MONTICELLO - "It's brand new car!"
Well, a new car isn't exactly what Ryan Ritschard, Monticello, won in July on the CBS game show "The Price is Right." He won a classic car - a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire - in maroon, to be exact.
The episode aired Friday.
"I was shocked," he said. "I thought, they never give these away."
Ritschard got his chance to be on stage with Drew Carey after three tries to beat out other contestants. Ritschard was in California with several high school friends in July when they decided to attend the game show and he was selected to "come on down" for a chance at getting up on stage with Carey.
"Drew Carey is a cool guy," Ritschard said.
But even standing next to Carey, Ritschard didn't lose his cool when it came time to play "Pass the Buck." He correctly guessed which products were higher priced than shown and received three chances to pick the number that hid that special automobile. His chances were one in six.
His first pick won him a $1,000, but his second pick lost it again.
That lucky third pick, number 2, revealed he had won the stunning vehicle that car enthusiasts call "the Hot One."
"I was stunned for a second," he said.
In fact, Ritschard said he still can't believe his luck. He used to call himself the most unlucky guy in the world.
Ritschard wasn't the only one who can't believe his luck: His family had a hard time believing he won a classic car. Not even his friends vouching for him helped, he said.
"I kept sticking with my story until I started getting people to believe me," he said.
Ritschard's Bel Aire was priced at $28,500 by the show, but the vehicle sells for twice that much in some classic automobile marketplaces.
The studio told him the car will be delivered to his home, "sometime between the air date and December," he said.
Ritschard intends to store the automobile in a heated garage, and he'd like put it on display in some car shows.
Ritschard was called up to take a spin on the wheel in the final segment of the show - the showcase with trips and a boat and "other things, I can't even remember," he said.
"The wheel is a lot tougher than you think. I did really bad on the wheel," he added.
But he came home with a classic car, and an unbelievable story.
Well, a new car isn't exactly what Ryan Ritschard, Monticello, won in July on the CBS game show "The Price is Right." He won a classic car - a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire - in maroon, to be exact.
The episode aired Friday.
"I was shocked," he said. "I thought, they never give these away."
Ritschard got his chance to be on stage with Drew Carey after three tries to beat out other contestants. Ritschard was in California with several high school friends in July when they decided to attend the game show and he was selected to "come on down" for a chance at getting up on stage with Carey.
"Drew Carey is a cool guy," Ritschard said.
But even standing next to Carey, Ritschard didn't lose his cool when it came time to play "Pass the Buck." He correctly guessed which products were higher priced than shown and received three chances to pick the number that hid that special automobile. His chances were one in six.
His first pick won him a $1,000, but his second pick lost it again.
That lucky third pick, number 2, revealed he had won the stunning vehicle that car enthusiasts call "the Hot One."
"I was stunned for a second," he said.
In fact, Ritschard said he still can't believe his luck. He used to call himself the most unlucky guy in the world.
Ritschard wasn't the only one who can't believe his luck: His family had a hard time believing he won a classic car. Not even his friends vouching for him helped, he said.
"I kept sticking with my story until I started getting people to believe me," he said.
Ritschard's Bel Aire was priced at $28,500 by the show, but the vehicle sells for twice that much in some classic automobile marketplaces.
The studio told him the car will be delivered to his home, "sometime between the air date and December," he said.
Ritschard intends to store the automobile in a heated garage, and he'd like put it on display in some car shows.
Ritschard was called up to take a spin on the wheel in the final segment of the show - the showcase with trips and a boat and "other things, I can't even remember," he said.
"The wheel is a lot tougher than you think. I did really bad on the wheel," he added.
But he came home with a classic car, and an unbelievable story.