Middle River Woman a Finalist for Car Giveaway

It's pretty certain Middle River resident Laura Morgan won't be at the Preakness celebration Saturday.

Instead, she'll be at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, hoping she drives home in a brand-new MINI Cooper Roadster.

Morgan is one of three finalists from Baltimore County and one of only 15 finalists in the running to win the car and a Coca-Cola prize package when the amusement park celebrates the first anniversary of Verbolten, Busch Garden's newest roller coaster.

Her 1-in-15 chance of winning is decidedly better than the 1-in-175 million chances the rest of us face in winning Saturday's record-setting Powerball jackpot of $600 million.

Each finalist won four, two-park flex tickets—good for unlimited access to both Busch Gardens and Water Country USA for seven consecutive days—four platinum dining certificates, an invitation to the coaster's birthday bash and the chance to win the car. They also received hotel accommodations and a gas card for travel expenses, according to park spokeswoman Koy Grant.

Finalists were selected in a variety of ways, including through the park's Facebook page and radio station contests in several markets close to the attraction, Grant said.

At Saturday's celebration, the winner of the British roadster will be selected at random, according to a press release from Busch Gardens officials.

Each finalist will be able to choose a box containing a key, and then will try to start the car with the selected key.

"The person whose key starts the car wins," Grant said Friday. "It's going to be exciting!"

Verbolten, which was launched in the spring of 2012, features North America's first coaster with a horizontal track drop, according to the statement.

The themed coaster features special sound and light effects and ends with an 88-foot plunge toward the replica of the Rhine River "that is sure to quicken the pulse of even the most daring thrill seeker," according to the statement.

Two other Baltimore County residents, Christi Lorenzo of Overlea and Melissa Russell of Reisterstown, are also finalists in the contest.