Miss Toyota Grand Prix pageant gets new location

What’s been touted as the kickoff party for the 42nd aual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach — one of them, anyway — happens Wednesday.

The Miss Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Finals is at 7 p.m. on April 13 at Hotel Maya-Vista Del Mar.

In years past, the pageant was part of Thunder Thursday in downtown Long Beach, but organizers decided to make some changes, Loria Valencia-Sea, Miss Toyota organizer, said.

• Photos: See photos of last year’s Miss Toyota Grand Prix pageant

“We had the opportunity this year to take that event to the Hotel Maya, a nice venue where we have staged a few other successful pre-race events, and we’re looking to build it into a traditional Wednesday night offering at the Maya,” Chris Esslinger, Grand Prix spokesman, said in an email.

He said events preceding Miss Toyota finals change every year: “There have always been variations on the preliminary round schedules just due to event schedules at the local bars/venues, as well as the wishes of the Miss Toyota Grand Prix sponsors.”

This year, contestants responded to an open casting call on Feb. 20 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach corporate office in Long Beach, followed by two semifinal competitions at Legends Sports Bar in March.

The upcoming free Miss Toyota pageant features 18 finalists, Valencia-Sea said, as well as DJ Herick, a meet and greet with current queen Natasha Alhandy and first ruer-up Alliyah Becerra and a display car. Previous years’ wiers Clarissa Burquez and Alyssa Meeks also will be available.

“It’s about tradition,” Valencia-Sea said. “There tends to be a really big fan base, although (the pageant) may not be necessarily agreeable to everyone.”

She said some people think a pageant doesn’t go along with the race.

Three of the women in Wednesday’s event will be chosen as the new court and all of the finalists will participate during race weekend as grid girls — sporting new grid suits — for the celebrity race on Saturday and the main race on Sunday.

Miss Toyota contestants will be judged on interviews, as well as a swimsuit and five cocktail dress competitions. Judges look for a polished spokeswoman for on-camera interviews and community appearances, as the queen and her court attend various events in the city throughout the year, including the Belmont Shore Car Show, and represent the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.

Emily Thoton is a staff writer at Gazette Newspapers. She can be reached at [email protected].

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