Published: July 26, 2006 11:54 am         

He coasted right into a new car

WEBSTER, N.Y. (AP) — A 23-year-old man who rode a roller coaster for three days has won a different form of transportation — a new car.

Thomas Welsher was one of eight contestants who boarded the Viper roller coaster Friday morning to vie for a two-year lease on a 2006 Suzuki Reno.

The contest at Six Flags Darien Lake in Genesee County, about 50 miles southwest of Rochester, ended at 5 a.m. Monday when Welsher’s last remaining opponent relented and got off the ride, said Mary Christa Sellan, a spokeswoman for the amusement park.

By the end of the competition, Welsher had been on the roller coaster 395 times.

Contestants were permitted to leave the ride for a 20-minute break every three hours. They rode with other customers when the park was open and remained in their seats after the park closed.

Welsher’s fiance nominated him for the contest, sponsored by a local radio station, because she was embarrassed by his current car, which she had to enter by climbing through a window.