HITTING A DIFFERENT KIND OF JACKPOT IN VEGAS!

By Bruce Karnick

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You have done it. Heck, we have done it entered into a drawing because we were sure we were going to win the grand prize. Yet we never do. That makes people wonder: Do those big drawings for things like cars or big trips ever get paid out? Hastings can officially answer “yes” to that question thanks to Greg Kasel, owner of Downtown Tire and Auto.

Kasel was in Las Vegas for a trade show, the NAPA Auto Parts Expo, where he ordered a pile of oil filters for the shop. The purchase gave him entries into a drawing for one of two Ford Mustangs, one black and one red. The interesting piece of the story is that the trade show was supposed to take place in 2020, but it was moved due to the pandemic to 2021 and then moved a second time to 2022.

“It turns out, those oil filters I bought won me the red Mustang, I was the lucky winner,” said Kasel.

Greg and his family took delivery of the car Wednesday morning, Aug. 31. It took about four weeks to make all the arrangements and to deliver the car from the dealership in Las Vegas.

“This is the car they had on display at the trade show. They got it from a local dealer down there and had it shipped here in a semi,” explained Kasel.

“I said I’ll believe it when I see it,” laughed Greg’s wife Kari.

Of course, what was the first thing the mechanic/tire guy looked at?

“It’s a fourcylinder turbo engine and it has no spare tire,” Kasel said with a smile.

He was all smiles when the semi rolled up to his shop to make the delivery with a small crowd watching the driver unload the car. It is a nice looking red with black interior.

Winning a car is a cool endeavor, but it does not come free, as the winner must pay the appropriate tax, title and license fees just like they would if they bought the car. But Kasel was fine with that, especially seeing the smile on his families’ faces as they drove away for the first time.

Congratulations to the Kasel family on the new car!