LONG BEACH, Calif., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary Playboy founder
Hugh Hefner will be surrounded by a bevy of female stars of film,
television and sports when he assumes the role of Grand Marshal of this
year's Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on Saturday, April 14, as part of the 33rd
Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
    It couldn't be a better time for the venerable ladies' man to lead the
parade, since, for the first time ever, women make up almost half the field
of 18 in this historic, 10-lap race for charity through a 1.97-mile street
circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach in Southern California.
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, one of six featured events during race
weekend, gives fans a chance to see their favorite stars duke it out on the
track during exciting action-packed competition.
    Among the celebrity drivers is model and TV personality Kendra
Wilkinson, best known as one of Hef's three live-in girlfriends in the E!
reality TV series The Girls Next Door. Fans can log onto Hollywagers.com to
see how professional race handicappers think Kendra and her fellow the
celebrity drivers -- including Cold Case's Kathryn Morris, Howard Stern's
sidekick Robin Quivers, CSI: Miami's Emily Procter, tennis great Martina
Navratilova, NBA legend John Salley and Star Wars' creator George Lucas,
among others -- 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.]
    Hefner, who celebrates his 81st birthday on April 9, is a man who has
profoundly influenced society in the last 50 years, during which Playboy
has been the world's best-selling men's lifestyle magazine. Although born
in Chicago, Hefner decided in 1975 to make Southern California his
permanent home, reflecting the extent to which Hollywood movies had
influenced his dreams and aspirations as a boy. Ever since, Hefner has
tirelessly dedicated himself to a myriad of creative and philanthropic
endeavors in his adopted community. In 1980, Hefner championed the
reconstruction of the Hollywood sign -- then in serious disrepair -- and
was honored by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his efforts. In
saving the sign, Hefner referred to it as "Hollywood's Eiffel Tower." The
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored him further with its first Annual
Hollywood Hall of Fame Award as Outstanding Citizen of the Year.
    "Hugh Hefner is a true California icon -- and a racing fan -- and we
are pleased to have him as Grand Marshal of the 31st Annual Toyota
Pro/Celebrity Race," said Les Unger, Toyota's national motorsports manager.
"Fans are going to be thrilled to hear him shout, 'Ladies and Gentlemen,
Start Your Scion Engines!' and see him wave the green flag."
    Ticket and Race Information
    Tickets for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, featuring six racing
events including the second round of the 2007 Champ Car World Series, can
be purchased from the Grand Prix ticket office by calling the toll-free
ticket hotline at (888) 82-SPEED. A handy ticket brochure -- which includes
circuit map, grandstand and parking locations, ticket prices and order form
-- can be obtained by calling the ticket hotline. Tickets also are
available online at http://www.longbeachgp.com or http://www.ticketmaster.com.
    Ticket prices range from $40 for Saturday general admission up to $120
for a three-day ticket that includes Saturday and Sunday reserved seats in
the upper levels of the grandstands. Pre-paid parking packages also are
available when ordering through the Grand Prix Ticket Office. Handicapped
seating, Champ Car Garage passes, Super Photo Tickets and a variety of
Hospitality Club packages are also available.
    About Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, LLC
    The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is owned and operated by the Grand
Prix Association of Long Beach, LLC, which is jointly owned by Champ Car
co- owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe who purchased the company
from Dover Motorsports Inc. in June 2005.
    About Playboy and Hugh Hefner
    Playboy Enterprises is a brand-driven, international multimedia
entertainment company that publishes editions of Playboy magazine around
the world; operates television networks and distributes programming
globally; owns Playboy.com, a leading men's lifestyle and entertainment web
site; and licenses the Playboy trademark internationally for a range of
consumer products and services.
    About Toyota Motorsports
    Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.'s motorsports activities focus on competing
in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Grand American Sports Car Series and
the USAC National Midget Car Series. Toyota is committed to motorsports at
all levels including grassroots opportunities and premier racing events.
Toyota has been a sponsor of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach since
1975, when it supplied the pace car for the original Grand Prix of Long
Beach. It has been title sponsor of the event since 1980.
    [EDITOR'S NOTE: Celebrity odds are provided for entertainment purposes
only. Wagering on the outcome of the race is neither encouraged nor
implied.]