Celebrities Gear Up for Long Beach Grand Prix Race

Celebrities gearing up for this year's Long Beach Grand Prix celebrity race had their first chance to put some pedal to the metal in downtown Long Beach Tuesday ahead of the official race in two weeks.

19 celebrities – many of whom have never raced a day in their lives – will duke it out for charity in a 10-lap race on April 20 in the 37th running of the event held on the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit.

Participants include a Medal of Honor recipient, Emmy winners, Olympic medal finalists and Hollywood stars.

Although she is more prone to competing in water rather than on pavement, Olympic medalist swimmer and Long Beach native Jessica Hardy said she has found some similarities between the two sports.

"Surprisingly, a lot of it links to the sport I have been doing my whole life (swimming)," Hardy told Patch. "There is a lot of technique and controlling your adrenaline rushes and staying calm under pressure."

Hardy, who said she has been to almost every Long Beach Grand Prix since she was born, said that her familiarity with the city may hinder her a bit.

"It is actually kind of distracting because I know the streets and I am going the wrong way down the streets and I am taking the wrong turns," Hardy joked. "It is totally different, but super exciting."

Also racing for the first time in her life was comedian Wanda Sykes who said that she wasn't quite prepared for what the celebrity race would involve.

"I was tricked... I thought it was going to be time trials," Sykes said. "I didn't think that they were actually going to let a bunch of knuckleheads just out there and race by ourselves. I don't know these people... I don't even know if they have driver's licenses," she joked.

Sykes said that racing so close to other drivers can be nerve-wracking and her preference would be to have the whole track to herself. 

"If they would just let me do my laps by myself, it would be great," Sykes joked. "It would be great if they would give me one of those camera trucks that they use in the movies and just tow me around and I'll just make faces and act like I am driving fast."

For actor Jeremy Sisto, star of ABC's Suburgatory, the celebrity race offers up a glimpse into a world that he does not normally get to frequent.

"I have very little involvement in the race world, so I am swimming in the deep end here," Sisto said. "It is always fun to enter a community that is so active and alive and you have never experienced it yourself."

The 37th annual pro/celebrity race kicks off at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, April 20 and is expected to last approximately one hour. Ticket, which vary in price based on seating, can be purchased on the Long Beach Grand Prix website.

• Related: List of Celebrity Drivers at the 2013 Long Beach Grand Prix