Richard Mann, a resident of Fayette County for over 30 years, enters a lot of contests and sweepstakes. Usually he doesn’t win.
“I’ve maybe won $20 in the lottery once,” Mann said, sitting by the largest item he has ever won or is likely to win. “I must be living right to have won this.”
The item is one of Rusty Wallace’s Racing Toyota Camry race cars. It had been driven in Daytona on several occasions by Rusty and members of his racing team and was on display at the Walgreen’s on Georgia Hwy 85 South on Wednesday with Wallace himself congratulating Mann and signing autographs.
The car has been modified and is to be used for display purposes only, so Mann won’t be tearing around the county in the vehicle. Still, it’s a nice show piece and Mann is considering selling it. Wallace took him on a tour of the car and showed how the crew had detailed it and made it so it will still light up but won’t turn over.
Mann, a former air traffic controller, entered the contest, sponsored by 5-Hour Energy Drink, because he thought, “why not?” His wife, Dovie, wondered why he didn’t enter a contest for a car he could drive. Wallace recommended putting the car on a pedestal in the yard.
“People will want to see it,” Wallace said.
Wallace was right. A crowd of fans filled the parking lot Wednesday afternoon to see the car and meet the driver. Wallace signed autographs and talked about the upcoming NASCAR season.
A driver was on hand to take the car a few miles down the road to Mann’s house. He would take it in a trailer though, since nobody was going to get the vehicle with the 700 horsepower engine anytime soon. It’s too bad, too. With a top speed of 200 miles per hour, they could have got back to Mann’s home after the event in a flash.
