Michigan Man Wins a Car and a Whole Lot of Cash on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

A Michigan man showed off his puzzle-solving skills and took home a brand-new car as well as $21,900 in cash on TV's 'Wheel of Fortune.'

Meet Lionel Holmes

Lionel Holmes, who goes by L.J., got a chance to brag on his three-and-a-half-year-old son Carter who he called his 'little goobus' and best friend. Holmes, who lives in Mt. Pleasant, said he was doing "Jolly Wolly" during the contestant introduction segment of the show, to which host Pat Sajak replied, "Well ain't that hunky dory!"

Holmes shared that he loves collecting cassettes, comic books, and building blocks, noting that he has a great collection of cassette tapes that he's really proud of.

Lionel had a little bit of a scare early on in the show, landing on a 'Lose a Turn' spot on the wheel, but turned his luck around by winning $7,900 when he solved the same-letter puzzle, 'Satire Skits Slapstick.'

L.J. racked up even more money by winning a couple of 'Toss Up' puzzles and went on to stockpile more cash than his competitors from Illinois and Texas. He then got to play the game's bonus round, where he won a brand-new Nissan.

Making a Valiant Effort

Check out Lionel's bonus round win in the video below. Not only did he make a 'valiant effort,' he made puzzle solving look easy as he filled in the missing letters and blurted out the words 'Valiant Effort' to host Pat Sajak. Lionel jumped up and down and embraced his girlfriend after Sajak revealed that he had won a new car.

By the end of the game, Holmes had racked up $21,900 in cash and a car that's valued at more than $43,000.