BOYZONE superstar Shane Lynch is spending this weekend at one of his favourite places in the world – Donington Park.
The singer, who has just finished a tour with the multi-million-selling Irish band, is competing in the British Drift Championship, the first of six circuits to host the event.
The 34-year-old said he grew up loving motor sports, having been taken to his first stock car race when he was only a week old.
Now he is confident he can walk away as the 2011 British Drift Champion after finishing fourth last year.
Shane said: "Five weeks ago I finished the tour with Boyzone where you are performing in front of 10,000 to 20,000 people every night which is the biggest buzz in the world.
"The question is how do you maintain that high in your everyday life? Well I've found that with drift racing – the speed of the car, the screeching tyres, the smell of the oil."
Drift racing is a high-speed motor sport that has been going in the UK for seven years.
An extreme sport, drivers perform a range of tricks, including skidding sideways at speeds of up to 100mph, to impress judges.
And rather than being decided by the first over the line, the winner is judged on control of the car and skill of the tricks performed.
Shane said: "My father was a mechanic and I grew up in a family that was mad on motor sport. Before I joined Boyzone I worked as a mechanic at my dad's garage.
"I didn't race as a kid though. My first-ever race was here at Donington Park so it's a circuit I absolutely love. It's one of my favourite places."
Yesterday Shane and more than 80 other drivers gathered at the track to receive their briefing and today he will compete in the hope of finishing first.
Married to singer Sheena White, the couple have a two-year-old daughter, called Billie Rae.
Shane said: "My wife understands the dangers and I did have a serious crash a few years ago.
"My daughter is a proper little petrol head. She loves the noise of the engines when she comes to see me practise."
Shane drives for Team Japspeed, whose manager is Paul McCallum.
Paul said: "The fans here in the East Midlands always bring a great atmosphere to Donington.
"With the car Shane is driving and his ability, I see no reason why he can't go all the way and win this year."
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