Hershey's to give associate backing for Harvick.

American Candy company Hershey's will provide associate sponsorship for Kevin Harvick's #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for the entire 2003 Winston Cup season with its Reese's Peanut Butter Cup brand.

Hershey has been a part of almost 250 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races and has visited victory lane seven times over the past decade with three of the circuit's legendary drivers and a driver writing his name in the record books.

Wynn Willard, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Hershey Foods Corp. announced on Friday that Hershey would have 36 more chances to visit victory lane in 2003 because it extended its sponsorship agreement with Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress Racing.

Absent from the Winston Cup Series since its last year of sponsorship of Bill Elliott in 2000, Reese's will return to the country's most popular motorsports series as the focus of Hershey's sponsorship of Harvick, the GM Goodwrench team and Richard Childress Racing.

"Hershey Foods Corp. and the Reese's brand are thrilled to once again partner with Richard Childress Racing, Kevin Harvick and the GM Goodwrench racing team," said Willard. "Everything in racing that Richard Childress touches seems to turn to gold, so we're counting on Richard and Kevin to take us to victory lane a few more times.

"We've been affiliated with Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, and for the past two seasons Kevin Harvick. That's three Hall of Fame drivers and a driver writing his own name in the record books en route to a Hall of Fame bid. We have a lot to be thankful for and that's why we're going to reward the fans this season with some hall-of-fame worthy promotions throughout 2003.

More than a decade ago, Hershey's first foray in NASCAR was a Reese's associate sponsorship of Roush Racing and Mark Martin, who took the chequered flag four times in 1995. Reese's next supported Bill Elliott from 1996-2000 in 152 events. Since 2001, Hershey's chocolate has been an associate sponsor of the GM Goodwrench team featuring Dale Earnhardt and Harvick, visiting victory lane three times.

"We're proud to extend our relationship with Hershey and begin our association with the Reese's brand," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. "We look forward to continuing the success that the Reese's brand has been a part of over the years. And it's always good to have a sponsor's product, like Hershey's, on all five of RCR's transporters."

H.B. Reese Candy Company began producing its Peanut Butter Cups, a uniquely cup-shaped combination of peanut butter and chocolate, in the 1920s, and they are celebrating their 75th birthday this year.