Follmer invited to Long Beach

Organizers of the 28th annual Long Beach Grand Prix invited Newport

Beach resident Mike Follmer to be one of four professionals to

compete in the pro/celebrity race at noon today.

Follmer, making his first appearance in the race, joins last

year’s winner Peter Reckell (“Days of Our Lives”), 2002 celebrity

champion and Olympic gold medal swimmer Dara Torres and sports car

driver Max Papis as the four professionals among a field of 17

participants.

The 10-lap race covers a 1.97-mile course through the streets of

Long Beach with the celebrities starting 30 seconds ahead of the

professionals. The green flag for the Grand Prix will drop at 1 p.m.

Sunday.