Ticket Offices Open For The 2011 37th Annual Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach

Don't be left on the outside looking in. While the view from the Wells Fargo Landmark building is expansive, it does not put one directly in the action around the track. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Ticket Offices Open For The 2011 37th Annual Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach

Yesterday, March 28, 2011 marks the day the ticket operations offices were opened to the public for business. Starting Monday, residents and visitors to the City of Long Beach now have an even handier place to purchase tickets to the April 15-17 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach: right in the heart of the city!

The Grand Prix downtown ticket office, located at 300 E. Seaside Way in Long Beach (near the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center box office) will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Adrie, Adrn Brody as he gets ready to board a Sion C and trade paint with the rest of the field participating in the 2010 Toyota Pro-Celebrity race. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

A variety of great ticket options are available for the six-race weekend, featuring the cars and stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, such as Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and defending race champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. The weekend also includes: the popular Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race; the technologically advanced sports cars of the Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series at Long Beach race; Firestone Indy Lights; Team Drift Challenge and the Pirelli World Challenge Presented by Stop Tech.

Penske Racing's Will Power, the 2010 IndyCar Series runner-up, as he receives instruction from his team manager during the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race will again boast a star-studded lineup that includes film and television actor William Fichtner, musician Kevin Jonas and UFC Champion Tito Ortiz tangling with professional drivers such as Formula Drift champion Kenshiro Gushi, USAC midget car series champion Kody Swanson and TV star Frankie Muniz in a fender-to-fender, 10-lap dash for charity.

In addition to hot racing, fans can enjoy the Tecate Light Fiesta Friday Concert with two great Hispanic bands, “Moderatto” and “Fobia.” On Saturday, the Tecate Light Rock-N-Roar Concert Presented by KLOS at 6:30 p.m. features classic rockers “JOHN KAY & STEPPENWOLF.” Both concerts, held on the Convention Center outdoor stage, are free to race ticket holders.

The weekend-long Lifestyle Expo in the Convention Center – free to all ticket holders – includes the all-new aerial thrills of a Zipline ride, BMX and skateboard exhibitions, rockclimbing wall, a Family Fun Zone filled with electric car rides and computer games and the unique “Green Power Prix-View,” highlighting renewable energy sources and a host of energy tips for inside AND outside the home.

MAZDASPEED Motorsports powered, Dyson Racing's American Le Mans Series car as it enters the Shoreline Drive straightaway during the race at the Toyota Grand Prix event at Long Beach. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

The famed race circuit, which includes the downtown streets of Long Beach surrounding the Long Beach Entertainment and Convention Center, is 1.97 miles in length and includes 11 turns. Grandstands lining the circuit include reserved seating, limited general admission seats, and seating for various hospitality club ticket packages.

Tickets for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach can be purchased from the Grand Prix ticket office by calling toll-free at (888) 82-SPEED, or you can select your seats online and print your tickets at home for no additional charge by visiting gplb.com. A ticket brochure – which includes circuit map, grandstand and parking locations, ticket prices and order form – can be obtained online or by calling the ticket hotline.
(ht: TGPLB)

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INDY Long Beach - Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

INDY Long Beach - Toyota Pro Celebrity Race Winners - Keanu Reeves & Al Unser, Jr.taking a victory lap. - Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2009)

INDY Long Beach - Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

The Pro/Celebrity race was a test of patience and driving skill in combination with camaraderie and a love of competition.

Press Room branding change to Toyota Pro/Celebrity event - Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2009)

The really fun thing about this type of event is that in the department store of life, Sports is the toy store ... Pro/Celebrity racing is a first step at realizing how toy-like this once proud pursuit can become.

Cars crunch the walls around the track as the Professional drivers set up the unsuspecting Celebrities into doing something stupid ... like crash into the wall at turn one because the driver was not going to let the professional "out-brake" them into the corner and pass. So the Professional pushes the Celebrity just enough but not enough to carry too much speed so that when the celebrity crashes, they could just scoot around and leave the carnage behind.

The Celebrity Dais from left to right - Carlos Mencia - Comedian and host of Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia.” Has appeared in “The Heartbreak Kid,” “29 Palms.”, Winner Keanu Reeves - Actor whose films include “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “The Matrix,” “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Replacements,” “Speed,” “Walk in the Clouds,” “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”, last year's Celebrity winner Jamie Little - ESPN/ABC pit reporter for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series who returns to compete in the “Pro” category, and Eric Close - Actor, currently co-starring on CBS's “Without a Trace” as FBI agent Martin Fitzgerald. Other television roles include “Steven Spielberg's Taken,” “Now and Again,” “Dark Skies,” “Sisters,” “The Magnificent Seven.” - Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2009)

Keanu shares with reporters how he was able to end up winning the Celebrity category after a Green Flag restart toward the conclusion of the event.

Al Unser continues to have a week of his life - after being inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame on Thursday, re-dedicate the Weyland mural on the side of the Long Beach Convention Center on Friday, Al wins (in an extremely easy style) the Pro category of the 2009 Pro/Celebrity race.

A usually accessible Al Unser, Jr., signs a tee-shirt for a fan as he walks from the pits to an appearance at a sponsor event at the track. Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2009)

This excerpted and edited from China Daily -

Keanu Reeves revs engines to win Celebrity Race
China Daily - Updated: 2009-04-19 11:30

Keanu Reeves came in first among celebrities at the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the 35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach event on Saturday.

The “Matrix” star finished fourth overall in a mixed field that included racing pros Al Unser Jr., who won the 10-lap charity race, and Johnny Benson and Tom Rudnai, who finished second and third, respectively.

Other stars who revved up for the event included “Cadillac Records” star Adrien Brody, “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek, comedian Carlos Mencia, “24” star Mary Lynn Rajskub and “From G’s To Gents” host Fonzworth Bentley.
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Welcome to the Toy Department!

... notes from The EDJE