PEOPLE Checks in With Kelly Clarkson

PEOPLE Magazine's Michelle Tauber checks in with Kelly Clarkson on her upcoming album, her take on this season of American Idol, and her newfound love of NASCAR. Kelly was recently chosen as NASCAR's ambassador, which means that she will help to promote their charities. As she dishes to PEOPLE, "My family's been into it for, like, ever. They're all huge fans from North Carolina, so I don't know how I missed that whole train." But she's definitely all aboard these days. She's fallen so in love with it, she even admits to PEOPLE that it's a bigger thrill to her than winning a Grammy! As she explains, "I mean, you're going that fast-honestly, you feel like you could crash at any moment. It's like, 'Okay, I hope I'm at peace with myself!'" The speed made her come close to vomiting after taking a few spins around the speedway with NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson. Kelly also talks to PEOPLE about what to expect from her upcoming album, which is due out this spring. She calls it "Everything from very low-key stuff to much harder rock than people are used to." Kelly's also been able to take advantage of some recent free time by watching the show that has made her an icon. As she tells PEOPLE, "This is the first [season] I could [watch]-during all the others, I was on tour." She even names Chris Sligh as a favorite of hers, calling him "funny-very dry." Read the full article in the March 5th issue of PEOPLE, which is on sale right now. Download some of your favorite singles by Kelly Clarkson right now.