Burton surprises fan with new No. 31 Prilosec Chevy

BARNESVILLE, Md. -- When Jeff Burton drove a purple Chevy Monte Carlo SS with the No. 31 Prilosec OTC paint scheme to the driveway of Kathryn Cooley of Barnesville, Md, on Tuesday, he became the latest in a line of NASCAR drivers surprising fans on behalf of his sponsor.

Cooley, 64 and utterly delighted to see Burton, was doing laundry when he came knocking on her door. Now she's the winner of one of the most generous sweepstakes in sports, "The Prilosec OTC Victory of a Lifetime."

Jeff Burton and Kathryn Cooley

The soft-spoken grandmother is still beholden to Richard Petty. She closely follows NASCAR but didn't pull for Burton in particular until seeing a Prilosec OTC newspaper coupon (she suffers from acid reflux) and entering the Victory of a Lifetime Sweepstakes on the Web.

Cooley was thrilled to meet a driver she says, "is a good display of what NASCAR is and should be. It's important for my grandkids to look up to these drivers. Jeff, like so many others, is a quality family man who brings respect."

The car Burton delivered and the promise of an unforgettable 2008 Sprint Cup Series season made the day all the sweeter.

"I never imagined I would be delivering a purple Chevy to a 64-year old female race fan," Burton said. "I have to admit it was pretty cool. The expression on Kathryn's face when I opened the door was priceless. She was overjoyed, which makes doing things like this worthwhile."

After Burton dropped off her new ride, Cooley and her husband took a spin. The slick Chevy with lightning bolt decals and 5.3-liter V8 engine elicited double-takes on the streets of Barnesville, especially when husband Jack squealed the tires. Kathryn may be the grandmother with the hottest, fastest car in all of Maryland.

But the new Monte Carlo was just part of the prize. Cooley will be attending 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2008. She, Jack and two guests will fly first class, get VIP treatment at the tracks, meet team owner Richard Childress, tour the RCR shop, and even have lunch at RCR Vineyards.

Cooley, a lifelong resident of Barnesville, has attended NASCAR races at Dover and Richmond International Raceway, tracks close to home. She once took Jack, who introduced her to NASCAR, to Daytona International Speedway as a gift.

But with health issues and the cost of travel, she's not had the chance to see other tracks or parts of the country. Now recovering from cancer, she's said Burton's surprise visit is "just what the doctor ordered." She's eager to go to places like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Fontana, and Loudon, N.H.

"My whole life, I really wanted to see other parts of the U.S. With NASCAR thrown in, that's just great," Cooley said.

Prilosec OTC named it right. For Kathryn Cooley, the 2008 season will truly be the Victory of a Lifetime.