Rumors still swirl around lucky car winner

WINSTED — Winn’s Deli owner Terry Winn can’t spend more than a few minutes outside his store without someone shouting to him, “Go Yankees!â€� It could be his New York Yankees attire and the fact that his children are also wearing Yankees caps —  or maybe it’s the pin-striped custom Mustang that’s drawing all the attention.

Since Winn took delivery of the vehicle, which he won at Yankee Stadium July 5, just prior to New York’s 10-8 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, rumors have been flying as to whether he’ll sell the vehicle or keep it for himself. As often happens with small-town rumors, the claims have become more and more exaggerated, with some folks whispering that Winn has been offered as much as $600,000 for the car — which he denies.

“Of all the people who have won a car like this, there are probably two people who still have theirs, because they already have money,� Winn reasoned. “I want to send my kids to college, so if the right offer comes in, it’s gone. But for now, we’re enjoying it.�

Winn noted that news of his good luck has not made the national media yet, but the story will appear in the next edition of Yankees Magazine. When that happens, he expects the number of offers on the car to grow exponentially.

Winn’s good fortune dates back to June 19, when his wife, Donna, visited Lombard Ford and brought home a leaflet. A contest was offering free tickets to a Yankees game and the chance to win a 2010 Mustang GT, emblazoned in white with blue pin stripes and New York Yankees logos. The 300-horsepower machine retails for about $37,000 without the custom work.

When Winn received a call 10 days later that he had won tickets to the game and a shot at the car, he laughed.

“I said, ‘Yeah, go ahead, fax me the information,’� he recalled. “I seriously thought it was someone pulling my leg.�

Soon enough, the joke became a reality, with an official document indicating Winn and his family would be sitting in luxury suite seats behind home plate at the July 5 afternoon game. Winn was asked to arrive early, as he was one of five winners at the game who had a shot at the car. When four men in suits approached him, he couldn’t believe what was happening.

“I’m a Yankees fan and a Mustang fan, so I went ballistic,� he said. “The guys said, ‘I guess we really found a winner here!’�

Prior to the opening pitch, Winn was ushered down to the field, where he met Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Jeter, who is a spokesman for the Ford Motor Company in the Northeast, asked Winn if he could sign the new car. Winn obliged, and Jeter made his mark on the glove box door.

Winn’s son, Chad, 13, and daughter, Alicia, 9, watched the ceremony from the stands.

As customers and passersby stopped to gawk at the Yankees Mustang Tuesday afternoon, Winn smiled and joked with them. One man wearing a Yankees cap slowly rolled by in a truck and shouted, “I’ll give you $5,000 for it!�

“Yeah, right!� Winn shot back.

In the long run, Winn knows he has a collectible on his hands, and he’s certainly not planning to make this his primary vehicle. He does, however, want people to be able to drop by and take a look to satisfy their curiosity. Eventually, the car will draw an offer that he can’t refuse.

“We’re enjoying it for now,� he said, “but when the time comes, it will disappear.�