LONG BEACH, Calif., April 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Ingo Rademacher turned the fastest lap (1:47.079) in today's qualifying session at the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race to take the pole position for the 29th Anniversary of the fan-favorite event on Saturday, April 9. The top professional driver was Rhys Millen, with a lap time of 1:47.344.
In addition to winning the coveted inside front-row position for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, Rademacher also was awarded the eighth annual "People Pole Award." Sponsored by People magazine, the award honors the top-celebrity qualifier for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race with a $15,000 donation from People to the pole winner's charity of choice. Rademacher designated Green Peace, Water Keeper and Heal the Bay, a trio of charitable organizations dedicated to protecting the environment, to benefit from the People Pole Award.
The starting grid for Saturday's Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is as follows:
Celebrity Category Qualifying Time
1. Ingo Rademacher 1:47.079
2. Mark Steines 1:49.273
3. Patrick Dempsey 1:49.374
4. Aaron Peirsol 1:49.710
5. Frankie Muniz 1:49.897
6. Paige Hemmis 1:49.922
7. Justin Berfield 1:50.722
8. Amanda Beard 1:52.494
9. Misty May 1:52.514
10. Karl Malone 1:53.085
11. Mike Sullivan 1:54.585
12. Meat Loaf 1:56.629
Professional Category Qualifying Time
1. Rhys Millen 1:47.344
2. Ryan Arciero 1:48.079
3. Matt Scranton 1:48.911
4. Christopher McDonald 1:49.229
-- The Professional Category will start 30 seconds
behind the celebrities on Saturday.
The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race will begin at approximately noon on Saturday, April 9 with a field of 16 drivers. The 10-lap race will be broadcast in its entirety on Speed Channel on May 1 at 12:30 p.m., EST.
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