Mars Extends Winning Partnership With Joe Gibbs Racing

Announces Multi-Year Renewal with Team

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Nov 17, 2015, 09:00 ET

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On the cusp of his first potential NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship which would cap an amazing comeback season, Kyle Busch and his team at Joe Gibbs Racing have even more reason to celebrate. Today, Mars, Inc. finalized a multi-year contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) that will continue the winning alliance for the next several seasons.

The new agreement with JGR cements one of the longest-standing and most successful partnerships not only in NASCAR, but in all of sports. Kyle Busch has piloted the No. 18 Toyota and dozens of Mars, Inc.'s iconic brands including M&M'S® Brand, SNICKERS® Brand, SKITTLES® Brand, DOUBLE MINT® Brand and PEDIGREE® Brand to victory lane 29 times since 2008, as well as 15 poles and 142 top ten finishes.

"In order to get to victory lane, you have to have the best team on and off the track," said William Clements, Vice President, Sponsorships, Mars. "Our partnership with JGR and Kyle has routinely delivered for us at the track, as well as in-store and with millions of fans. We look forward to the opportunity to continue to build upon this amazing partnership."

"When working with a partner, collaboration, teamwork and a burning desire to win inspires us as a team, and Mars is the epitome of those qualities," added Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. "Their brands have been a big part of our sport and team for a long time and we're honored to carry them on the No. 18 for the foreseeable future."

"Representing Mars, Inc's family of brands on the No. 18 since 2008 has been an honor, and knowing they are committed to JGR for the next several seasons is awesome," said Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota. "Their support for me, my family and everyone at JGR has been incredible and this energizes me to work even harder for them and the team."

To learn more about M&M'S^® Racing, visit them on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MMSRacing.

About Mars, Incorporated
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® and LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR XFINITY Series teams and a driver development program. Its 2015 driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards in the Sprint Cup Series. Meanwhile Daniel Suarez will run fulltime in the NASCAR XFINITY Series as one of JGR's three teams with Erik Jones coming on board to run a partial schedule along with Busch, Hamlin, Kenseth, and Kenny Habul. Cody Coughlin is currently in JGR's driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs — a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame — JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and four Nationwide Series owner's championships along with more than 200 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.