IN 2012 TOYOTA PRO/CELEBRITY RACE

TORRANCE, Calif. (March 29, 2012) — Two-time USAC national driving champion Bryan Clauson will compete in the 36th annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in a field that features an array of Hollywood stars in a race for charity, as part of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Indy Car weekend.


Stars from film, television, music, sports and fashion also will get behind the wheels of identically prepared, race-ready Toyota Scion tCs to drive the historic 10-lap, 1.97-mile street circuit through the streets of downtown Long Beach, Calif., April 14.


Clauson, who has won each of the last two USAC national driver’s championships, will be making his road racing debut after previously winning in ARCA, capturing a NASCAR Nationwide Series pole and winning the pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his Indy Lights debut last season – while still just the ripe age of 22.  He’ll look to join the likes of Al Unser, Jr. Scott Pruett, Dan Gurney, Mike Skinner and Danica Patrick as winners of the professional class.


Some of those competing against Clauson include Oscar-award winning actor Adrien Brody, comedian Adam Carolla, television personality Jillian Barberie Reynolds, actors Eddie Cibrian and Hill Harper from the popular CSI series and former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. Prior to the race, Clauson and each of the other drivers have each attended a four-day road racing school at Willow Springs Raceway.


The event benefits children in need as Toyota annually donates $5,000 to Racing for Kids on behalf of each participant and another $5,000 to the winning racer’s charity of choice. Racing for Kids—a national nonprofit program benefiting children’s hospitals throughout the country—was created as a way to connect these children with their favorite celebrities and race-car drivers. Toyota has donated more than $2 million to the Racing for Kids organization since 1991, on behalf of this race and its participants. The two specific children’s hospitals that benefit from the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race are Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.


In addition to Toyota’s contributions, a $15,000 donation will be made in conjunction with the 15th-annual “People Pole Award.” Sponsored by People magazine, the award honors the pole- winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session on Friday, April 13.


To learn more about the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, one of six main-event attractions taking place during the 38th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, go to www.toyotaracing.com/, visit our Facebook page (Toyota Racing), follow us on Twitter @ToyotaRacing or join the conversation with the participants at #TPCR.


Contact: John Procida, Toyota Racing, 313-515-3985