Looking for Highly Motivated Individuals for Exciting Internship Opportunity

Lowe's Motor Speedway needs highly motivated interns with a desire to excel in the areas of public relations, project management, corporate sales, event planning and management, logistics, restaurant and hospitality, finance and sports broadcasting. College students and recent graduates with a wide range of backgrounds and degrees - including Sports Management, English, Political Science, Marketing, Journalism and Engineering -- have gone from our program to rewarding careers. The internships are unpaid but offer serious, career-minded students great work experience and the opportunity to form valuable relationships.

Application Process

Required Materials. Those interested in applying for an internship must submit several written materials and go through and interview process. All applicants must submit the following by mail: (i) cover letter, (ii) resume and (iii) a completed application form that includes a personal statement. The application form can be downloaded and printed by clicking here. The completed application materials must be mailed to: Lowe's Motor Speedway, Attention: Jessica Whitley Eason, P.O. Box 600, Concord, NC 28026.

Semesters and Application Timelines. Internship positions will be available in the spring, summer and fall semesters. Deadlines for applications for each semester follow:

Spring Semester: Application is due November 1. Internship Begins January 3.

Summer Semester: Application is due April 1. Internship Begins June 1.

Fall Semester: Application is due July 1. Internship Begins September 1.

Reviewing Applications, Interviews and Hiring

Who can apply and what's expected. College students and recent college graduates who apply will be considered for internships. While sports and motorsports management degrees are increasing in popularity, there is no course of study that is required for internships and all will be considered. Applicants are expected to be motivated and be willing to work a minimum of 20 hours a week including nights and weekends during events.

Incomplete Applications. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. In the event someone submits an incomplete application, the applicant will be asked to submit the missing information, and upon receipt of that missing material, the completed application will be reviewed.

Number of Internship Positions Available. LMS has no set number of internship positions but has had as many as 12 interns at a time. The numbers will vary depending on need and the strength of applicants.

Belmont Abbey Program and other schools. LMS will work closely with Belmont Abbey College to provide six students of that school an internship each semester. Belmont Abbey is located 20 miles west of the speedway in Belmont, North Carolina. Belmont Abbey College is a liberal arts institution founded in 1876 with about 1,000 students. Applicants from Belmont Abbey will be given first consideration for all internship positions until these six designated positions have been filled. Once these initial six positions have been filled or it is determined that six students from Belmont Abbey are not available, applicants from any college will be considered. LMS recognizes that the many other schools in the Carolinas offering motorsports degrees are a natural source for interns. College students and recent graduates in the area, across North Carolina and around the country are encouraged to apply. Those accepting an offer for an internship position who live out of state or a great distance from Concord, North Carolina will have to cover all expenses of relocating to the area.

Interviews and hiring. Applicants may be called for an initial telephone interview by the coordinators of the internship program. Application materials of eligible applicants will then be circulated to the various departments at LMS, which, at their discretion depending on their needs, will set up and conduct interviews with select applicants.

The Program

Orientation for Interns. After an applicant accepts the offer of an internship, they will be asked to sign a simple statement of agreement that, among other things, sets forth the interns understanding that the internship is not paid and does not guarantee or imply future employment; in addition, it includes a covenant of confidentiality. Interns are also asked to provide us with emergency contact information and fill out a tax form in the event they are paid the Semester Stipend (explained below). Sometime during the first week of their internship, LMS will treat interns to lunch in the Speedway Club to welcome them on board.

Semester Stipend. Internships are unpaid positions at LMS. However, as a token of gratitude, all interns who complete the semester internship and work the race events held during the semester internship will receive a stipend in the range of $200 to $500.

Intern Responsibilities. The daily responsibilities of interns will be established and supervised by the respective departments in which the interns work.

School Credits. Some interns will seek or be required by their schools to get academic credit for completing an internship. While the LMS employees will be available to work with interns to secure the necessary authorizations for such credit (including necessary communication with the colleges), it will be the responsibility of each intern to arrange for the completion of all necessary paperwork to certify course credit.

Additional Inquiries

If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to follow the application process set forth above. Should you have additional inquiries, you can contact Jessica Whitley Eason, Intern Coordinator, at jwhitley@lowesmotorspeedway.com.

Department Descriptions
The following are short descriptions of the various departments at LMS that regularly look for interns and some of the skills that each looks for in interns.

LMS Marketing and Public Relations Department. This department offers interns practical experience writing press releases, planning press conferences and executing promotions for our events. The Marketing and PR Department typically selects two interns per semester and prefer students who wish to pursue a career in the public relations or media industry. Strong writing skills are a plus and public relations or journalism majors are preferred.

LMS Ticket Sales Department. The Ticket Sales Department offers hands on experience in ticket sales and customer relations. Interns must be comfortable interacting with customers and visitors to LMS. Interns are expected to become part of the team fulfilling orders, providing customer service and problem solving; interns, like all working in the Ticket Sales Department, must be flexible and willing to work with other departments. Internship opportunities are available in the spring, summer and fall semesters. This department sells tickets daily for all LMS and Dirt Track events. Interns will assist in mass mailings and help maintain a master database of fans by updating information as needed.

LMS Events Department. The Events Department offers interns practical experience in the production and promotion of national, regional and grassroots events. Our internships are available for all sessions.

We are seeking quick-learning and self-starting candidates who desire to gain an extensive working knowledge of NASCAR, short-track and static events. In addition to assisting in administrative and office duties, candidates will be required to assist in the hanging of promotional banners, posters and signs, lifting and moving of event supplies and equipment, painting of stunt and novelty vehicles, registration and sign-in of competitors, ticket sales and various other race day duties. Additional non-event duties may include assisting other departments with promotional appearances, covering telephones, data entry, receiving shipments, stuffing mailers, etc.

Candidates must be courteous, friendly, organized, outgoing, professional and tactful and be able to deal effectively with frequent interruptions in a demanding environment. Due to the dynamic nature of the business, multi-tasking skills and the ability to think on the fly are a must. Candidates will be expected to anticipate, suggest solutions to and deal with problems. Candidates must be team players, exhibit excellent interpersonal skills, telephone and email skills and organizational skills. Excellent computer and customer relations skills are a must. Knowledge of the short-track racing industry is a plus.

LMS Finance. The Finance department offers hands on experience working in the finance department of an SEC company. This department seeks interns with in both an interest in, and basic knowledge of, accounting. Responsibilities would include cost analysis, financial statement reviews, assisting with the internal controls of the company and event time finance activities. Internship opportunities are available all year long.

LMS Customer Services & Logistics. The Logistics Department seeks interns who have strong organizational skills and an ability to work Microsoft Office deftly. Interns in this department need exceptional interpersonal and communications skills and must be able to multitask in a fast-paced environment. Responsibilities include event planning and guest services/hospitality. Interns will need to help with the logistics of security, parking, ushers, ticket takers, and event management that is key to any events at LMS - especially the highly charged NASCAR events with over 150,000 fans in attendance. Criminal Justice applicants are encouraged as we coordinate with local and state law enforcement.

LMS Corporate Sales Department. This department involves working with clients and sponsors on a national, regional and local level. The Corporate Sales Department focuses on fully developing integrated marketing partnerships between the client and the speedway. This department seeks outgoing, creative, highly motivated, can-do individuals with good communication skills. The Corporate Sales Department looks for two interns each semester.

The Speedway Club. The Speedway Club is a private dining and banquet club that hosts a wide range of events for its members. The Speedway Club looks for interns with a combination of management skills to be put to use in both a finer dining restaurant and with large volume catered events. In addition, the club seeks interns who are enthusiastic and desire to assist in marketing member events and the Club's products and helping to coordinate and manage such events. Interns with skills in graphics and related computer applications may be asked to do such projects as redesign brochures and assist in the publication of a quarterly magazine. The club needs interns who can devote some evening and weekend hours, which is necessary to maximize the potential of this internship opportunity.

Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) National Sales & Marketing. SMI National Sales and Marketing Department, part of the parent company of LMS and five other national speedways (among other motorsports related subsidiaries). This department is looking for interns who are dependable, tactful, creative and motivated who have the ability and composure to work major NASCAR events at LMS. The hours for this department at event time can require early morning arrivals, late night departures and weekends. Interns need a driver's license and car and need computer skills in Word, navigating the internet, power point and Excel. Interns are expected to keep a regular work schedule (exceptions allowed for school as necessary). Various intern responsibilities include research, report preparation, customer service, administrative assistance, and flexibility to pitch in with other departments as need be.

Speedway Children's Charity (SCC). SCC needs interns in four areas: communications, development, events, and computer development. The communications intern would act as a liaison with our part time Public Relations Professional and the marketing department so that information can be compiled for any press release or public announcements; this intern would compile contacts for all media outlets and track media mentions of past events for showcasing to prospective sponsors. The development intern would assist in designing and implementing future sponsorship proposals for presentations and help design ways to track leads and increase proposals. The event intern would assist in organizing promotional events by detailing action items and timelines necessary for event success and then during events get hands-on experience by helping coordinate behind the scenes. The computer development intern would design marketing tools to use for printed and on-line presentations to the Board of Trustees, Directors and Committee Members. All interns for SCC would be expected to help maintain and compile relevant databases and contact lists for better communication.

600 Racing. 600 Racing manufactures and distributes smaller-scale modified racing cars that compete in the INEX Legends, Bandoleros and Thunder Roasdster Racing Series. Interns at 600 Racing will assist in a range of areas including manufacturing, sales and marketing and regulation of the various racing series. The Dirt Track @ LMS. Interns working the Dirt Track get practical experience in the production and promotion of national, regional and grassroots short track racing events at both The Dirt Track and the Lowe's Motor Speedway front-stretch quarter-mile oval. Our season begins in April and ends in October; internships at the Dirt Track are available in all semesters, but the greatest need is in the spring and summer semesters.

Performance Racing Network (PRN). PRN broadcasts live radio play-by-play NASCAR action and also syndicates five racing programs to over 700 stations nationwide. PRN is looking for motivated and energetic interns with a desire to excel in the fields of motor sports, marketing, sales, public relations, and broadcasting. Interns with PRN are given the opportunity to work in many areas including sales, affiliations and on-air broadcasting. An sampling of intern responsibilities include: researching new clients, assisting in proposals and presentations, data input, assisting in broadcast production, processing affidavits.