NASCAR Bringing Race To San Diego Naval Base In 2026

CORONADO, Calif. — NASCAR has landed on a unique way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy.

It will race on a naval base.

NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete June 21, 2026 on a still-to-be-finalized course on Naval Base Coronado, capping a weekend that will include a Craftsman Truck Series race June 19 and an Xfinity Series race June 20.

"This is another historic moment for our sport," NASCAR Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy said.

The event outside of San Diego will be the first NASCAR points race in Southern California since 2023 and replaces the Chicago Street Race on the 2026 schedule, albeit not on the July 4 weekend.

The idea of racing on a military base has been floated the last few years in NASCAR schedule discussions and was an idea that Kennedy said "felt like just such a natural opportunity for us to explore."

"We've talked to a handful of military bases," Kennedy said. "This one was a really good fit for us. ... .We felt like it was a good opportunity for us to get back to Southern California market and re-engage our fans."

The course will be roughly three miles and will utilize the tarmac and the apron areas of the runways but likely not the runways themselves, said Kennedy, who oversees NASCAR’s scheduling and new events. The course will be designed to also limit disruptions of base operations.

Kennedy said NASCAR expects "tens of thousands" of fans to be able to attend the event. NASCAR will have a general admission ticket that would allow people to roam to various temporary grandstands as well as to visit military displays. There also will be temporary suites erected for the event.

NASCAR is partnering with Sports San Diego for promotion of the event, which for now is a