KEY POINTS:
Kiwi actor Martin Henderson went from Shortland Street to racing in motorbike movie Torque - and Dane Dawson may be following suit, only in real life.
The 21-year-old Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune actor has appeared in Auckland District Court on a street racing charge.
Police allege Dawson was driving a silver Mazda RX7 on Auckland's inner-city Fanshawe St - a former favourite of boy racers before heavy police patrols curtailed their drag plans - on Monday, January 19.
Dawson, who played Kurt in the first two series of Outrageous Fortune and Kev Riordan and Kane Richmond on Shortland Street, has been charged with operating a motor vehicle in a race in contravention of the Land Transport Act 1998.
Dawson said he had borrowed his mum's "speed demon" car. At traffic lights his alleged co-accused Timothy Chu, 26, who he didn't know, sped off and he followed to get in front, before being overtaken. Both drivers were pulled over by police.
He described the "one-off" chase as lasting "a few seconds".
"I'm not a dickhead," he said. "It's not very exciting really. That male urge of manliness took over. I've learned my lesson."
Dawson has been bailed to a Devonport address for a reappearance at Auckland District Court in April.
Dawson plans to head overseas, as Martin Henderson did after his stint on Shortland Street in the early-to-mid 90s.
"The New Zealand acting realm is a very long-term thing," he said. "There's a few things in the US [coming up]."
