EPISODE #3247: FAST CARS WEEK
Preview Puzzle: ON THE MAP
I _ E _ A _ D
Answer: ICELAND (Pat was one letter off w/ IRELAND)
Playing on this leap day were…
Abe Lincoln: retiree and married man w/ two daughters and a lot of grandchildren who loved to do volunteer work as a handyman from Jasper, AR (and yes, he’s a distant relative of the president w/ the same name)
Donna Wells: married to her HS sweetheart Kent (met and knew at the end of 7th grade) w/ two boys (Derrick and Austin) from Nashville
Jim Schumacher: wholesale lumber and building components manufacturer in the construction industry married to Katherine w/ three boys (Samuel, Jake, and Nicholas) from Monroe, WA
Round 1: FICTIONAL CHARACTER (PUZZLER)
Abe kicked things off w/ a $300 T, an R for the Free SPIN, but then S for sorry. Second, Donna had the same result w/ D for dud. Third, Jim called up a $300 N, one E, but then a non-existing G. Back to Abe who lit up a $600 C pair, but then bought a dud vowel of A and used the FS. After his next picks of a $1K K and an $800 M…
_ _ M _ N _
C R _ C _ E T
He IDed Pinnochio’s sidekick JIMINY CRICKET. The PUZZLER’s a THING…
T _ _ / _ A T
…and he knew that the cricket wore a TOP HAT, so that was a $5,450 round for him.
DUDS: S (Abe), D (Donna), G (Jim), A (Abe)
FEATURED PRIZE: trip to Skip Barber 3d racing school worth $4,800 (FAST CARS)
Round 2: WHERE ARE WE?
Donna’s first chose T on $2,500…there’s EIGHT of them for $20K! Next up were five E’s, a $3,200 S quartet, a $1K H pair, O, a $600 F, but then a potentially fatal dud of L for loss on the Fast Cars wedge to leave $24,300 on the table — OH NO. 😦 Jim followed w/ a $900 R, two A’s, a $900 D trio, five I’s, a $600 B, and a $1,600 N pair. We had…
V I S I T / T H I S
S T A T E / T O / F I N D
T H E / _ A I N T E D
D E S E R T
He solved “VISIT THIS STATE TO FIND THE PAINTED DESERT” for $3,500, and he got the bonus answer of Arizona.
PAINFUL DUD: L (Donna)
Abe: $5,450/Donna: ZERO/Jim: $6,500
FEATURED PRIZE #2: Yamaha digital baby piano worth $5,495 (KEYBOARD)
Jackpot Round: BEFORE & AFTER
Jim LaTed out on the spot. Abe secondly said T for trouble. Donna thirdly filled in a $1,200 N pair, a $1,600 D duo, two A’s, a $2K R quartet, and three E’s before he BANKRUPTed near $600 and lost $4,300. On Jim’s next turn, he picked an $800 W, an $800 L, two O’s, a $1,200 F trio, and a $700 C before we saw…
L A W / A N D
O R D E R / O F
F R E N C _ / F R _ E _
He helped himself to a LAW AND ORDER OF FRENCH FRIES for $3,250.
SOLE DUD: T (Abe)
SOLE LaT: Jim
SOLE BANKRUPT: Donna
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $10,400
Abe: $5,450/Donna: TERRIBLE SHAPE/Jim: $9,750
Speed-Up: PHRASE
Good news for Donna — it’s $6K per consonant!
Abe: T
Donna: L (DUD)
Jim: 3 N’s
Abe: G
Donna: S
Jim: 2 I’s
Abe: H
Donna: W
N _ W / I ‘ _ _
S _ _ N
_ _ _ _ _ T H I N G
NOW I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING — Donna went from worst to first w/ a $12K solve!
SOLE DUD: L (Donna)
FINAL SCORES
Abe: $5,450/Donna: $12K/Jim: $9,750
GT: $27,200
BANKRUPT TRASH: $4,300
Bonus Round
A Camaro was won in the first night of this week, so the remaining prizes were a Porsche, Corvette, an Audi, and the cash. Donna picked that W.
Category: PHRASE
Three E’s and an N to start…
_ E E _ / _ E
_ _ _ _ _ N _
DGCA added a couple letters in the bottom…
_ E E _ / _ E
C _ _ _ A N _
They’re enough for her to solve KEEP ME COMPANY for the 2000 Audi TT coupe (equipped w/ 5-speed manual transmission and Bose sound system) worth $35,675, giving her a final total of $47,675 cash & car! Joining her were her mom and sister-in-law.
MY RATING: 7
WHEEL of FORTUNE with Andy Nguyen 
It seems to me that Abe’s favorite letter is a “T”, like Vanna turned on her first show.
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