The annual celebrity race that coincides with the 39th Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix announced its official celebrity participants that will help raise funds for charity on April 20.
The roster includes:
- Cristian Castro, Grammy award-winning musician;
- Kate del Castillo, actress;
- Brett Davern, actor (Medium);
- Jenna Elfman, actress (Dharma & Greg);
- Jessica Hardy, Olympian;
- Jesse Metcalfe, actor (Desperate Housewives);
- Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor awardee;
- Jackson Rathbone, actor (Twilight series);
- Michelle Rodriguez, actress (Fast & The Furious, Lost);
- Jeremy Sisto, actor (Six Feet Under)
- Mark Steines, Emmy award-winning journalist;
- Wanda Sykes, Emmy award-winning comedian, writer and actress;
- Michael Trucco, actor (Battlestar Galactica, How I Met Your Mother);
- Rutledge Wood, racing analyst
These pop culture figures will operate a 210-horsepower Scion FR-S race vehicle to benefit “Racing for Kids,” a national fundraising program supporting children’s hospitals throughout the nation.
These celebrities won’t just diddle-daddle around the track–they’ll be competing against professional drivers, including Long Beach’s own Andy Bell, 2012 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race winner and comedian Adam Carolla, Olympic gold medalist swimmer Tyler Clary and National Hot Rod Association driver Melanie Troxel.
“This talented and inspiring celebrity group will not only help Toyota share the story of this long-running charity event, but they also will feel the rush behind the wheel on the famous Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach track,” said Les Unger, Toyota national motorsports manager, in a press release. “The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race thrills both the participants and the crowds while giving back to kids in our communities through donations to Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach.”