CELEBS & PROS FACE OFF IN 35TH ANNUAL LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX

20 drivers, 11 turns, 10 laps, 1.97 miles…

Not everyone (yours truly included) knows the difference between a Formula One car vs. a stock car, drag racing vs. sports car racing, or Brickyard vs. backyard. However…I have been to a Grand Prix (oui, in Monaco!), and can vouch for the excitement factor. The thrill just kinda permeates the air…like a nice strong whiff of Goodyear radials.

What’s even more cool is when the race is for a good cause, which is the case next month at the 35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Professional racer Alex Tagliani cruises past the palm trees in the 2008 Long Beach Grand Prix

PHOTO: Robert Laberge/Getty North America

The event stretches from April 16th-19th, with the main draw–the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race–on Saturday, April 18th, as pro drivers and the Hollywood set tear through the streets of downtown Long Beach in Scion tCs. Celebs participating in this year’s “longest running street race” include Luke Wilson, Keanu Reeves, Alex Trebek, John Hamm, Tim Daly, Raven Symone, Tyson Beckford, and many others.

On Saturday evening, platinum award-winning band Puddle of Mudd will perform at the Tecate Light Rock-N-Roar concert.

Toyota is generously donating $5,000 to Racing For Kids in the name of each celeb racer, and another $5k to the winner’s charity of choice. Since 1991, Toyota has donated $1.7 million on behalf of the race! Also, People magazine will sponsor the “People Pole Award,” donating $15,000 to the celebrity who wins pole position at the qualifying round the day before the race.

2008 winner Aussie driver Will Power gets sprayed with victory bubbly

PHOTO: Spencer Weiner/Los Angeles Times

Race admission starts at $42. Shell out a bit more ($125) and get a 3-day pass with upper level reserved grandstand seats. And for the spendier crowd, prices climb to $795 for extra goodies like pit access, hospitality clubs, and other swanky-swank one might expect for the big bucks.

So get your hairpin turn on and head down to SoCal for a weekend of cheering on your fave speedsters and celebs!