Winston Cup fans and drivers have shot at $1 Million No Bull 5 Bonus

Johnny Bowser has a motto in life - "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

In truth, it’s only been his motto since the May 30 running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.

Bowser, a Charlotte resident, decided to join the thousands of NASCAR Winston Cup Series fans that have taken part in the Winston No Bull 5 "They win, You win" fan sweepstakes.

It was that decision that began a remarkable chain of events that could make him the newest Winston No Bull 5 millionaire.

The 1999 Coca-Cola 600 was the first NASCAR Winston Cup event Bowser attended in two years. While waiting for the 400-lapper to begin, Bowser became engrossed in the Winston No Bull 5 prerace ceremonies.

His curiosity was peaked. He read the signs, featuring Winston No Bull 5 competitors such as Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon. He then watched Wade Smith of Metropolis, Ill. win $1 million when Burton took the checkers.

"That could be Johnny Bowser," he thought to himself.

He left Lowe’s Motor Speedway and went straight to a convenience store. He filled out two entry blanks for the Winston No Bull 5 "They Win, You Win" fan sweepstakes and sent them in. His name was pulled July 26 in a nationwide drawing, and now Johnny will have a chance to win the million-dollar Winston No Bull 5 bonus. Bowser is the first eligible fan from North Carolina, the heartland of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

One of five lucky NASCAR Winston Cup fans could leave Darlington Raceway as a millionaire Sept. 5, 1999. Should one of the Winston No Bull 5 drivers win the Pepsi Southern 500, that driver and his randomly-paired Winston No Bull 5 fan will each win $1million.

The Pepsi Southern 500 is the fourth of five Winston No Bull 5 events during the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup season. The top-five finishers from the Coca-Cola 600 will compete for the million-dollar bonus at Darlington. Burton, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and NASCAR Winston Cup points leader Dale Jarrett are the eligible drivers.

The drivers and fans will be paired at NASCAR Speedpark in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sept. 2. The drivers will compete in a go-kart race to determine which driver will be paired with which fan.

In addition to Bowser, there are four other fans. Phyllis Farmer, 59, from Hillsboro, Mo., retired from IBM in 1991. She worked as a real estate agent for a few years, but left that job in January. She hadn’t decided what to do next, and when she learned she was a Winston No Bull 5 contestant, she decided not to look for another job. If she wins a million dollars, she doesn’t plan to work much at all.

Glen Keck, 64, is a retired drive-in restaurant owner from Knoxville, Tenn. He’s been married 39 years, has three children and four grandchildren all living in Knoxville. He’s been a NASCAR Winston Cup fan for as long as he can remember. He pulled for Richard Petty until he retired in 1992. Since that time, he’s been a big fan of Winston No Bull 5 driver Jarrett.

Gerald Walsh and his wife work for the Broward County School Board in Coral Springs, Fla. near Fort Lauderdale. The 44-year-old says he’s just a casual race fan but knows all the big names of the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. If he wins the Winston No Bull 5 million-dollar bonus, he plans to make some repairs at his house and then enjoy travelling with his wife.

The final Winston No Bull 5 fan is Amy Bourdonn, 66, from Knoxville, Tenn. She is a native of New Orleans who moved to Knoxville in 1990 because she wanted to be in the mountains. She works as an administrative assistant with a company that promotes natural foods and healthy cooking. She says she’s not a huge race fan, but she roots for Jarrett. She registered for the Winston No Bull 5 "They Win, You Win" fan sweepstakes every time she purchased her Winston cigarettes.

The fans will meet for the first time when they arrive in Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the fan/driver pairing on Sept. 2. Later, they’ll meet the NASCAR Winston Cup drivers who will try to win one of the fans a life-changing million-dollar payday.