SNICKERS® Prepares To Take A 'Bite' Out Of The NASCAR Nationwide Series™

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Mars Chocolate North America announced the company's SNICKERS® Brand inked a new partnership with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) that will feature development driver Kyle Larson taking the wheel of a SNICKERS® Bites car during upcoming NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races in Richmond and Chicago.

Larson will pilot the No. 32 SNICKERS® Bites Chevrolet Camaro at the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway on September 6, as well as the Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca-Cola on September 15 at Chicagoland Speedway.

SNICKERS® Bites are a new hunger-satisfying innovation introduced earlier this year that offers the trademark SNICKERS® combination of chocolate, peanuts, caramel and nougat shrunk down in small, no fuss milk chocolate cubes. The unwrapped treats are ideal for sharing, whether you're watching a movie, attending a gathering or cheering on the No. 32 as it speeds towards victory lane.  SNICKERS® Bites are available nationwide at club, convenience, drug, grocery, mass, specialty and value stores.

"We're thrilled to partner with such a storied organization as Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, as well as build upon our longstanding position as the official chocolate of NASCAR," said Roy Benin, Chief Consumer Officer at Mars Chocolate North America. "We've been involved in this amazing sport for more than 20 years, so we're well aware of the value this partnership offers for SNICKERS® Bites."

"We are very happy to make this announcement about a partnership with Mars and their SNICKERS® Bites brand," said Steve Lauletta, President, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams.  "We think they are a perfect brand fit for a young future star like Kyle Larson."

Only 21, Larson has already found success on the track, securing the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship, as well as the corresponding series Rookie of the Year award. Over the past season in the NNS, Larson has logged 14 Top-10s which includes two second place finishes behind the wheel of the No. 32 Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in just 24 races. He has also notched a win and a second place finish in just two races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving the No. 30 Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in 2013. A Japanese-American, Larson is also a graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. Larson currently sits seventh in the NNS standings.

"I'm very excited at the opportunity to run the SNICKERS® Bites Chevy Camaro in both Richmond and Chicago," said Larson. "It is always great to run with such an iconic brand on your car and the SNICKERS® brand is huge.  I can't wait to get behind the wheel."

For more information about SNICKERS® Bites, visit www.facebook.com/snickers.

About Mars Chocolate North America:

Mars Chocolate North America is the North American chocolate operations of 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 philosophy of a "mutuality of benefits" for all stakeholders – this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today.  Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion and six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience. More than 65,000 Associates worldwide are putting our Mars Principles in action every day to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.

Mars brands include: Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Petcare – PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR® and ROYAL CANIN®; Wrigley – ORBIT®, EXTRA®, STARBURST®, DOUBLEMINT® and SKITTLES®; Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – SERAMIS®, CIRKU™ and COCOAVIA™.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com.

About Chip Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world.  Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.  Overall his teams have 15 championships and over 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five Rolex 24 At Daytonas.  Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.   For more information log onto www.earnhardtganassi.com

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America

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