It turns out that NASCAR has been running an internship program designed to help younger people get a leg up and break into the business in various capacities. That’s kind of nice, isn’t it? Professional auto racing is a very competitive and expensive sport to dive into, so some interested folks could likely use a helping hand. But there’s one problem with the racing organization’s “diversity internship program.” (You’re probably already able to guess where this is going.) People are welcome to apply, but only if they meet certain “racial criteria.” In other words… whites need not apply. And some legal analysts are already describing this to The Daily Wire as being “blatantly illegal.”

NASCAR offers a paid “diversity internship” that excludes white people from applying on the basis of their race, a stipulation a constitutional lawyer tells The Daily Wire is “blatantly illegal.”

The race car giant’s “diversity internship program” states that there are racial requirements that applicants must meet in order to be accepted.

The first bullet point listed under the heading “Program Requirements” reads “Be a member of one or more of the following races/ethnic minority classifications: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Latino or Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.”

According to one legal analyst, a program that discriminates wholly on the basis of race with no exceptions is in violation of Title VII and the 1866 Civil Rights Act. Any person who was forbidden to apply for the program based solely on their race should have standing to sue NASCAR and would have a solid chance of prevailing.

NASCAR also turns out to have a separate mentorship program specifically geared to attract and train new pit crew members for racing teams. It’s called the “Pit Crew Development Program,” which sounds innocent enough and appropriate for this sport. But when you read the fine print, it is described as a “comprehensive training program for aspiring minority and female pit crew members.” So that one is a little bit less restrictive since all females can apply. It’s just white males who can’t.

Somewhat hilariously, The Daily Wire also discovered that NASCAR’s job posting page proclaims the organization to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. It goes on to say that “All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race.” And in a twisted way, that may still be an accurate statement. It only applies to “all qualified applicants.” And since white males are not qualified to apply under their rules, apparently they don’t need to receive consideration for employment.

Now that this is going public, I can’t help but wonder what sort of blowback NASCAR will receive. How many times have we been over this already? You have to read the room. You have to know your target audience and how to relate to them. This is auto racing we’re talking about here. You know what the fans in the stands are like. These are the “Let’s Go Brandon” people. Your fan base is composed of working-class types, not the coastal elites. Are you really just trying to get the Bud Light treatment? Because it might be on the way once this news goes public.