Diversity intermship program enters seventh year

NASCAR Diversity Internship Program Enters Seventh Year

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 14, 2006) -- The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced details of the seventh annual NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. The program, which began last Monday, gives 23 college students the opportunity to complete a 10-week, paid summer internship within the NASCAR industry. The 2006 program runs through August 12.

"This program is one of several NASCAR diversity initiatives aimed at introducing the professional opportunities available within the industry to diverse students," said NASCAR Director of Diversity Tish Sheets. "For six years the internship program has successfully matched aspiring students with full-time positions in the NASCAR industry. The support of NASCAR partners has helped keep the internship program running strong."

The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program features internships offered by NASCAR offices, sponsors, licensees, teams, tracks and broadcast partners. In addition to NASCAR corporate offices, the following companies are participating in 2006: Allstate, California Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Motor Racing Network (MRN), Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR SpeedParks (in Concord Mills, N.C., Myrtle Beach, S.C., St. Louis and Sevierville, Tenn.), Octagon, Penske Racing South, Richard Childress Racing, Robert Yates Racing, Roush Racing, Sears, Roebuck and Co., SPEED (FOX Entertainment Group) and Sprint Nextel.

The current intern class began their NASCAR experience with a two-day orientation session aimed at introducing them to the NASCAR industry, the internship program and NASCAR's diversity initiatives. The orientation included tours of the NASCAR R&D Center and Hendrick Motorsports as well as visits to NASCAR SpeedPark in Concord Mills and Lowe's Motor Speedway for a ride with the Jeff Gordon Racing School.

Over 130 students have participated in the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program since its inception in 2000. These interns have gained experience working in marketing, engineering, public relations, licensing and various other areas. Through their intern experiences, several of these students have earned full-time positions.

Each year, the internships are available to college juniors, seniors and graduate students across the country. To be eligible, students must be in good standing with their school and community, must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and provide an official copy of their school transcript. In addition to the internship program, NASCAR awards diversity scholarships in tribute to NASCAR legend Wendell Scott and has a college tour that visits Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions.

Below is a list of the students and their colleges. More information on the internship program is available at www.diversityinternships.com.

{TB2 2006 NASCAR Diversity Internship Class

Student               School                                    Internship
Sasha Blake           Hofstra University                        Sprint Nextel/ Octagon
Heather Callahan      Columbia College                          Daytona USA
Alicia Clutter        Miami University                          NASCAR SpeedPark, Myrtle Beach
Erika Davis           Hampton University                        NASCAR SpeedPark, Concord Mills
Eduardo Escalante     University of Michigan                    NASCAR
Serra Garcia          University of Southern California         NASCAR Digital Entertainment
Rachel Griffin        Northern Michigan University              Richard Childress Racing
Corey Hawthorne       Xavier University                         NASCAR
Benjamin Horton       University of Miami                       Sears (Craftsman)
Helen Hsu             University of Michigan                    NASCAR SpeedPark, Smoky Mountains
Kiir Knight           North Carolina A&T State University       Motor Racing Network
Brian Lance           University of Michigan                    Michigan International Speedway
Denise Lopez          University of California, Riverside       California Speedway
Coreea McCoppin       Johnson C. Smith University               Sprint Nextel/ Octagon
Luis Mora             University of Louisville                  Kansas Speedway
Warren Nance Jr.      Winston-Salem State University            Robert  Yates Racing
Nina Patel            Duke University                           ALLSTATE
Romola Ratnam         New York University                       NASCAR
Angel Samalot-Quiles  University of Puerto Rico                 Hendrick Motorsports
Britni Swann          North Carolina A&T State University       NASCAR
Yuko Tsubura          California State University, Fullerton    Penske Racing South
Keishawn White        University of Louisville                  Roush Racing
Lenita Williams       North Carolina A&T State University       FOX     (SPEED)

-nascar