Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

Alfonso Ribeiro (4) The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race was an annual 10-lap auto race held each April from 1977 until 2016 as part of the United States Grand Prix West, and later the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend at Long Beach, California. Beginning in 1991, the event raised money for "Racing for Kids," a national fund-raising program benefiting children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County.

The TPCR pitted celebrities against professional racers from various types of motor racing. They raced in identically prepared cars built by Toyota or Toyota owned Scion. From its inception until 2005, the drivers drove showroom stock Toyota Celicas. Scion tCs were used from 2006 to 2012, and the Scion FR-S began use in 2013. Celebrity contestants ranged from Hollywood's "A-list" elite, budding young stars and starlets, professional sports figures, local Southern California television and radio personalities and selected Toyota dealers. One seat was put up for auction, and the high bidder participated in the race. Often, a member of the broadcast team for the feature race would race in the event; Ken Squier, Paul Page, Jack Arute, and Jamie Little (the 2008 winner) have all participated in the race while broadcasting the feature.

All celebrities were given thorough practice, safety, and training sessions before competing, and no serious injuries occurred, despite a large number of crashes throughout the years. Several celebrities who have taken part in the TPCR have gone on to take up auto racing as a part-time hobby or as team owners.

The celebrities received a 30-second head start to begin the race against the professionals and past champions. In 2015, actor Alfonso Ribeiro won while classed as a pro (thus starting with a 30-second handicap) and thereby became the third driver to have won the event in both "celebrity" and "pro" classifications, after Adam Carolla in 2013, and Sean Patrick Flanery in 1997/1998.

On March 11, 2016, it was announced that the 2016 running of the event would be the final event due to Toyota moving its headquarters from nearby Torrance to Texas.

Winners

Year	Pro winner	Celebrity winner	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994	1993	1992	1991	1990	1989	1988	1987	1986	1985	1984	1983	1982	1981	1980	1979	1978	1977
Max Papis	Alfonso Ribeiro*
Alfonso Ribeiro*	Dave Pasant
Al Unser Jr.	Brett Davern*
Adam Carolla	Rutledge Wood*
Fredric Aasbø	Adam Carolla*
Ken Gushi	William Fichtner*
Jimmy Vasser*	Brian Austin Green
Al Unser Jr.*	Keanu Reeves
Mike Skinner	Jamie Little*
Mike Skinner	Dave Mirra*
Todd Bodine	Bucky Lasek*
Rhys Millen*	Frankie Muniz
Max Papis*	Chris McDonald
Jeremy McGrath	Peter Reckell*
Danica Patrick	Dara Torres*
Scott Pruett*	Tom Rudnai
Derek Daly	Josh Brolin*
Roger Mears	Shaun Palmer*
Sean Patrick Flanery*	Andy Lauer
Tommy Kendall	Sean Patrick Flanery*
Jimmy Vasser*	Grant Show*
Rod Millen	Alfonso Ribeiro*
Brian Redman	Alfonso Ribeiro*
Eddie Lawson*	Rick Kirkham
P. J. Jones*	Joe Amato
Parnelli Jones	Donny Osmond*
Bobby Rahal*	Stephen Baldwin
Parnelli Jones	Rick Schroder*
Dan Gurney	Paul Moyer*
Juan Manuel Fangio II	Jason Bateman*
Dan Gurney*	Perry King
Al Unser Jr.*	Lorenzo Lamas
David Hobbs*	Robert Hays
Dan Gurney*	Ted Nugent
Dan Gurney	Caitlyn Jenner*-
Elio de Angelis	Robert Hays*
Parnelli Jones*	Gene Hackman
Al Unser	Caitlyn Jenner*-
Gordon Johncock*	James Brolin
Sam Posey*	Shelly Novack

• = overall champion

*- = winner has changed their name since winning race. Their name shown is their current name.

• James (1978) and Josh (2000) Brolin is the only father-son combination to win the celebrity portion of the event. However, Josh had the distinction of being an overall winner, unlike his father.
• The Unsers and the Jones' are the only father-son combination to win the Pro portion of the event, with Parnelli Jones winning multiple times.
• Paul Moyer, at the time of his 1988 win, was a news anchor with KABC-TV in Los Angeles.
• After Amato's win, Grand Prix officials required NHRA drag racers to race as professionals.
• After Alfonso Ribeiro won two consecutive races, TGPLB rules required past celebrity winners must race as professionals.
• For the 20th Anniversary race in 1996, there were no professional drivers.
• Tom Rudnai is general manager of a local Toyota dealership
• Three times, the play-by-play announcer for the main event was in the Pro/Celebrity race – Paul Page twice (once raced against his own pit reporter, Jack Arute), and Ken Squier in the early years, when it was the United States Grand Prix West.