Houston Texans Fan Drives into the New Year in a Cat UTV

Not many people have the opportunity to end their year by riding off the NRG Stadium field in their brand new Cat® UTV with thousands of fans cheering in the stands. But that’s exactly what Zane Mussulman did during a timeout at the Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game on December 30, 2018.

It all started in June 2018, when Scott Bowen of Mustang Cat, Wes Brown, director of corporate development and Andrew Jacobs, partnership marketing representative of the Houston Texans, teamed up to begin brainstorming ideas for a one-of-a-kind fan appreciation game day giveaway. Mustang Cat had recently signed on to become a Cat UTV dealer, and Bowen knew this could be a great opportunity to award a lucky fan with this all-new Caterpillar machine. To make the prize even sweeter—Mustang Cat customized the Cat CUV82 model with a Houston Texans vehicle wrap and custom wheels. Next, Brown and Jacobs began coordinating the giveaway with a primary goal in mind … driving the UTV out onto the NRG Stadium field and handing over the keys during the December 30th game. 

“We had never given away a utility vehicle on the field before. This was a first-time thing for us,” said Brown. “There were definitely some logistics involved, but we were determined to make it happen—especially for Mustang Cat because we truly appreciate their partnership.”

Once the plans were coordinated, Mustang Cat and the Texans launched the giveaway contest on social media—receiving about 1,000 entries in just two weeks. Mussulman heard about the contest through one of his friends and decided to try his luck. 

Less than a week later, Mussulman was on the stadium field during a 3rd quarter timeout watching his grand prize drive toward him in front of thousands of fans.

“I’ve been driving it all over the neighborhood. And I have to say, this thing is well-built - it’s beefy!”

“I have never won anything in my life. And now I’m on the field during a Texans game in hands reach of the players—it was surreal,” said Mussulman. “I was supposed to grab the keys from one of the cheerleaders but I was so excited, I just ran past her and jumped into the UTV!”

A few weeks after the UTV arrived at Mussulman’s home, we caught up with him to see what he thought of his one-of-a-kind Cat machine. 

“It’s been two weeks and I’m still in awe! The guys at Mustang Cat got it all cleaned up and made sure everything was in good shape, and right after New Year’s I drove out there to pick it up,” he explained. “I’ve been driving it all over the neighborhood. And I have to say, this thing is well-built—it’s beefy!”

Mussulman is no stranger to UTVs, as many of his friends own them and they often go trail-riding on the weekends. Right off the bat, he noticed the quality and features that stood out about his new Cat UTV—things such as the intuitive controls, spacious cab, comfortable seat and overall superior engineering. He’s also been impressed with his experiences with Scott Bowen and the team at Mustang Cat.

“Scott was very reassuring. He gave me his cell phone number and told me to call him with any questions. I’ve called him a few times and haven’t gotten his voicemail once.”

Musselman plans on using his new UTV for work around the house, helping neighbors with yard projects like pulling out trees, putting the neighborhood golf carts to shame and joining his friends on the trails—this time in the driver seat of his very own UTV.

“Projects like this are a lot of work,” said Bowen. “But seeing people smile and the impact Cat products have on them makes it all worth it.” 

To learn more about the all-new Cat UTVs and when they’ll arrive at a dealer near you, visit https://www.cat.com/UTV.

GET THE LATEST STORIES AND TIPS FROM CATERPILLAR – SIGN UP FOR OUR E-NEWSLETTER