William Shatner Revs up for Fast Cars and Superstars

William Shatner describes himself as "hyper" when driving on the freeway, frequently pushing his sports car and motorcycle to the limit.

Therefore, he obviously couldn't pass-up the opportunity to appear on ABC's Fast Cars & Superstars - Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, a new reality competition series that gave 12 athletes and entertainers the opportunity to try their hands at stock-car racing.

"There's a freeway here in Los Angeles, 405, and I tried going at top speed there," Shatner told reporters during a Monday conference call. "So the idea of being able to drive as fast as you can without being assaulted by police had a certain appeal."

Premiering Thursday, June 7 at 8PM ET as a lead-in to the NBA Finals, each half-hour episode of Fast Cars & Superstars will follow the 12 celebrities as they train under the tutelage of six of NASCAR's most talented and popular drivers, the Gillette Young Guns.

Included in the group is WWE Champion John Cena.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.