Celebrities and pros compete at the annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Photo credit: Toyota Motorsports

Golf has its pro-ams, stick-and-ball sports have their meet-and-greets and fantasy camps. But it’s rare when racing gets the opportunity to rub shoulders with the Hollywood set.

That’s one of the things that makes Long Beach different.

Part of a jam-packed weekend that features the American Le Mans Series, Indy Car, and other support series, the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is a staple of the Long Beach event. Driving identically-prepared Toyota Scion TCs, it’s a mix of racing champions, screen stars and entertainers alike, all racing for bragging rights and a charity of their choice.

Headlining this year’s feature are Keanu Reeves, Adam Carolla, Adrien Brody, Tony Hawk, Christian Slater and Patrick Warburton. The pros, who start 30 seconds back (unless, of course, they creatively intrepret that interval or close up under the inevitable early caution period) and then proceed through the field, include Jimmy Vasser and Tanner Foust (who stars in SPEED TV’s Supercars) among others.

Vasser and Foust qualified first and second overall, while the fastest celebrity was Zachary Levi in fifth place. Levi will try to hold off last year’s celebrity race winner Reeves and former Academy Award winner Brody, who roll off second and third among celebrities.

The cars and stars are staged in a colorful, chain link fenced paddock area that the late Leon Mandel of AutoWeek once dubbed “The Celebrity Petting Zoo.”

The race rolls off Saturday afternoon with the leading driver and supporting cast order on the marquee to be determined in just 10 laps. Stay tuned.