RALEIGH – Jim Guthrie of Oak Ridge and Johnny Oxendine of Raeford are the first winners of $20,000 racing-themed trips in the lottery’s Ultimate Fan game, officially-licensed by NASCAR®. Their tickets were randomly selected in a second-chance drawing held March 7. Winners in the drawings get to choose from exclusive trip options to destinations hosting NASCAR® events.

Guthrie said he plans to take his wife and two friends to Daytona where they will get VIP track access and watch the racing action from a luxury RV in the infield. Guthrie, whose favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr., said he expects “a lot of fun and excitement” on the vacation.

Upon realizing he was a winner, Oxendine asked his fiancé which destination she would choose. She replied that she had never been to Las Vegas before, so the couple is headed there for a VIP experience at the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony™.

“It’s just shocking to me, I’ve never won anything this big,” Oxendine said. “I hope I have the best time of my life.”

Ultimate Fan players can enter non-winning tickets in two more second chance drawings to be held on April 11 and May 30. Like Guthrie and Oxendine, two winners in each drawing will get to choose their favorite trip package option. All three $20,000 fan experiences include an “ultimate” driving school experience:

• The first option begins with a five day, four night trip to the winner’s choice of a NASCAR® sanctioned race. Once there, the winner will get VIP track access, and see all the action from Club level seating and stay in a luxury hotel suite.

• The second option will also revolve around a trip to the winner’s choice of a NASCAR® sanctioned race. At the raceway, the winner will enjoy VIP track access and infield luxury motor coach accommodations for four days and three nights.

• The third option will feature a six day, five night trip to Las Vegas for a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience at the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony™.