Stephen Moyer Earns Pole Position in Qualifying for the 2011 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race Despite Rolling Car

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Stephen Moyer posted the fastest time of all celebrities to earn the pole position in the 35th annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Moyer, the star of the HBO series "True Blood," rolled his car after running into a wall on turn one. The actor emerged unscathed—and the top celebrity qualifier based on individual lap time. Coming in a close second and third, respectively, were actor William Fichtner and actor/singer Kevin Jonas. Moyer will lead the pack tomorrow in what has become the world's longest-running, most successful celebrity racing event. Drift-car champion Ken Gushi, racing in the pro class, qualified first among all drivers, and was followed closely by actor–turned–pro Frankie Muniz.

"Stephen impressed us all 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 was really thinking about the charity," said a happy Moyer at a news conference after the qualifying session. "I'm not as concerned with winning the race as I was about winning today so my charity, Racing for Kids, would get an extra $15,000 donation. It was a surreal experience—it felt like a roller coaster ride when my car flipped."

Professional handicapper Anthony Curtis tapped Moyer 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, Moyer designated his $15,000 donation in conjunction with the 14th annual People Pole Award to the charity Racing for Kids.

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 $1.9 million on behalf of the race and its participants to various children's hospitals since 1991.

Saturday's race starts at 11:40 a.m. PDT.

To learn more about the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, one of six main-event attractions taking place during the 37th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, go to http://www.toyotaracing.com/ or follow us on Twitter @ToyotaRacing (#TPCR).

SOURCE Toyota