Fantasy game winner gets real award

By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
February 2, 2002
3:00 PM EST (1500 GMT)

CONCORD, N.C. - What NASCAR fan wouldn't like to have their very own race car that was actually used by Winston Cup Series drivers?

Well, if you're in Dublin, Ohio, stop by Heidi Hossinger's house and she'll tell you exactly what it's like. She was the grand prize winner in the Conseco Fantasy NASCAR Challenge game that took place last season on NASCAR.com.

Heidi Hossinger

Hossinger, 47, beat out more than 120,000 other players in the game that gave each member a salary cap limit to pick five drivers for every Winston Cup race. At the end of the season, Hossinger came out on top. For her diligence and winning ways, she received a No. 14 Conseco Pontiac show car painted up and decked out just like the one seen on the track.

During the day, Hossinger can be found working at Mac Tools as a lead repair technician. However, when the weekend rolls around, she uses her knowledge of NASCAR to help her choose the winning picks.

"I used the times and how certain drivers did at each track in the past," she said. "I took the lead in the game right around July for the first time. Then, I fell back some and worked my way back up to fourth before the last race.

"The last race put me over the top and I won. I still can't believe it. I've never won anything in my life before."

Hossinger said she is a lifelong fan of racing and remembers going to the Indianapolis 500 as a child. Winning the Conseco show car may have been a just reward for following one driver in particular.

"My favorite driver of all time is A.J. Foyt," she said. "So, winning one of his cars makes it even more special. Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon are my favorite NASCAR drivers.

"I still don't know what I'm going to do with the car. Now that I actually did win, it's like ‘Uh oh, now what do I do?' I'm just going to park it in the garage until I figure it out.

"You can bet I'm definitely going to start it up and rev the engine. The police wouldn't appreciate me taking it for a spin because it's not street legal.

"One thing is for sure -- it’s not for sale."