With only a couple of letters left blank on the board, Bosley excitedly solved the "Wheel of Fortune" answer with a jump and a pumped fist in the air.

The Garner man was one of the close to 3,000 people who cycled through the audition for the syndicated game show at Crabtree Valley Mall. Queuing up as early as 9 a.m Saturday with contestants from as far away as Washington, D.C., "Wheel" enthusiasts packed the old Lord & Taylor department store in the mall for a chance to get the big spin.

Those lucky enough to find a parking spot had a chance to be chosen at random and ushered up in groups of five to tackle the game's age-old fare of people, places and before-and-after.

Helming the road version of the show were Pat Sajak stand-in Marty Lublin and a faux Vana White, Heidi Jackson.

A sweat-soaked Lublin bombastically bounced across the stage, egging on contestants to dance and sing for the energized crowd.

Amy Daughtry, who drove in from Princeton, performed a high-kicking clogging routine for the throng.

Unlike the show, players came to the stage in groups of five and had three seconds to guess any letter. Vowels were not for sale. After each round, contestants received "Wheel of Fortune" merchandise and made way for the next five.

Jessica Nelms, a round winner from Wilmington, said it was higher pressure than solving the puzzles on the couch at home.

"There's a lot of nervous energy," she said. "It's different when you're up there."

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