RUDD RETURNS TO BRISTOL TO RACE UNDER THE LIGHTS

CHARLOTTE, NC (August 21, 2007) – The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series travels to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 under the lights. Ricky Rudd will race the #88 Snickers® Ford at Bristol where earlier in the 2007 season Rudd ran the bright yellow PEDIGREE® Brand Food for Dogs paint scheme and fell victim to a wreck late in the race. Since March, Bristol Motor Speedway has undergone a resurfacing project leaving NEXTEL Cup Series drivers wondering how fast the new track surface will be during the race.

Quoting Snickers Driver, Ricky Rudd:
How do physics come into play when you race at Bristol?

“Bristol is just one heck of a place, and to me it’s always one of the toughest tracks we race at even though the speeds are not that fast. You definitely feel the G-force at Bristol more than we do at any other race track and those forces can take their toll on you. In regards to racing at Bristol, you know that it can be a four hour race and it just beats you up physically. Drivers have to make sure that their seat is fitted exactly right because there is no physical way you can hold yourself up unless you are braced in properly. The seats are so much better today, but Bristol is still a very physical track on drivers.”

When you get out of the car at the end of a race at Bristol, what are you feeling?

“It almost feels like motion sickness. It never hits me while we’re racing, but as soon as we stop and get out of the car, you start to feel light-headed and get kind of sick to your stomach. It just takes a few moments after the race for your body to readjust back from the constant force and motion you have been under for all those laps.”

• NOTES OF INTEREST:

* Rudd will make his 58th start at Bristol this weekend, which is the most all-time career starts of all NEXTEL Cup Series drivers * Rudd has an average starting position of 13.5, and an average finish of 14.9 at Bristol * Rudd has completed 24,404 of 28,165 laps at Bristol (86.6 percent) and has led 605 laps * Rudd’s best start at Bristol was from the pole position which he accomplished in 1984 for the Valleydale 500 * Rudd’s best finish at Bristol is second which he accomplished four times

• ABOUT MARS US:

Mars US is the United States food, snack and pet care operations of Mars, Incorporated, one of the world's leading food manufacturers. With more than $7 billion in annual sales in the U.S., the combined food, snack and pet care segments are a symbol of excellence for quality brands. Headquartered in Hackettstown, New Jersey, Mars US employs more than 9,000 associates in the United States, with 52 facilities nationwide. The company owns some of the world's favorite brands, including M&M'S® Brand, SNICKERS® Brand, UNCLE BEN'S® Brand, PEDIGREE® Brand Food for Dogs, and WHISKAS® Brand Food for Cats.

• CHASSIS #709

Chassis #709 is the chassis the #88 Snickers Racing team will be running this weekend for the Sharpie 500. This is the same Car of Tomorrow chassis the team raced earlier in the season at Dover for the Autism Speaks 400 as well as at Phoenix for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 and at Darlington for the Dodge Avenger 500.