Odds-On Celebrity Favorite in 2011 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is Actor William Fichtner, According to World-Renowned Vegas Gaming Expert

Odds-On Celebrity Favorite in 2011 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is Actor William Fichtner, According to World-Renowned Vegas Gaming Expert

Singer-Actor Kevin Jonas Made the Biggest Leap in the Rankings in Odds-Maker Anthony Curtis's Picks in Prestigious Grand Prix-Style Race on April 16

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Racepractice runs last week, Las Vegas handicapper Anthony Curtis was on hand to personally observe the action in order to update the odds for each driver for the real thing: the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, to be run on Saturday, April 16, as part of the 37th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. And while many of the odds changed in Curtis's update, the celebrity favorite remained William Fichtner. A versatile character actor who's appeared on such television series as "Prison Break" and "Entourage," and recently starred in the Nicolas Cage action flick "Drive Angry 3D," Fichtner impressed Curtis with his steadfast focus and impressive skills behind the wheel. Kevin Jonas, the eldest of the Jonas Brothers, shot up in the rankings from being tied for dead last in the initial list to now finding a respectable middle spot. And former "Malcolm in the Middle" star Frankie Muniz, who turned pro in 2005, is now Curtis's odds-on favorite to take the overall first-place spot.

Curtis, president of LasVegasAdvisor.com and one of the world's most recognized and quoted gambling authorities, has been handicapping the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, which donates money to the national nonprofit charity Racing for Kids, for many years.

"After observing the drivers on the track, there's been a major shake-up in the odds," said Curtis. "No surprise, the biggest moves came from celebrity drivers who proved themselves to be threats in training. Overall, the field remains very tightly ranked--making this one of the most wide-open competitions of the past few years."

After attending the final practice day, Curtis has revised his odds of how the field of 18 celebrities and pros will perform in this historic 10-lap race for charity, which is conducted in race-ready Scion tCs on a 1.97-mile street circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach in Southern California. He offers his exclusive expert predictions solely for entertainment purposes on www.lasvegasadvisor.com.

Here's how Curtis sees the field of 18 after a day of practice runs at the track in Long Beach.

Celebrities:

The actor maintains his top ranking simply by
showing up at practice, jumping in the car and
--William Fichtner driving his best. His focus on practice day was
(7-1) phenomenal.
The "True Blood" star earned better odds after
driving on the track-he was seemingly light-
hearted out of his car, but got down to
-- Stephen Moyer (8-1) business behind the wheel.
The ultimate fighting champ made the second-
biggest jump in odds, mainly because he brings
the same super-competitive attitude to the
-- Tito Ortiz (15-1) track as he does to the ring.
The actor has an intense desire to win-and an
extreme focus-that were supremely evident on
--Daniel Goddard practice day. He beat Fichtner in 2008, so
(15-1) don't count him out this year.
The "Sons of Anarchy" star was in great spirits
on practice day, and his passion for racing may
-- Kim Coates (16-1) still be his ace in the hole.
The musician made the biggest leap up in the
odds-he was tied for last in the first
rankings. But he exhibited a strong focus and
competitive nature on practice day that helped
-- Kevin Jonas (17-1) push him up the list this time.
The "Rules of Engagement" actress is competing
for her second consecutive year in a row, and
she brought her A-game to practice day. She
-- Megyn Price (20-1) may surprise us all.
This "Fairly Legal" star, who has past racing
experience, definitely stands a chance. His
--Michael Trucco low-key demeanor may be a calculated front to
(20-1) disarm his competition.
The "CSI: NY" actor exhibited a laidback
attitude that may mean he's not very
competitive-or may mean he's saving it for race
-- AJ Buckley (25-1) day. We'll soon find out.
Hounsou may have been having an off day at
practice, but he still has a rainy-day
--Djimon Hounsou advantage. If race day is a wet one, the actor
(30-1) may sit at the top of the pack easily.
Unfortunately, Barberie Reynolds is still at a
major disadvantage and may have a hard time
--Jillian Barberie catching up after missing half of the last
Reynolds (45-1) training day.

The Southern CaliforniaToyota dealer seat is being filled by Mike Sullivan, owner of Toyota of Hollywood and Toyota of Santa Monica. Also in the field in this year's race is charity auction winner Jerry Westlund.

The Toyota dealer is returning for a third time,
and he has access to Toyotas and Scions year-
round. With that background, he may just
--Mike Sullivan (12-1) surprise us all.
The auction winner is racing for his third time,
so he's no stranger to the course. Experience
is a plus, so don't be surprised if he places
--Jerry Westlund (14-1) this year.

The celebrity field is set to test its skills against a strong contingent of professionals (and two celebs racing as pros). The celebs might have a 30-second head start, but the professionals will catch up quickly.

Professionals:

Muniz edges out professional driver Swanson
primarily because of his extensive experience
in this race-he's returning for his fourth go-
around, but was overheard saying he wished he'd
been able to drive faster at the most recent
-- Frankie Muniz (7-2) training day.
Swanson was downgraded from first-place ranking
with Muniz-his lowered standing might serve to
-- Kody Swanson (4-1) pump him up for a win.
Gushi's heart remains in drift racing, so he'll
have to really up his concentration level here
-- Ken Gushi (8-1) if he wants to come out on top.
Drag racer Rado seems fully recovered from his
knee surgery of just a few weeks ago, but will
his time attack driving be enough to put him at
-- Chris Rado (10-1) the front of the pack?
The 30-second disadvantage Green will have as a
pro racer this year (after winning the
--Brian Austin Green celebrity portion in 2010's race) may be too
(10-1) much for him to overcome.

"Anthony Curtis never disappoints--his handicapping of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race for entertainment purposes really puts a competitive edge on the race," said Les Unger, Toyota's national motorsports manager. "No driver wants to be at the bottom of his list, so it spurs them on to do their best racing; plus, they all have a lot of fun with it."

Toyota will donate $5,000 to Racing for Kids in the name of each celebrity racer and another $5,000 to the winning racer's charity of choice. Racing for Kids is a national nonprofit program that locally benefits children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. On behalf of the race and its participants, Toyota has donated more than $1.9 million to various children's hospitals since 1991.

Finally, this year--as in many years past--a $15,000 donation will be made in conjunction with the annual People Pole Award. In its 14th year, the People magazine-sponsored award will honor the pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session on Friday, April 15.

To learn more about the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, one of six main-event attractions taking place during the 37th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, go to http://www.toyotaracing.com/, visit our Facebook page (Toyota Racing) or follow us on Twitter (@ToyotaRacing).

NOTE: Celebrity odds are provided for entertainment purposes only. Wagering on the outcome of the race is neither encouraged nor implied.

ABOUT ANTHONY CURTIS

Anthony Curtis is one of the world's most recognized and quoted gambling authorities. The president of LasVegasAdvisor.com, he has appeared as a casino expert on "Dateline NBC," "48 Hours," A&E, E! Entertainment, Discovery, the Travel Channel, the Food Channel and the Learning Channel. He has been the subject of articles in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel and Discover magazine. Curtis is author of Bargain City--Booking, Betting and Beating the New Las Vegas and The Art of Gambling Through the Ages. Considered one of the world's foremost experts in tournament play, Curtis's top tournament wins include $76,000 in the World Matchplay Blackjack Championship, $125,000 in the Atlantic City Craps Championship, $50,000 in the Las Vegas Keno Championship and $60,000 in the Las Vegas Blackjack Championship.

Contacts:
Jenn Blum Colleen Cleary
917-509-2295 646-384-6793
jennifer.blum@eurorscg.com Colleen.Cleary@eurorscg.com

Sharon Noot
714-527-7735
sharon@nootinc.com

SOURCE Toyota

Toyota

Web Site: http://www.toyotaracing.com

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