William Shatner (Captain Kirk) is gearing up for his appearance behind the wheel of a race car on the new ABC reality series, Fast Cars & Superstars: Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race.

In a press release posted at Shatner's official web site, the actor reiterated his enthusiasm for the project. "I jumped at the chance to be involved in the Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race...it's every American boy's dream to get behind the wheel of a stock car," the actor announced.

In addition to Shatner, participants include singer Jewel, quarterback John Elway and tennis pro Serena Williams, plus eight others. For her part, Jewel said she was looking forward to competing against men.

The drivers will be paired in twos with popular Gillette drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. "I hope these celebrities are ready to feel the real power of a stock car," said Johnson. "We're all really excited to share our knowledge of competitive racing to coach these stars."

Each week, the celebrities will train with their drivers until the one-hour finale pits them against one another in a time-trial race. ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne and NASCAR analyst Brad Daugherty will co-host.

The seven episodes will air on ABC - also the network of Shatner's Boston Legal - beginning Thursday, June 7th at 8 p.m. Eastern time. More information and photos are available here.

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