Actor William Fichtner Wins the 2011 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Actor William Fichtner prevailed as the overall winner in a highly competitive race of America's favorite celebrities from film, television, music and sports in the 2011 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Japanese drift racer Ken Gushi finished close behind Fichtner to come in second overall and first in the Pro category, followed closely by actor Michael Trucco.

Fichtner, a versatile character actor who has appeared in such big-screen blockbusters as "Black Hawk Down" and "The Perfect Storm," led the pack as an excited crowd cheered him on throughout the race. From the first laps, Fichtner fought off Trucco, whose high position was a surprise to many, since Trucco had landed in the middle of the pack as a result of the previous day's qualifying session. Actor–turned–pro driver Frankie Muniz was a contender as well, as he made his way up through the pack. Trucco placed third overall, just two seconds in front of the fourth-place Muniz. For much of the race, the main battle was between Fichtner and Gushi, as they battled it out for the top spot. In the end it was Fichtner who crossed the finish line in his race-ready Toyota Scion tC, just three seconds ahead of Gushi.

Fichtner, though modest, was exhilarated after the race. "I didn't even look in the rearview mirror," said the champ. "I just wanted to drive my car. I know there were many drivers in the pack who could've just as easily come out on top. This is a great group of people, and I'm proud of every one of them today."

"This was a thrilling race from start to finish," said Les Unger, national motorsports manager with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "It's not often that a celebrity comes out on top, and Ken Gushi looked to be hard to beat—Fichtner and Gushi battling it out for first place made for intense and exciting competition. This year's celebrity field was, as always, a real crowd-pleaser. Their commitment and enthusiasm, all for a great cause, is exactly what the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is all about."

Gushi spent the duration of the race battling to overcome the pros' 30-second handicap, quickly weaving among the racers to threaten Fichtner's lead. Though he was unable to best Fichtner, Gushi did score the best lap time of any driver, making the circuit in 1:46:429. Gushi was happy to stand on the victory stage alongside rival Fichtner and said, "This was the best group I have ever worked with and raced with, and I am really honored to have been able to compete in this race for the kids. I feel very lucky that something so enjoyable is also for such a great cause."

FINAL RACE RESULTS

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. The organization for which Fichtner raced is the Kyle Busch Foundation, which is dedicated to providing essential tools for less fortunate children throughout the country. Racing for Kids is a national nonprofit program benefiting children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. Toyota has donated $1.9 million on behalf of the race and its participants to various children's hospitals since 1991.

Additionally, a $15,000 donation was made in conjunction with the annual People Pole Award. Sponsored by People magazine, the award was given to actor Stephen Moyer, this year's pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session. Moyer's charity, Facing the Atlantic, is a project to raise funds for the humanitarian organization Facing the World, which is a U.K. charity that provides life-changing facial reconstructive surgery for children with severe facial disfigurements who are not able to access the surgery that they need in their own countries. Moyer hopes the funds generated by the People Pole Award will go a long way to improving the lives of children around the world.

The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is scheduled to be broadcast on the Speed Channel on Sunday, May 1, at 3 p.m. EDT and will be rebroadcast after that. (See local listings or www.speedtv.com for times.)

To learn more about the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, one of the main-event attractions that takes place every year during the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, go to www.toyotaracing.com or follow it on Twitter @ToyotaRacing (#TPCR).

SOURCE Toyota