As if the speed and competition of NASCAR’s 36-race season wasn’t excitement enough, on Saturday, some dedicated racing fans tried their hand at winning a brand-new all-terrain vehicle.

On Saturday winners of Times News’ Auto Racing Challenge gathered at the Blocker Enterprises’ dealership on Ninth Street in Lehighton to try their luck at winning a Kawasaki Brute Force 750, valued at $10,000.

“We get lots of feedback. People really enjoy the contest,” said Jennifer Rowden, director of marketing at the Times News.

“It’s a big event,” she added.

The contest started in February with the beginning of the NASCAR season. Rowden said more than 250 people participated each week, taking a guess at the winners and what place they’d take in that week’s race.

The raffle worked like this: weekly winners chose from a table of 40 envelopes, hoping that one would advance them to the second round, where they’d get another chance to try to pick the winning message among another 40 envelopes.

For Donna Gimbi of West Penn Township, this year’s contest was rewarding for another reason. Gimbi has participated in the contest for years, but this season was the first time she’d won a weekly challenge. She won the 21st week.

Gimbi’s devotion to the contest started with a childhood love of the sport.

“I can remember liking (NASCAR) when I was a child,” Gimbi said. “I’ve been watching for years.”

“I like the speed, I like the excitement, I like the fact that they’re qualified,” she continued.

“People don’t think of them as athletes, but they have to be in very good condition to be able to sit in the car and drive, especially at those speeds.”

That same appreciation for racing, Gimbi pointed out, runs in the family.

“My son raced, and now my granddaughter’s racing,” she said.

“I guess it’s in the blood,” she added.

Unfortunately for the NASCAR fans gathered last weekend, no one picked the envelope containing the message to move forward. But they didn’t go home empty-handed. Each winner still received a goodie bag, complete with Blocker’s swag and a $25 Giant gift card.