Zachary Levi posted the fastest time
of all celebrities to earn the pole position in the 34th-annual Toyota
Pro/Celebrity Race. Levi, the star of the NBC sitcom “Chuck,” narrowly
beat actors Adrien Brody and Brian Austin Green
in the qualifying race. Levi will lead the pack tomorrow in what has
become the world’s longest-running, most successful celebrity racing
event. CART Champion Jimmy Vasser finished first among all drivers and won in the Pro category, followed closely by Formula Drift Champion Tanner Foust.
“Zachary put on quite a display this afternoon,” said Les Unger, national motorsports manager with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
“The hard work and determination he displayed throughout our training
sessions paid off. The commitment and enthusiasm of all the drivers
competing in this event demonstrates exactly what the Toyota
Pro/Celebrity Race is all about.”
“I
did it!” said an exuberant Levi at a news conference after the
qualifying session. “This is a great race, with a terrific group of
people, that benefits an amazing cause. I can’t describe how pumped I
am for tomorrow’s race.”
Professional handicapper Anthony Curtis
tapped Levi to come in a close second in the field of celebrity
drivers. Curtis has been studying and handicapping the drivers
throughout March and April. He offers his insights solely for
entertainment purposes on www.lasvegasadvisor.com. (There will be no actual wagering on the outcome of the race.)
As pole-position winner in the qualifying session, Levi designated his $15,000 donation in conjunction with the 13th-annual People
Pole Award to the charity Operation Smile, which works to transform the
lives of children who suffer from cleft lip, cleft palate and other
facial deformities.
Furthermore, 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. Racing for Kids is a national nonprofit program benefiting children’s hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. Toyota has donated $1.8 million on behalf of the race and its participants to various children’s hospitals since 1991.
Saturday’s race starts at 11:50 a.m. PDT.
FINAL QUALIFYING RESULTS
Pos |
Class |
Name |
Lap Time |
|
1 |
Pro |
Jimmy Vasser |
1:45.666 |
|
2 |
Pro |
Tanner Foust |
1:46.061 |
|
3 |
Pro |
Steve Millen |
1:46.765 |
|
4 |
Pro |
Marty Nothstein |
1:47.078 |
|
5 |
Celebrity |
Zachary Levi |
1:47.141 |
|
6 |
Pro |
Keanu Reeves |
1:47.913 |
|
7 |
Pro |
Jamie Bestwick |
1:48.015 |
|
8 |
Celebrity |
Adrien Brody |
1:48.059 |
|
9 |
Celebrity |
Brian Austin Green |
1:48.757 |
|
10 |
Celebrity |
Adam Carolla |
1:48.946 |
|
11 |
Celebrity |
Jesse McCartney |
1:49.185 |
|
12 |
Auction Winner |
Jerry Westlund |
1:50.140 |
|
13 |
Celebrity |
Tony Hawk |
1:50.291 |
|
14 |
Toyota Dealer |
Chris Ashworth |
1:50.463 |
|
15 |
Celebrity |
Patrick Warburton |
1:50.813 |
|
16 |
Auction Winner |
Dave Pasant |
1:51.095 |
|
17 |
Celebrity |
Christian Slater |
1:51.770 |
|
18 |
Celebrity |
Megyn Price |
1:52.130 |
|
19 |
Celebrity |
Tika Sumpter |
1:57.663 |
