Danica Patrick Makes History

Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history Sunday, taking the Indy Japan 300.

“It’s a long time coming. Finally,” Patrick, 26, told the Associated Press. “It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio [Castroneves] and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn’t believe it. This is fabulous.”

Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of recent Dancing with the Stars champ Castroneves on the 1.5-mile oval.

“With five laps to go, I was saving fuel,” Castroneves told the AP. “When Danica passed me, I realized she was the leader. She did a great job, passed me fair and square and that shows you how competitive our series is.”

Added Michael Andretti, co-owner of Andretti Green Racing, “I think Danica is such a fantastic person and I’m thrilled for her that the monkey is finally off of her back. We have all believed in her and she proved today that she is a winner.”

Patrick, who started from the third row and made her final pit stop on lap 148, stayed close to the leaders throughout the race. “I knew there was a good reason for coming to Japan,” Patrick said. “I want to thank my team, the fans and everyone who supported me.”

At the 2005 Indy 500, she became the first female driver to lead the race en route to a fourth-place finish. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy, and helped her take rookie of the year honors.

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Kelly Clarkson Performs for the Pope

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak8JMOramKM

The only thing tougher than singing for Simon Cowell? Keeping it together for the Pope. American Idol winner and pop star Kelly Clarkson proved she can handle both Saturday, performing “Ave Maria” for Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Joseph Seminary in New York in front of about 25,000.

“I was so excited to be asked to sing for the Pope,” Clarkson said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to perform ‘Ave Maria.’ To have that dream come true on such a special occasion is truly a blessing.”

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(Video) Kelly Clarkson Ave Maria Performance for Pope Benedict XVI

Kelly Clarkson proved once again that she’s still the Original American Idol after she performed “Ave Maria” for Pope Benedict the XVI on Saturday. The Pop Celebrity Kelly Clarkson performed at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York, the traditional version of the”Ave Maria” in multiple languages.

A Message From Paris Hilton…

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Sandra Bullock and Husband Hit by Drunk Driver

Actress Sandra Bullock and her husband, Jesse James, were hit by a drunk driver last night while riding in a private car in Gloucester, Mass.,.

Bullock, who is filming The Proposal on Cape Ann, and James, of Monster Garage fame, were being driven home for the evening around 9:50 p.m. Friday when a gray Subaru station wagon jumped lanes on East Main Street and smashed into their front end, police said. No one was injured.

“They were shaken up, needless to say,” said Gloucester Police Lt. Gerry Cook. “But they were fine – he was hugging her. Jess and Sandra were hugging. They said they were fine, they didn’t need medical attention. There were quite a few people snapping pictures of them.” The two walked away from the accident and were not even examined, he said.

The driver of the Subaru, identified as Lucille P. Gatchell, 64, from Gloucester by local cops, was given a field sobriety test by officers responding to the scene. Gatchell blew a .20 on the breathalyzer – two and a half times the legal limit, Cook said.

She was arrested, taken to the station, and booked on driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to stay in marked lanes. She was released on her own recognizance and will be arraigned on the charges Tuesday.

Cook said Gatchell didn’t know who she hit, until the arresting officer told her, as he drove her to the station. “And then she started laughing, she was really giddy,” he said.

Reached by phone Saturday morning, Gatchell declined to comment, politely saying “no” to a Boston Herald reporter, whose paper originally reported the crash story.

“It’s unfortunate,” Cook told the Herald. “But it shows you that no one is immune from drunk drivers, no matter how famous you are.”

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