The 2013 Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach is about a month away and the wheels are officially in motion (no pun intended). Today, the list of participants in this year’s Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race were announced and it looks like some favorites are returning but there will be some new faces as well. Last year’s winner, Adam Corolla will be returning to defend his crown and Top Gear USA host Rutledge Wood will also once again return to the grid. Also joining the race this year is Michelle Rodriguez AKA “Letty” from the upcoming Fast 6 movie.
The Pro-Celebrity race is one of my favorite parts of the weekend. Me and my friends like to call the race “celebrity pinball” because its almost guranteed the drivers are going to bounce off each other or the walls. It really is great fun to watch and this year will be the first that the Scion FR-S is the official race car and I think the first time in history that the Toyota Pro-Celebrity race is run with rear-wheel drive cars. This is going to be awesome!
And, as always the real winner in all of this are the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Miller’s Children’s Hospital of Long Beach, and the Racing For Kids Foundation. All of these great organizations get donations every year from Toyota, the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, and the race participants.
For the full list of race participants, scroll down…
Celebrity drivers:
- Cristian Castro (@CristianCastro):Grammy Award-nominated and best-selling Mexican pop singer. Famous from a young age, one of his best known albums is “Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor,” with four singles in the top ten of Billboard’s Hot Latin tracks. In April, he will release a new album “Primera Fila,” celebrating 20 years as a singer.
- Kate del Castillo (@katedelcastillo):Mexico’s most acclaimed actress, best known for her starring role in long-running mini-series “La Reina del Sur.” Other credits include “Under the Same Moon,” “Trade” and a guest appearance on the Showtime series “Weeds.”
- Brett Davern(@BDavv): Actor who stars as Jake Rosati in MTV’s hit series “Awkward.” Other credits include the film, “Beautiful Ohio” and appearances in “Cold Case,” “CSI: Miami,” “In Plain Sight,” and “Medium.”
- Jenna Elfman(@JennaElfman): Actress known for her quirky role on the TV series “Dharma & Greg,” which earned her a Golden Globe Award. She now stars as the first lady in the family comedy “1600 Penn.” Film credits include “Friends with Benefits” and “Keeping the Faith.”
- Jessica Hardy(@swimhardy): A multiple world record-holder in swimming and a 2012 Olympic medalist. A Long Beach, Calif. native, she also does motivational speaking and served as an ambassador for the United States Olympic Committee Team For Tomorrow.
- Jesse Metcalfe(@JesseMetcalfe):Actor best known for his role as a teen gardener on “Desperate Housewives” and who currently stars in the TNT continuation of “Dallas,” based on the 1978 series of the same name. Film credits include “John Tucker Must Die” and “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.”
- Dakota Meyer (@Dakota_Meyer): Former U.S. Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his 2009 actions in Afghanistan. He wrote, Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War, fundraises with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the Hiring Our Heroes program.
- Jackson Rathbone (@JacksonRathbone): Actor best known for playing Jasper Hale in the hit “Twilight” movie series. Other film credits include “The Last Airbender.”
- Michelle Rodriguez (@MRodOfficial): Film actress best known for her tough girl physical roles, including starring in the record-breaking sci-fi film “Avatar,” the successful “Fast & Furious” franchise, the 2012 hit “Resident Evil: Retribution” and as a tough LAPD cop in TV’s “Lost.”
- Jeremy Sisto (@JeremySisto):Actor best known for playing Billy Chenowith on the series “Six Feet Under.” He also played Detective Cyrus Lupo on “Law & Order” and currently stars in the series “Suburgatory.”
- Mark Steines(@MarkSteines):Emmy award-winning journalist and host of the Hallmark Channel’s new how-to show, “Home & Family.” He spent more than 17 years on “Entertainment Tonight,” establishing himself as a trusted and charismatic figure in entertainment news.
- Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes): Emmy award-winning comedian, writer and actress who ranks among Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Funniest People in America. She has hosted her own late night talk show, “The Wanda Sykes Show” and has appeared on TV shows including, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and films such as “Evan Almighty.”
- Michael Trucco(@MichaelTrucco): Actor best known for playing Samuel Anders on SyFy’s acclaimed series “Battlestar Galactica” and Justin Patrick on the USA Network series “Fairly Legal.” Other credits include appearances on “Revenge,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “One Tree Hill.”
- Rutledge Wood (@RutledgeWood): Auto racing analyst on Fox Sports/SPEED and co-host of “Top Gear USA.”
Pro celebrity drivers:
Andy Bell (@AndyBell)
Adam Carolla (@AdamCarolla)
Tyler Clary (@TylerClary)
Melanie Troxel (MelanieTroxel)
Glenn Faber
Dave Pasant
Carter Lay (CarterLay)