Donny Osmond, Parnelli Jones Winners of Pro-Celebrity Event : Auto racing: Singer says that he would like to continue driving in races, if he can work it into his schedule.

Singer Donny Osmond and former Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones were winners in the pro-celebrity race Saturday at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Osmond, taking the lead from actor Craig T. Nelson in the first turn of the first lap, led the rest of the way in the 10-lap race, gaining the overall victory.

Jones finished ahead of fellow pros Dan Gurney, Roberto Guerrero and Jack Brabham, but the pros started 30 seconds after the celebrities and even Jones couldn’t catch Osmond, finishing fifth overall. All drove identically prepared Toyota Celicas.

In the other race of the day, a one-hour event for sports sedans of the International Motor Sports Assn., Steve Millen of Irvine was the overall and GTO winner in a Nissan 300ZX, outlasting Robby Gordon of Orange in a Ford Mustang and Pete Halsmer of Anaheim in a Mazda RX-7, who took one another out of the running.

Osmond was so taken with his victory in the celebrity race that he allowed as how he would like to pursue competitive driving further, although he isn’t sure how he would fit it into his schedule.

“I’d love to be invited back . . . and I would (like to do other racing), but I imagine it takes a lot of time and a lot of patience and training,” he said. “But yes, yes I would.”

Apparently, he is a fast learner. Asked about the start--he and Nelson were in the front row--he said:

“Craig was in front of me by about three-quarters of a car length when we went past the flag station. I couldn’t believe I got in front of Craig that fast.”

Told that Nelson and Olympic gymnast Bart Conner touched fenders in the first turn, Osmond suddenly realized his good fortune.

“That’s what saved me!” he said. “I didn’t see it. So they touched? That’s how I won the race then.”

Finishing behind Osmond, and ahead of Jones, were radio personality Mark Wallengren, Nelson and former football star Tony Dorsett.

Brabham, as three-time former Formula One champion, had an embarrassing return to road racing. Running third among the pros at the start, he nudged Gurney’s car, then swung around to pass, only to discover he didn’t have enough track for that. He settled for a trip down the escape road at Turn 1 instead.

In the IMSA race, Gordon, a former off-road racer, jumped from the second row into the lead on the first lap and held off Halsmer for 50 minutes before they tangled twice coming off the back straight.

As Halsmer moved to pass Gordon, Gordon tried to block the pass, hit Halsmer’s car and sent it into a 360-degree spin. Halsmer continued after the spin, however, caught Gordon in the hairpin and rammed Gordon’s car from behind.

Halsmer made it back to the pits, but could go no farther. Gordon finished second.

Both were suspended indefinitely and Gordon was fined an undisclosed amount.

John Fergus of Columbus, Ohio, was the GTU winner of the IMSA race in a Dodge Daytona, and J.D. Smith of Culver City won in the All-American Challenge portion.

Mario Andretti, whose son Michael won the pole Saturday, and who has won the Long Beach Grand Prix four times, qualified seventh for today’s race, his worst starting spot at Long Beach.

Andretti won once when it was a Formula One race and three times since the switch to Indy cars.

His weekend so far, however, has not been uneventful.

Shortly before the start of Friday’s first practice, his car’s alternator failed. He moved into his backup car and ran with no particular distinction, either in practice or the first qualifying session.

Saturday, still in the backup car, he went out again for morning practice and promptly ran into a car in trouble driven by Dennis Vitolo. Andretti’s car actually got under Vitolo’s and Andretti wound up with tire tracks on his helmet. Neither driver was hurt.

“(Vitolo) hit the (wall of tires in Turn 3) and bounced back,” Andretti said. “I had no warning because it had just happened. I came around the corner and hit his right rear.”

The accident knocked Andretti’s backup car out of the race, and he was back in the primary car for the final qualifying session.

Another Andretti, Mario’s nephew John, also had a bad experience, one that forced Danny Sullivan to qualify poorly in his backup car.

John Andretti spun coming off the back straightaway and was hit by Sullivan’s car.

“I was sitting in the middle of the track,” Andretti said. “The yellow (flag) didn’t come out right away and Danny . . . came around the corner and there was nothing he could do.”

Andretti’s car was repaired in time for the afternoon qualifying session and he was 10th-fastest. Sullivan, in his backup, qualified 16th.

In a driver change, Phil Krueger, who is trying a comeback after a serious accident in 1989, had difficulty getting his car up to racing speed Friday and gave up his seat to Buddy Lazier, who qualified last.

The lineup for today’s Grand Prix of Long Beach:

No. Driver Speed 1. Michael Andretti, Nazareth, Pa. 90.671 2. Al Unser Jr., Albuquerque, N.M. 90.157 3. Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazil 89.907 4. Rick Mears, Bakersfield 89.498 5. Bobby Rahal, Dublin, Ohio 89.474 6. Scott Goodyear, Canada 89.176 7. Mario Andretti, Nazareth, Pa. 89.160 8. Scott Pruett, Dublin, Ohio 89.084 9. Ted Prappas, Los Angeles 88.830 10. John Andretti, Indianapolis 88.535 11. Eddie Cheever, Aspen, Colo. 88.165 12. Jeff Andretti, Nazareth, Pa. 88.124 13. Arie Luyendyk, the Netherlands 88.078 14. Paul Tracy, Canada 87.640 15. Scott Brayton, Coldwater, Mich. 87.524 16. Danny Sullivan, Aspen, Colo. 87.273 17. Mike Groff, Northridge 87.133 18. Didier Theys, Belgium 86.797 19. Tony Bettenhausen, Indianapolis 86.390 20. Bernard Jourdain, Mexico 85.903 21. Randy Lewis, Hillsborough, Calif. 85.586 22. Hiro Matsushita, Japan 85.567 23. Guido Dacco, Italy 85.014 24. Dennis Vitolo, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 84.615 25. Mark Dismore, Greenfield, Ind. 84.047 26. Buddy Lazier, Vail, Colo. 83.241