Last hurrah: M&M's to sponsor Pocono Raceway NASCAR Cup Series race with focus on fans

Frank Piscani, Pocono Record
·2 min read
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Pocono Raceway and Mars announced Tuesday morning that M&M's will be the title sponsor for July's NASCAR Cup Series race.

The M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 is set to cap off a weekend of fan appreciation events as Mars continues celebrating its final season sponsoring NASCAR. Mars, the parent company of M&M's, first sponsored NASCAR in 1990.

"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," Pocono Raceway President Ben May said. "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."

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Highlighting the race weekend is a panel that will feature former M&M's drivers David Gilliland, Ernie Irvan and Ken Schrader and current M&M's driver Kyle Busch. The group, led by NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little, will look back on Mars' 32 years partnered with NASCAR.

Fans will be able to ask questions on social media and have opportunities to win autographed merchandise from the M&M's drivers.

The candy company plans to invite the biggest M&M's racing fans to Pocono Raceway as VIP fans, the company said in a press release. Mars will also select one fan to be the race's grand marshal.

"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,'" said Anton Vincent, the president of Mars Wrigley North America.

Kyle Busch poses with his No. 18 M&M's Toyota after winning the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond on Sunday, June 27, 2021.
Kyle Busch poses with his No. 18 M&M's Toyota after winning the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond on Sunday, June 27, 2021.

The iconic No. 18 yellow M&M's car found success at the Tricky Triangle as recently as 2021, when Kyle Busch won the second leg of the Cup Series doubleheader.

Though the doubleheader won't return to Pocono in 2022, the superspeedway has a jam-packed race weekend planned with NASCAR's Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series races set for July 23 and the ARCA Menards Series race for July 22. The M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 Cup Series race will take place July 24.

"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," Busch said in the press release.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pocono Raceway, M&M's to celebrate NASCAR sponsor's final season