CENTER TOWNSHIP | Shirley Zirkel waited in a line of almost a dozen cars in order to take advantage of the $2.99 per gallon gas Friday afternoon at the Speed Mart station at Ind. 130 and Ind. 149 in the Valparaiso area.
"It was worth it," said Zirkel, of Hebron.
Customers like Zirkel are the beneficiaries of a long-standing gas war between Speed Mart and the Family Express station located nearby at Ind. 130 and County Road 250 West.
Speed Mart manager Kim Howe said the competition on Ind. 130 is obviously a "good thing" for drivers. And customers are especially grateful to see prices dip below $3 a gallon.
"They're loving it. They're seriously loving it," Howe said.
"They blow us kisses and tell us they love us and they won't go anywhere else."
Although there weren't lines Friday afternoon at Family Express, a steady stream of customers filled up on the station's $3.05 gas. Although not as low as Speed Mart's price -- as of Friday afternoon -- it was better than the $3.29 per gallon gas Family Express was selling a few miles down the road on West Lincolnway in Valparaiso.
Family Express workers said they couldn't comment on the gas war on Ind. 130, but Howe said Speed Mart generally has the lowest prices around and that forces the one Family Express store to follow suit.
Valparaiso resident Kim Neely, a regular customer at Speed Mart, called the $2.99 per gallon price "great."
At Family Express on Ind. 130, Valparaiso resident Diane Hodges was happy to save $3 on her fill-up by going to that Family Express location instead of another one.
Valparaiso resident Ed Johnson, who filled his Harley-Davidson motorcycle at Family Express on Ind. 130, figured he saved a few quarters because of the gas war.
Valparaiso resident Joe Urchick, who buys gas at whichever Ind. 130 station is the cheapest, said he was glad to take advantage of Friday's $2.99 price at Speed Mart.
"It is good to see low gas prices, especially driving an SUV," Urchick said.
"I wish it was lower. It's the cheapest you're going to find right now."
