You choose, we deliver
If you are interested in this story, you might be interested in others from The Journal Gazette. Go to www.journalgazette.net/newsletter and pick the subjects you care most about. We'll deliver your customized daily news report at 3 a.m. Fort Wayne time, right to your email.

People

  • Obama to present King with Gershwin Prize
    President Obama is putting on a show at the White House next week for singer-songwriter Carole King. She’s the first woman to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.
  • R&B singer chosen newest ‘American Idol’
    Candice Glover was crowned the new “American Idol” on Thursday after defeating country singer Kree Harrison. The booming 23-year-old R&B vocalist from St. Helena Island, S.C.
  • Kennedy Center revamps process
    The Kennedy Center is unveiling a new process to select artists who receive one of the nation’s top arts prizes after an outside group said Latinos have been largely excluded.
Advertisement
Associated Press
Race car driver Danica Patrick, right, and journalist/television personality Katie Couric are interviewed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on Tuesday. Patrick gave Couric a tour of the Speedway and a ride in a two-seat race car.

Katie Couric, Danica take a spin at Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — Katie Couric feels bad for Ann Curry.

The former co-host of NBC's "Today" show was in Indianapolis on Tuesday to take a drive around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Danica Patrick. The feature will air sometime after Couric's syndicated talk show, called "Katie," debuts in September.

When Couric left "Today" to go to CBS, Curry was passed over for the top job for Meredith Vieira. And Curry was recently replaced as a co-host by Savannah Guthrie after about a year on the job.

Asked about Curry, Couric first said: "That is such old news. Are you guys really still writing about that?"

"I felt bad for Ann and I felt bad for the whole team on the show," she said. "Transitions like that are really tough. But I know she'll go on and do great things."

Patrick said she was happy to make a visit to the Speedway. She is set to return to the Brickyard at the end of July for her first race since she left the IndyCar Series to focus on NASCAR full-time.

"It's good to be back here," Patrick said. "I didn't think my first lap in a stock car around here would be a school stock car, but I thought it was a good lead into a couple of weeks from now when we're actually here for the real deal."

Couric said her interview with Patrick won't be part of the show's debut, but it's "going to be early in the season."

Patrick also took Couric on a trip around the famous track.

"We were riding together out there on the track, we were learning about racing," Patrick said. "Even I was still learning about racing. We were just having some fun."

Driving at the higher speeds isn't something Couric is used to.

"I was very, very, very quiet," Couric said. "I was nervous at first, but I had a lot of fun. I'm a huge fan of Danica's and have watched her career for many years now."

Advertisement