World-class athletes like Joe Montana (three-time Super Bowl MVP), Carl Lewis (Olympic track gold medalist), John Elway (Super Bowl XXXIII MVP), Dara Torres (Olympic swim- ming gold medalist), Walter Payton (NFL Hall of Famer), Shaun Palmer (X-Games Champion), Billy Blanks (Tae Bo creator) and Robin Yount (baseball Hall of Famer) haveleft their competitive arenas to burn rubber on the race track. Even top fashion models like Carol Alt and Kim Alexis have added racing suits to their wardrobesfor the thrill of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. “Mostcelebrities are simply cap- Les Unger, national motorsports man- ager at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “Getting behind the wheel of a modified Celica to race on an authentic track is something most stars don’t have the opportunity to do anywhere else. Best of all, the Toyota Pro/ Celebrity Race provides these stars with the opportunity to participate in a major charity event that helps raise moneyfor ‘Racing for Kids,’ a fundraising program that benefits children’s hospitals in Southern California.” Runthroughthestreets of down- town Long Beach, Calif., as part of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Toyota Pro/ Celebrity Race is broadcast nationally. In 2002, the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race will be run on Saturday, April 13.
