TGR Staff
Irwindale, Calif. In front of a standing, cheering, near-sellout crowd Saturday night, well-known TV and film actor William Fichtner went wire-to-wire in the first-ever Justice Brothers Celebrity Stock Race on Toyota Speedway's second annual "Kids Against Cancer Night".
Fichtner was chased to the finish line in the 15-lap celebrity main event by the other celebrity heat race winner, Frankie Muniz, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar coming on fast only a car length and a half behind the first two. Fans, who were on their feet on the racetrack earlier to greet, meet, and get autographs from the celebrities, were on their feet again in the grandstands for at least 14 of the 15-lap race as the clebs made like seasoned stock car drivers lapping the fast Irwindale half-mile at near-record speeds.
Located almost in the shadow of the Hollywood sign, Toyota Speedway, with the invaluable help of associate partners like the Toyota Dealers Association, Toyota Racing, Highpoint Racing, Justice Brothers Products, DJ Racing Equipment, The Racecar Factory, King Taco, KABC7 and KTLA5, put on the first banked oval equivalent of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach's annual celebrity race over that famed city streets course. And the fans packed the stands to see this one too!
Among this year's driving participants were: Local TV news and weather people Dallas Raines, Jessica Holmes, and Mark Kriski. Actors Fichtner, Muniz, and Gosselaar were joined by Skeet Ulrich, Kim Coates, Peter Shinkoda and Christopher Knight, along with MTV/radio personality Riki Rachtman and 17-year old pro driver Jessica Clark who drove the "Team Jessica KTLA5" S-2 NASCAR-style entry for Holmes. Adding to the flavor of the evening, the flagman for the Indianapolis 500, Paul Blevin, took the starter's stand to give the fans (and the driver's) a master course in waving the racing colors.
All of the monies raised through ticket sales, contributions from the Speedway and the Dealer's Association, as well as from a silent auction of over one hundred incredible sports-memorabilia items from racing as well as from local professional sports teams such as the Angels, Lakers, and Kings, will go to support the fight against pediatric cancer.
"This event went over so well because of the hard work and generosity of a whole group of wonderful people," said Speedway GM Bob DeFazio. "On behalf of our hard-working track staff, I want to thank everyone who contributed so much in so many ways to this great cause and invite them all back here to participate in next year's 'Kids Against Cancer' event.'
COME ON OUT NEXT SATURDAY JULY 30th! The track's gates open to the public at 4PM and at 5:45 everyone is invited right down on the track to take part in the Speedway's special time to meet the drivers, see the cars up close, get a snapshot or two, the autograph of a favorite driver and just generally mix and mingle in the pre-race party that we call the King Taco On-Track Autograph Session. Fans are reminded to bring the kids and not to miss this no-extra-charge unique part of the special fan experience at the Speedway!
Toyota Speedway and Event Center opened on March 27, 1999, and has become one of the premier NASCAR Home Tracks in the country. Featuring virtually every aspect of stadium-style motorsports competition, the facility is clean, family-friendly and features a unique money-back guarantee that refunds any fan's ticket price if they are not 100% happy with the show. Located on the 605 freeway in Irwindale, California, the track is easy to get to from just about anywhere in southern California.
PHOTOS: Albert Wong/Courtesy Toyota Speedway at Irwindale
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