Maryland mechanic lands $50k lottery win after friend’s advice

Maryland mechanic lands $50K lottery win after friend’s advice

February 5, 2026

BOYDS, MD – A Montgomery County mechanic turned an on-a-whim lottery stop into a $50,000 payday, a win he says will help launch a future house fund for his family.

Zachary Drennan of Boyds claimed the prize February 2 after scratching off a winning $10 50X the Cash ticket he purchased Friday, January 30. Drennan told lottery officials he plays inconsistently, sometimes buying a few tickets in a week and then going weeks without playing at all.

On the day of the win, Drennan and a fellow mechanic stopped at Crystal Rock Exxon on Germantown Road. He was preparing to buy a familiar game when his coworker suggested trying 50X the Cash, a new scratch-off that debuted earlier in January.

The two scratched their tickets at the gas station. Before his coworker finished checking his own ticket, Drennan realized he had uncovered a $50,000 prize. He said the shock of the win sent him rushing back to the car, focused on getting the ticket home safely and figuring out how to claim it.

The 50X the Cash game launched January 9 with nine $100,000 top prizes and ten second-tier $50,000 prizes. As of Drennan’s claim, eight of the top prizes and nine of the $50,000 prizes remain in circulation. Crystal Rock Exxon, which sold the winning ticket, is located at 19815 Germantown Road in Germantown.

  • $50,000 winning ticket purchased January 30
  • Ticket sold at Crystal Rock Exxon in Germantown
  • Prize will go toward a future home fund

Drennan said the unexpected win will be set aside to help his family work toward buying a new home, turning a routine stop for gas and lottery tickets into a major financial boost.

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