LONG BEACH, Calif., April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Anybody who thinks it's easy to get behind-the-wheel of a race-ready Toyota Scion tC and race at top speeds through the downtown streets of Long Beach, California, on a 1.97-mile street circuit for this year's Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on Saturday, April 14, can't even comprehend the skills and discipline required. Just ask four celebrities who have done it before: Actor William Shatner, best known for his Emmy- winning role as Denny Crane in Boston Legal and as Star Trek's Captain Kirk; Melissa Joan Hart, star of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer, Dara Torres, and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.
Shatner, who has participated in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race three times - 1978 (the second year of its inception), 2001 and 2006 - offers the perspective of one who has seen the changes over the years. Hart is a three- time participant, too, coming in second in 1999, tangling with George Lucas and Elway in 2000, and competing against Torres in 2004. Torres - who raced against Shatner in 2001, won in 2002 to become the first female ever to win the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, and came back in the Professional Category in 2004 - knows what it takes to be a champion. However, it's Elway who probably knows this year's field better than most, since in 2000 he raced against Lucas and in 2006 he faced off against Bucky Lasek, Martina Navratilova and Dave Mirra.Here's how they see this year's field stacking up.
Celebrity Hollywagers.com Past Celebrity Drivers' Odds & Comments
Driver Odds
Martina
Navratilova 3 to 1 SHATNER (WS): 1 to 1. She's tough!
MELISSA JOAN HART (MJH): 4 to 1. Athletes
know how to play to win, and she's got
nothing to lose by lapping Lucas.
TORRES (DT): 2 to 1. I'm picking her to
win!!! Competitive, probably likes to beat
the boys, used to winning, didn't win last
year so she wants it this year!!
ELWAY (JE): 5 to 1. Great competitor! Was
just getting the hang of it last year when
the race ended!
Dave Mirra 4 to 1 WS: 5 to 1. BMX is road racing - just
without a motor.
MJH: 2 to 1. The one to beat if his car
serves him right!
DT: 4 to 1. Just the fact his car failed
last year, he's pissed!!! He's a biker; he's
not afraid of speed; he's going for it!
JE: 2 to 1. Was tough last year till engine
blew. Can't be too aggressive!
Joshua
Morrow 4 to 1 WS: 15 to 1. He's young. He's restless.
MJH: 2 to 1. He will be in the front pack,
but can he keep his car on the track?
DT: 3 to 1. Don't let anyone tell you second
place doesn't SUCK!!! He'll go for the win.
JE: 4 to 1. Won't forget last time he
finished second!
Celebrity Hollywagers.com Past Celebrity Drivers' Odds & Comments
Driver Odds
Kendra
Wilkinson 7 to 1 WS: 3 to 1. Who's watching her car?
MJH: 20 to 1. I predict she'll be distracted
by all the racers' butts in the race suits
and probably won't even make it in the car
by the time the green flag drops.
DT: 20 to 1. She's a lover not a fighter,
but if she wears something a little sexy
before putting on the race suit, she might
cause some distractions!!!
JE: 20 to 1. Likes to compete. Could be the
sleeper!
Kelly Hu 10 to 1 WS: 7 to 1. She knows a thing or two about
special effects.
MJH: 5 to 1. Seems to be one of the edgy
chicks but she'd best be careful she doesn't
get too excited and end up in the wall!
DT: 11 to 1. She plays poker; she's competed
in pagents; she knows competition; she won't
want to lose.
JE: 14 to 1. My kids love XMen 2!
Aisha Tyler 15 to 1 WS: 25 to 1. Her legs won't fit!
MJH: 14 to 1. Played a scientist on Friends
but I am not sure that will help her handle
a vehicle.
DT: 15 to 1. If she just smiles at the guys
while she's racing, those dimples might help
her pass them!!!
JE: 20 to 1. Starting position is key!
John Salley 16 to 1 WS: 30 to 1. His legs might interfere with
his vision.
MJH: 6 to 1. I love this man personally, but
everyone knows the bigger you are, the
slower the car goes. SO he has to step it up
a bit more than the tiny girls.
DT: 10 to 1. He knows competition, but his
weight is going to kill him, just like it
did to Jim Kelly. If he siphons some of the
gas out of his car before he races, he'll be
a contender.
JE: 15 to 1. Size will be a factor. Needs a
bigger engine!
Robin Quivers 18 to 1 WS: 150 to 1. No chance. Stultified by
Howard Stern.
MJH: 6 to 1. Sounds like she has something
to prove and the know-how to do it. Anyone
who comes into this race knowing how to
"blip a throttle" has an advantage!
DT: 17 to 1. She's a race car fan, but can
she talk a good game or race a good race??
JE: 30 to 1. Better do better than Bubba!
Kathryn
Morris 18 to 1 WS: 7 to 1. An ace on any case, she might
set the pace and win the race, all with a
smile on her face.
MJH: 10 to 1. Could be the strong silent
type. If she has good lines and is able to
stay near the front pack, she may be able to
pull ahead when the front pack causes a
wreck! (Example: Donny Osmond's mistake in
1999)
DT: 25 to 1. If she's a yogi, then she just
might not have the intensity it takes to
win; she might be too mellow!!!
JE: 35 to 1. Can she stay ahead of the pros?
George Lucas 20 to 1 WS: 100 to 1. He's seven years older
[since he last raced] ... and much slower.
MJH: 7 to 1. He's one of the most powerful
men in Hollywood. No actor in his right
mind would try to pass this man if they know
what's good for them. I made that mistake in
2000, and he reminds me of it every time I
see him - and he still hasn't given me a
job!
DT: 12 to 1. Because he's competed before,
he'll know the course and what strategies to
use, so that's why I put him above the
Hollywagers odds
JE: 10 to 1. Experience will help!
Emily Procter 40 to 1 WS: 10 to 1. She's a poker player - very
sneaky.
MJH: 16 to 1. Tough girls who know their
way around a car often get stuck in the
middle of the pack.
DT: 14 to 1. If she's an avid poker player
she knows odds, so if I put her a little
lower than what I think she might be able to
do, then it might motivate her!!
JE: 15 to 1. Poker playing will help
strategy!
Fans also can log onto Hollywagers.com to see how professional race handicappers think the celebrity drivers stack up. [The odds have been presented solely for entertainment purposes exclusively by Hollywagers.com, powered by Pregame.com, the country's largest bet-centric information site. There will be no actual wagering on the outcome of the race.]
NOTE: Celebrity odds are provided for entertainment purposes only. Wagering on the outcome of the race is neither encouraged nor implied.
Source: Toyota Motorsports, Inc.
