Go girl: Britney Spears goes karting (with a balaclava and helmet that helpfully cover up those greasy locks)

Her driving record isn't exactly squeaky clean, but that didn't stop Britney Spears getting behind the wheel for a spin around a California go-kart track yesterday.

The singer first slipped on a balaclava - which conveniently covered her greasy-looking hair - then a bright orange helmet before putting her skills to the test on the 1000ft-long Dromo 1 track.

Britney has clocked up a series of traffic violations in recent years and will go on trial next month for driving without a valid licence.

But she still managed to win herself a trophy - although that might have been for the benefit of the camera crew, on hand to record the outing for her upcoming behind-the-scenes DVD, which is expected to be released along with her upcoming album Circus.

Britney has also revealed she plans to make her first international tour since 2004 to support the album.

In an interview on New York radio station Z100, Spears was asked if she planned to tour.

'Oh definitely, next year,' she said, adding the tour would probably take her 'around the world.'


That would mark her first major concert tour since 2004.

Last year, Britney performed in a handful of club shows in southern California under the name the M+M's but did not go on the road to promote her last album, Blackout, which had a good chart debut in November 2007 but faded quickly.

Her last live public performance was a much-ridiculed rendition of 'Gimme More at the MTV Video Music Awards a year ago.

The singer's latest single, Womanizer, was released on Friday and is the first single off Circus, which will be released on Dec. 2 - her 27th birthday. She told Z100 she spent six months working on the album.

Britney has been on the mend since her father took control of her business affairs in February.

She won three awards for her song Piece Of Me at this year's MTV video music awards.