Series drivers GPLB Pro/Celebrity race notes

PEDREGON LEADS THREE DRAG RACERS IN TOP 10 AT TOYOTA GPLB PRO/CELEBRITY RACE WITH FIFTH PLACE FINISH Bazemore finishes sixth; Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Marty Nothstein eighth LONG BEACH -- Two-time and defending NHRA POWERade Series Funny ...

PEDREGON LEADS THREE DRAG RACERS IN TOP 10 AT TOYOTA GPLB PRO/CELEBRITY RACE WITH FIFTH PLACE FINISH

Bazemore finishes sixth; Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Marty Nothstein eighth

LONG BEACH -- Two-time and defending NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car world champion Tony Pedregon finished fifth in the Pro/Celebrity race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Saturday.

He was first among the drag racers -- Whit Bazemore finished sixth overall and Marty Nothstein finished eighth -- and second among the pros behind only Craftsman Truck Series driver Mike Skinner.

Skinner was the defending Pro/Celebrity champion and he finished runner-up this year to model and ESPN announcer Jamie Little.

Rounding out the Top 5 were celebrities Daniel Goddard (Young & the Restless) and William Fichtner (Prison Break), who finished third and fourth respectively.

SPEED Channel will provide coverage of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pro/Celebrity race with play-by-play courtesy of former NHRA announcer Bill Stephens. Airtimes are scheduled for the following dates and times: May 3 at 3 p.m.; May 4 at 11:30 a.m.; May 9 at 11 p.m.; and May 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Pedregon and the rest of the drivers on the NHRA POWERade Series tour will return to the drag strip next weekend for the sixth of 18 regular season races this season, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals April 24-27 at Atlanta Dragway. ESPN2HD will provide complete coverage of the Southern Nationals with qualifying highlights on from 6-8 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 26 and the race beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 27.

COMPLETE RUN ORDER

1. Jamie Little, Celebrity
2. Mike Skinner, Pro
3. Daniel Goddard, Celebrity
4. William Fichtner, Celebrity
5. Tony Pedregon, Pro
6. Whit Bazemore, Pro
7. Drew Lachey, Celebrity
8. Marty Nothstein, Pro
9. Brad Lewis, Celebrity
10. Bud Gordon, Celebrity
11. Wilmer Valderamma, Celebrity
12. Craig Barto, Celebrity
13. Eric Dickerson, Celebrity
14. Raymond Cruz, Celebrity
15. Beccy Gordon, Pro; 16. Sarena Traver, Pro
17. John Salley, Celebrity
18. Nancy Lieberman, Celebrity.