Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing have been sponsored by M&M's since 2008. (Photo by George ... [+]
M&M’s will be the entitlement sponsor for its first Nascar Cup Series race in its final season as a sponsor for Joe Gibbs Racing. The candy brand will sponsor the Cup race at Pocono Raceway on July 24.
The title sponsorship is an investment by Mars Wrigley as it continues its farewell tour in its final year as the main sponsor on Kyle Busch’s No. 18 car. The event will be called the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400, and it will feature several tributes to the brand’s three decades in Nascar.
And the New Jersey-based company is excited for the weekend to come.
“For more than 30 years, Mars has inspired moments of happiness through the colorful fun of the M&M’S brand for Nascar fans all over the country,” Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America, said. “During our final year and, in our
The M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway is M&M's first-ever Cup Series sponsorship for a ... [+]
backyard race, Mars wants to celebrate one of the best fan bases in the world with a Mars-sized ‘thank you.’ The M&M’s brand has celebrated many Nascar successes and we are grateful for the Nascar fans.”
Until now, the only Nascar events M&M’s sponsored were a handful of Camping World Truck Series events at Iowa Speedway.
At Pocono Raceway, Nascar on FOX's Jamie Little will host a discussion with former M&M's drivers David Gilliland, Ken Schrader, alongside Busch.
“The entire Mars organization is incredibly special to me, and we want to commemorate our history together with the fan celebrations during the M&M’S Fan Appreciation 400,” Busch said. “From the M&M’S Pocono Raceway festivities to the fans and Mars associates we’ll be bringing to the track, we couldn’t be more excited to honor those that have made this partnership so fun. I can’t wait to see everyone there.”
In March, Vincent said Mars Wrigley is leaving Nascar not because of any issues with the sport, but due to an evolving business model.
“There’s a lot of consumer interest and other passion points we need to get to,” he said at the time. “We love the sport and we’ve supported the sport when the sport was going through all of its changes, through all of the ups and downs.
“I think we get great credit for that and deserve that credit. There’s a bit of a shift in our sports marketing strategy. Our consumer base is very distributive.”
Mars Wrigley first entered Nascar in 1990, sponsoring Bobby Hillin Jr.’s No. 8 car with Snickers. Ever since, the firm has made its Nascar program one of its primary sports marketing investments, whether it be to promote existing products or help to launch new ones.
