The free gas was available at four locations, and some people just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Every person who pulled in received a voucher for 10 gallons of regular unleaded gas. At $1.49 a gallon, that was a savings of about $15.
"Gas prices are just tremendous and we thought, 'Hey, we'll foot the bill, and have 101 people come by at every location,'" explains Wayne Michaels, disc jockey.
It didn't take long for the cars to start lining up. In about 20 minutes, there were 101 cars at each location.
In Durham, the cars caused a backup on Highway 55 at Cornwallis Road.
Police in Cary tried to keep disruptions along Harrison Avenue to a minimum.
Joel Fisher was the first in line there, and his 1965 Beetle could not even take full advantage of the deal. "It's got a little 6 gallon tank on it," he says. But even 6 free gallons was worth the wait to him.
MIX succeeded in pumping up people's spirits as high as the prices.
The radio station says it got the idea from listeners who called the station, venting their frustration about current gas prices.
• Credits
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