Shatner at the Wheel

By Stephen M. Silverman

04/21/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

The celebrated Capt. Kirk of "Star Trek" and former Priceline.com pitchman William Shatner, 70, has yet another new gig: He plans to drive in the 25th Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race at the Long Beach, Calif. Grand Prix on April 7, reports the Associated Press. "I enjoy driving fast, and it's limited what you can do on the road with the point system," said Shatner, referring to the California Dept. of Motor Vehicle's penalty system. "Here you get your rocks off driving fast, driving with somebody else's car, and that's equally important." Other scheduled contenders in the celebrity event include comedian David Alan Grier, "Coyote Ugly" star Piper Perabo and former quarterback Jim Kelly, who expressed his excitement over the prospect of meeting Shatner. "When I learned Captain Kirk was here, that was a big-time pleasant surprise for me," said Kelly. "I don't know if you'd call me a Trekkie, but I've watched over 1,000 episodes."