Startruck Saturday

By Felix Sanchez, Staff writer
Long Beach Press Telegram

See event photo gallery by Raceschool.com - See full gallery

Black and white checkered flags will dominate the 32nd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach today, helping crown champions in three scheduled races, including this afternoon's signature 81-lap Grand Prix that kicks off the 2006 Champ Car World Series season.

But on Saturday, yellow and red flags played key roles for the big names competing in the crowd-pleasing 30th Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, and for Champ Car stars in their final day of qualifying for the 32nd annual Grand Prix.

First, in a Pro/Celebrity race that had almost wall-to-wall, NASCAR-like bumper car racing, especially at the tight hairpin Turn 11, extreme sports star Bucky Lasek captured the event when organizers cut short the scheduled 10-lap race because of a crash on Turn 1.

Lasek, who dominated the race running from the pole position, was the leader for all six laps run under the green flag, and the final three done under yellow before organizers called the race.

Lasek, a skateboarding champion, celebrated by taking his Toyota Scion spinning down the main straightaway. Former National Football League quarterback John Elway and pro tennis superstar Martina Navratilova finished second and third, respectively.

Later, last year's Grand Prix champion, Sebastien Bourdais, 27, of France, easily won the pole position for today's championship race, posting a course record time and securing his 19th pole position as a Champ Car driver.

But it was a red flag following a two-car mishap as qualifying wound down that drew a lot of attention.

Bruno Junqueira, who will be in the third starting position, thought he had a chance to leap into the second spot on the grid behind his Newman/Haas Racing teammate, when the red flag ended qualifying early.

Rookies Charles Zwolsman and Will Power both had spun and caused a traffic jam at the hairpin turn.

"I was running even faster when the red came out," Junqueira said. "It's disappointing, but I know the car is going to be good in the race."

Earlier in the day, Playboy/Uniden Racing driver Memo Gidley was injured when his Ford Crawford racer crashed during warm-ups for the afternoon Crown Royal Grand American Challenge of Long Beach.

Gidley was taken to St. Mary Medical Center after the wreck complaining of lower back pain. He was scheduled for an MRI. He never lost consciousness in the accident, which Gidley said was caused by mechanical failure.

All the day's action was taken in by noticeably larger crowds than have attended the event the past two years, all lured by warm temperatures and sunny skies, and many taking in the Grand Prix's visuals from venues as varied as the towering Landmark Square, or the rancorous Irish pub Auld Dubliner, trackside on lower Pine Avenue.

Buddies Dave Najar, 30, and Scott McDonald, 32, enjoyed the Grand Prix while floating on the "Pluggin' Hole" boat anchored in Rainbow Lagoon behind the packed outdoor decks of the Yard House bar and restaurant.

The lagoon, located within the Grand Prix grounds, was filled with yachts and pleasure boats, their decks crowded with swimsuit-wearing partygoers, which in turn drew stares from spectators walking the wooden planks just outside the Yard House.

All of which makes it the place to be during Grand Prix, Najar and McDonald said as they took a break to wander the race grounds and watch Champ Car qualifying.

"The Grand Prix is what makes Long Beach the city that it is," said Najar.

Auld Dubliner co-owners David Copley and Eric Johnson couldn't agree more. Their old-style Irish pub was jammed with revelers enjoying no cover charge, regular-priced Guinness and other beers, eating traditional Irish food and watching Champ Cars whiz by just yards away.

During its short existence, the bar always has been busy during the Grand Prix. But even more customers are now coming because the Grand Prix has taken down barricades that once obscured views of the track.

The bar will open at 9 a.m. today and have live music after the race, and then close at 2 a.m., owners said.

Today's final schedule of events includes the Imperial Capital Bank Champ Car Atlantic Championship Race at 10:35 a.m., followed by the Champ Car pre-race ceremonies at 12:15 p.m. followed by the start of the race at 1 p.m.

Drifting will be held at 3:20 p.m. and the day will end with the SPEED GT Race at 4 p.m.

Felix Sanchez can be reached at Felix.Sanchez@presstelegram.com

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LBGP: Celebrities tear up some tarmac, top some pros

By Samantha Gonzaga and Don Jergler, Staff writers
Long Beach Press Telegram

Photos by Raceschool.com - See full gallery

LONG BEACH -- As "Transporter" star Jason Statham intently watched on-and off-screen buddy Vinnie Jones compete in Saturday's Toyota Pro/Celebrity race, the British actor dropped some exciting news: He may drive in next year's event.

Statham, who played calculating daredevil driver Frank Martin in the last two "Transporter" movies, kept tight-lipped about his conversation with race officials, except to say "they spoke to me about it.

"I would love to get out there," the former Olympic diver added. "I love competition."

If his busy film schedule allows him he's about to start filming on "The Brazilian Job," a follow to the 2003 hit "The Italian Job" he'll do his best to be part of next year's race, Statham said.

He declined to discuss the possibility of a third installment to the "Transporter" series. He was more interested watching Jones' performance on the track. Jones finished in the 10th spot.

The racetrack saw some new and old faces this year during the 30th annual race. It was won overall by skateboarding star Bucky Lasek. Todd Bodine, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pro driver won the professional portion of the race, but still finished behind Lasek.

This year marked "Boston Legal" actor William Shatner's third celebrity race. Pulling a Captain Kirk after bumping a wall, he threw his engines in reverse and quickly put the car in warp drive to complete the race. Shatner also encountered a wall during Friday's qualifying session.

"I'm accustomed to hitting the wall, so I put it in reverse and I continued the race," Shatner said.

Wife Elizabeth Anderson Martin didn't appear worried, and despite Shatner's 17th place finish, she said "his lap times were great, but going the wrong way into the wall didn't help."

Some racers were elated to get out of their hot clothes.

Sweaty sixth place finisher Patrick Dempsey tossed his gloves and jumpsuit over a wire fence to a throng of screaming fans.

Rapper and "Pimp My Ride" host Xzibit nodded approvingly at the list of final results after chatting with television media, posing for photographers and waving at fans passing celebrity pit.

"Eighth," he said of his finish, chuckling. "I'm not mad at that. I'm a rapper, not a race driver."

"It's good, man," he continued. "I'm glad everyone came through all right. Finishing in the top three is great, but finishing in the top 10 is just as good."

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova stuck to her strategy of keeping it safe by watching herself as well as fellow drivers.

"I think I did pretty well," she said. "The guys started crowding me in because they weren't paying attention to the flag and trying to race each other. I finished third and I learned a lot."

"Malcolm in the Middle" actor Frankie Muniz used the occasion to publicly announce a new career development as a professional driver for Jensen Motorsports. This year was his first competing as a professional in the Pro/Celebrity race. He finished 11th.

"I like being a pro," he said. "I didn't have any expectations because I was racing with people who are really good, so if I don't win, then I lost to good drivers."