Pilot was selling regular unleaded for $2.99 per gallon "to get people to come look at our beautiful facility," general manager Craig Killmeyer said.
Exxon dropped its price because "we're loyal to our customers and wanted to provide the same price," district manager Susan Tibbens said.
Local people also treat the AC&T at the Exxon as a convenience store, where they buy staple groceries, she said.
Exxon's price was reduced to $2.99 per gallon Tuesday, and the station was so busy Wednesday that workers had to direct traffic, Tibbens said.
Killmeyer and Tibbens both said they do not know how long unleaded gas at their respective stations would remain at $2.99.
"It's not going to last," said Gary Hoffman of Halfway, who was filling his vehicle at Exxon after friends told him about the low prices.
Hoffman said it seemed as though the Pilot and Exxon stations were having a "gas war."
Martin's was busy Thursday after its corporate office decided to change the price from $3.29 per gallon for unleaded to $2.99, Vicky Campanelli said.
Campanelli was told to change the prices Thursday about 9:30 a.m., she said. The price change was made because Pilot was charging $2.99 per gallon, she said.
John Goldschmidt travels up and down the East Coast for his job with McDonald's corporate office, and said he hasn't seen unleaded gas cost less than $3.25 per gallon anywhere lately.
Goldschmidt has been helping to open the McDonald's at the Pilot center this week, and has noticed nonstop activity at the gas pumps, he said.
"It's nonstop, these pumps," he said. "They're the most crowded gas pumps I've ever seen."
When asked whether the Pilot station was making a profit at the price it was selling gasoline, a spokeswoman said she couldn't discuss pricing information, citing antitrust regulations.
