M&M’S® Fan Appreciation 400 Will Celebrate NASCAR Fans and Mars Associates at the Company’s Hometown Track
NEWARK, NJ (May 24, 2022) – Today, M&M’S® ‘The Official Chocolate of NASCAR,’ announced the iconic brand will be the title sponsor at this year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, July 24. The brand will continue the season-long celebration of its more than three decades in the sport by using the race to pay special tribute to NASCAR fans and Mars Associates who have made the journey so memorable.
To kick off the celebrations, Mars will embark on a nationwide search on social media to identify some of the most active and passionate M&M’S Racing fans, who will be invited as VIP guests to the M&M’S Pocono race weekend. The fans selected will not only serve as M&M’S ambassadors throughout race weekend but will also have the chance to meet NASCAR legends and receive signed merchandise. One lucky M&M’S Mars fan will have the ultimate honor of serving as the Grand Marshal for the race.
“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,” said Anton Vincent, President of Mars Wrigley North America. “During our final year and, in our 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.
For fans attending the M&M’S Fan Appreciation 400, M&M’S will conduct a special discussion moderated by NASCAR pit reporter, Jamie Little, in the Pocono Raceway Fan Zone on the morning of the race. Current and former M&M’S drivers including Kyle Busch, David Gilliland, Ernie Irvan and Ken Schrader will cruise down memory lane, sharing stories of their time driving for the Mars’ brands. Fans at home will have the opportunity to tune into this special conversation on social media, where they can submit questions in advance and win signed merchandise from the panel of legends.
“The entire Mars organization is incredibly special to me, and we want to commemorate all of our history together with the fan celebrations during the M&M’S Fan Appreciation 400,” said Busch. “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!”
“We are honored to celebrate alongside M&M’S after 32 years of supporting NASCAR, by partnering together to show our appreciation for the greatest fan base in sport” said Ben May, President Pocono Raceway. “Creating lifelong memories and exciting experiences for Pocono Raceway and NASCAR fans is a passion for our team and to do it alongside one of the worlds iconic brands is a tremendous joy.”
To keep up to date with the M&M’S Fan Appreciation 400, be sure to check out M&M’S social media channels in the lead up to and throughout the race weekend.
ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us
Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 125,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’S®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL™, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses, including AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, and VCA™.
We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive. The Mars Compass, inspired by the Economics of Mutuality, is used to measure the company’s progress in service of its purpose; The world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today.
For more information about Mars, please visit mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT POCONO RACEWAY
Pocono Raceway, also known as ‘The Tricky Triangle,’ is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. In business for over 50 years, the Raceway hosts multiple, national motorsports events including the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series events each year. The facility’s calendar also consists of over 200 events including Tough Mudder and a wide range of car clubs and racing schools. Pocono Raceway is recognized as the world’s first, privately-owned solar-powered sports facility. Their 25-acre, three-megawatt solar farm provides the energy needs of the Raceway, as well as adds electricity to the local power grid. Each member of our raceway staff is committed to creating exciting experiences and lifelong memories. For more information, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.