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Extreme Sports Athlete Shaun Palmer to Participate in the 23rd Annual
Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
3/11/99
LONG BEACH, Calif.--March 11, 1999--Arguably the most dominating
athlete in the world of extreme sports, Shaun Palmer announced he will
compete in the 23rd Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race to be held April 17,
1999 in Long Beach.
A three-time Winter Extreme Games gold medalist and five-time
Snowboard World Champion, Palmer will take his fearless attitude to the
track at this year's Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Part of the 25th
Anniversary Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend, the race pits
today's hottest stars against professional drivers in identically
prepared, race-ready, Toyota Celicas.
In addition to snowboarding, Palmer competed in the high-adrenaline
snowmobile cross-country obstacle course, Snocross, Biker X and Skier X
events during the 1999 Extreme Games. Last year, Palmer branched out into
competitive downhill mountain biking taking top honors in the final NORBA
National Championship series. He also reached the "Mountain Bike Worlds"
missing the gold by a thousandth of a second.
Palmer will compete head-to-head with a host of other top-name stars
including film star Vince Vaughn, track and field Gold Medalist Carl
Lewis, television star Melissa Joan Hart and 1991 champion Donny Osmond.
Highlights of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race will be broadcast on
ABC, Sunday, April 18 during the telecast of the Toyota Grand Prix of
Long Beach (4 p.m. EST). The 10-lap race, held on the 1.85-mile Champ Car
track, features a field of approximately 18 drivers and will be broadcast
in its entirety on ESPN, Sunday, April 25 at 5 p.m. EST.
As part of the race event, Toyota helps raise close to $100,000 for
"Racing for Kids," a fundraising program benefiting Southern California
children's hospitals in Long Beach, Los Angeles and Orange County, by
donating $5,000 in the name of each participant. Another $5,000 will be
awarded to the race winner's charity of choice.
In addition, a $5,000 donation will also be made in conjunction with
the annual "PEOPLE Pole Award." Sponsored by PEOPLE magazine, the award
honors the pole position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
qualifying session on Friday, April 16. Throughout the past eight years,
the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race has generated nearly $600,000 for charity.
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