Look To The Stars News: Jamie Little

Keanu Reeves To Race For Charity Again

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:30:00 -0000

After winning last year’s event, actor Keanu Reeves will once again get behind the wheel for the annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity charity race at the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach next month.

Every year, Toyota donates $5,000 to Racing for Kids, a non-profit program benefiting children’s hospitals in Southern California, in the name of each celebrity racer, and another $5,000 to the winner’s charity of choice. The car company has donated close to $1.6 million to various children’s organizations since 1991.

This year’s participants will drive Scion tCs in a 10-lap race, as part of the 36th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, on April 17. Joining Keanu in this year’s race are Christian Slater, Jesse McCartney, Tony Hawk, Zachary Levi, Adrien Brody, Anthony Anderson, Adam Carolla, Brian Austin Green, Patrick Warburton and Tika Sumpter.

Get more info at the official Grand Prix of Long Beach website.

Keanu Reeves Wins Celebrity Motor Race

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:00:00 -0000

It was auto racing at its most thrilling as actor Keanu Reeves prevailed over a highly competitive group of stars of film, television and sports to win the Celebrity Category of the 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. “The King of the Beach,” six-time Toyota Grand Prix winner Al Unser, Jr., finished first among all drivers and won in the Professional category, followed closely by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Benson.

Despite enjoying the lead for most of the race, world champion pro skateboarder Danny Way’s hopes of gliding into Victory Circle were dashed when he and Fonzworth Bentley, host of MTV’s “From G’s to Gents,” mixed it up in the ninth lap, giving Reeves the opening he needed to cross the finish line in his race-ready Scion tC only seconds before E! Entertainment Television’s Executive News Editor Ken Baker and comedian Carlos Mencia.

Actress/singer Raven Symone was the first of the drivers to discover – the hard way – how difficult the 1.97-mile street circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach can be to navigate, but the plucky Disney star remained as upbeat after the race as the jovial Mencia, who surprised everyone with his third-place finish among the Celebrities.

It was Reeves, however, who claimed to be “in shock” at his triumph. “It is such a great feeling,” said the new celebrity champ after the race. “Bentley and I had been going at it for most of the race, but when I got to the last lap and came around the fountain turn I almost couldn’t believe it. I figured, ’I’m just gonna go get it.’”

“This field had the crowd cheering through the entire race,” said Les Unger, Toyota Motor Sales USA national motorsports manager. “Each of the celebrities and the pros were hungry to take home the trophy this year, and they brought their best to the show. Throughout training and practice, they were intensely focused but they also enjoyed the experience, which is exactly what the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is all about.”

In the Professional Category, Unser overcame the pros’ 30-second handicap by the eighth lap and held off the scrappy Benson and Southern California Toyota Dealer representative Tom Rudnai, president of Longo Toyota in El Monte, Calif., who came in third overall. The 2008 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race winner, ESPN/ABC pit reporter Jamie Little, came in fifth among the Pros.

Mencia echoed the feelings of the rest of the drivers, concluding by complimenting Unser, saying, “It was humbling to be in this thing with a guy [like Unser] who has dominated this track for so many years, and still he made us feel great about being here, smiling and giving us tips. He was always smiling…even when he passed us on the track he was smiling!”

Toyota will donate $5,000 to Racing for Kids in the name of each celebrity racer, and another $5,000 to the winning racer’s charity of choice. Racing for Kids is a national non-profit program benefiting children’s hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. Toyota has donated $1.7 million on behalf of the race and it participants and various children 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 Danny Way, this year’s pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session. Way selected the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) as his charity, to support ASEC’s mission of progressive eco-education and empowering people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Way is hoping the funds generated by the “PEOPLE Pole Award” will enable ASEC to build a “green” skate park for kids in Hawaii.

Keanu Reeves To Race For Charity

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actors Keanu Reeves and Luke Wilson are among the many stars set to take to the race track in this year’s Toyota Pro/Celebrity Grand Prix.

The celebrity race has been held every year since 1977, and has attracted stars such as Gene Hackman, Jason Bateman, Rick Schroder, Stephen Baldwin, Donny Osmond, Sean Patrick Flanery, Nancy Lieberman, Daniel Goddard and Josh Brolin. Last year’s race was won by ESPN/ABC pit reporter for NASCAR Nationwide Jamie Little.

This year’s participants will drive Scion tCs in a 10-lap race, as part of the 35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, on April 18. Other celebrities taking part this year include Adrien Brody, Alex Trebek, Tyson Beckford, Raven Symone, Jon Hamm, Tim Daly, Eric Close, 24’s Mary Lynn Rajskub, comedian Carlos Mencia and E!’s Ken Baker.

More info about the event can be found here.

Jamie Little Wins Pro/Celebrity Race

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:47:10 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Car enthusiasts, racing fans, petrol heads – call them what you will, a large crowd of them turned out to watch ESPN pit reporter Jamie Little win the 32nd annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the 34th Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach on Saturday.

A field of 18 celebrities and professional drivers slipped into gear and battled it out through 10 laps on the 1.97-mile street circuit, with 17 of them finishing – basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman got stuck on a tire wall on Lap 6. The field were racing Toyota Scion tCs, and it was a tight duel all the way, with Pixar producer/director Brad Lewis leading for the first 8 laps. A small altercation with the tire wall saw Lewis finish 9th overall, with Little holding off 2nd-placed NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner by 0.324 seconds.

“When you interview a winning driver after the race, they always tell you how they just try to get through that last lap,” said Little. “Well, now I know exactly what they’re talking about.”

The celebrity race has been held every year since 1977, and has attracted stars such as Gene Hackman, Jason Bateman, Rick Schroder, Stephen Baldwin, Donny Osmond, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Josh Brolin. Toyota donates $5,000 to Racing for Kids, a non-profit program benefiting children’s hospitals in Southern California, in the name of each celebrity racer, and another $5,000 to the winner’s charity of choice. The car company has donated close to $1.6 million to various children’s organizations since 1991.

“You go into the event with everyone out here wanting to help raise money for charity and have fun,” said Little, who will give her winnings to the UCI Reeve/Irvine Center in California, a facility that specializes in spinal cord injury research. “But when the race starts, the competitive juices take over and everyone wants to win.”

Another big-hearted participant in the race was fine jewelry designer and part-time Grand Am driver Sarena Traver, who earned her spot in the Pros with an $80,000 winning bid in the Boys' and Girls' Club annual charity auction.

Celebrities Take Pole Position For Charity

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:30:07 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

You will not have to be a car enthusiast, racing fan, petrol head, or even an average, ordinary sports fanatic to enjoy the celebrity specticle that will take place next weekend in downtown Long Beach. The peaceful silence of Southern California will be ripped asunder as engines are revved and a host of stars take to the track in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the 34th annual Toyota Grand Prix.

A field of 18 is primed and ready to vie for the checkered flag in the world’s longest-running and most successful celebrity racing event. The 10-lap race will trace a 1.97-mile street circuit, and will raise money for Racing for Kids, a program that benefits children’s hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County. Toyota has generously pledged $5,000 to the charity in the name of each celebrity driver, and another $5,000 to the race winner’s charity of choice.

Wilmer Valderrama, best known for the role of Fez in That ’70s Show and host of MTV’s Yo Momma.
Drew Lachey, best known as the second-season winner of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and member of the group 98 Degrees.
Raymond Cruz, best known for his roles in The Closer, Clear and Present Danger, The Substitute, The Rock, and Training Day.
Eric Dickerson, Pro Football Hall of Famer.
John Salley, Sportscaster.
Daniel Goddard from The Young And The Restless.
Jamie Little, ESPN/ABC pit reporter for NASCAR Nationwide.
Nancy Lieberman, ESPN women’s basketball analyst.
Brad Lewis, Executive Producer of Ratatouille, Broken Arrow, Forces of Nature, and Antz.

Race fans should also check out the Honda Performance Development auction over at www.clothesoffourback.org. There are a large selection of racing gloves, shoes, suits, and more donated by some of today’s hottest drivers, including Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe, Darren Manning, and Ed Carpenter. Proceeds will benefit Clothes Off Our Back and American Honda supported charities.

But you had better slip into a higher gear and be quick – the auction ends April 21.

Look To The Stars News: Jamie Little

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