UPDATE 3 – 7-23-2025: In celebration of the 250th anniversary of United States Navy, NASCAR will once again make history by hosting a brand-new street race at Naval Base Coronado as a highlight of the 2026 schedule. NASCAR San Diego will be a three-day full-throttle race weekend headlined by the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, on June 19-21, 2026.
“As part of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored for NASCAR to join the celebration as we host our first street race at a military base, Naval Base Coronado,” said Ben Kennedy, EVP, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer. “NASCAR San Diego Weekend will honor the Navy’s history and the men and women who serve as we take the best motorsports in the world to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.”
This second-ever Cup Series street course will take place on Sunday, June 21, 2026 and will be the first NASCAR event on an active military base. Bringing the full NASCAR National Series along for the celebration, the Cup Series event will be preceded by high-energy races for the Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races on Friday, June 19, 2026 and Saturday, June 20, 2026. The official NASCAR San Diego street course layout will be unveiled in the near future.
“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence. Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country,” said Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan. “From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR. We’re proud to open our gates to the American people, honor those who wear the uniform, and inspire the next generation to step forward and serve something greater than themselves.”
Naval Base Coronado, known as the “West Coast Quarterdeck”, is a consortium of nine Navy installations stretching from San Clemente Island 50 miles off the coast of Long Beach, CA to the Mountain Warfare Training Facility 50 miles east of San Diego. Naval Base Coronado supports the Navy’s mission by providing force generation infrastructure to support our Nation’s warfighters while delivering exceptional quality of life and wellness services for our Sailors and their families.
“As Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado and on behalf of the United States Navy, it’s an honor to partner with NASCAR at NAS North Island as part of our 250th anniversary celebration,” said Captain Loren Jacobi. “Hosting one of America’s premier motorsports events on this historic base reflects our partnership with the local community and our shared pride in the nation’s heritage. We are privileged to showcase the dedication of our Sailors alongside NASCAR’s finest as we celebrate our 250th anniversary.”
The NASCAR San Diego logo features an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which is recognized as only being flown by the U.S. Navy. The three stars in the logo signify land, sea, and air, which represents the Navy as the only branch of the military to operate in all three spaces. The arch represents the mission-style architecture found in San Diego. The stripes at the bottom of the logo represent the four largest United States Armed Force branches: Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy.
Today, NASCAR named Amy Lupo the NASCAR San Diego President. Lupo brings a proven track record of driving results with more than 25 years of success delivering unforgettable fan experiences at high-profile sporting events. Since joining NASCAR in 2021, Lupo helped launch the innovative and first-of-its-kind Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif., and has been instrumental in supporting other new NASCAR events.
Prior to NASCAR, Lupo spent more than 20 years at ESPN where she played a central role in the evolution and expansion of the X Games as well as leading global marketing efforts across all branded properties and ensuring a seamless synergy across ESPN and Disney platforms. Internationally, Lupo served as event director for X Games events in Tignes, Munich, and Sydney, overseeing all facets of planning and execution for the globally televised competition, and supported X Games events in 14 nations globally. Lupo has deep personal ties to her favorite city, San Diego, as she lived in-market early in her professional career and continues to live in Southern California.
“This a huge win for San Diego and we are so grateful to NASCAR for their partnership,” said Mark Neville, CEO, Sports San Diego. “Without a doubt, the NASCAR San Diego Weekend will have a significant and favorable impact on San Diego’s tourism and hospitality industry. On top of that, being the first ever NASCAR race on an active military base is going to be quite the spectacle and you can’t beat Naval Base Coronado.”
NASCAR is partnering with Sports San Diego on operational and promotional support for the NASCAR San Diego Weekend. Sports San Diego is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) with a purpose to drive visitor demand to economically benefit the San Diego region through producing, recruiting, supporting, and hosting world-class sports events. San Diego has hosted some of the largest events and most iconic brands in the world, including the Super Bowl, X Games, MLB All-Star Game, U.S. Open, Breeders’ Cup, and more. NASCAR San Diego now joins that illustrious history. Learn more at sportssandiego.org.
NASCAR San Diego’s Cup Series race will be the final race of Prime Video’s five-race broadcast window for 2026. The Xfinity Series race will air on The CW and the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race will be broadcast by FOX Sports.
Tickets for the 2026 NASCAR San Diego Weekend will go on-sale this fall. Tickets are expected to go fast, so fans can put down a deposit for advance pricing today at NASCARSanDiego.com. Additional details and elements of the weekend will be announced soon, and fans can follow @NASCARSanDiego on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest real-time updates on all aspects of the event.
The remainder of the 2026 schedules for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be announced in the near future.
— NASCAR —
Project: Race the Base.
We're bringing a different kind of speed to @USNavy Base Coronado in 2026. pic.twitter.com/A3mRh2x8bN
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 23, 2025
UPDATE 2 – 7-22-2025: San Diego is expected to be announced as the newest location for a NASCAR race, with Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado as the venue.
Multiple reports indicate that NASCAR will announce later this week that San Diego will host a race in 2026, replacing the Chicago street race which is going on pause.
ABC 10News has confirmed that the race will take place on Father’s Day weekend next June on the base at North Island.
The venue will provide spectacular views of San Diego Bay, Point Loma, the Coronado-Bay Bridge, and the San Diego skyline for racing fans.
— ABC 10 News —
UPDATE – 7-18-2025: NASCAR is headed for San Diego next season. RACER has learned a deal has been reached for NASCAR to return to Southern California next year, and the announcement of the event could come as soon as next week. San Diego has been a rumored destination of the sport for the last few months, and RACER noted last week that Coronado has recently floated about as the potential destination.
It is unclear where the exact location of next year’s race will be, or where it will fit onto the schedule.
— Racer —
ORIGINAL POST 6-18-2025: NASCAR is working toward finalizing a deal to race on a street course next year in the San Diego area, multiple industry sources told The Athletic, which would return its premier Cup Series to the Southern California market after a multi-year absence.
NASCAR and the city of San Diego have not yet agreed on a deal, but discussions are ongoing, and it is expected that an agreement will be reached, according to those sources. An announcement is tentatively slated for next month, pending a finalized deal.
NASCAR and Sports San Diego, the city’s sports tourism commission, declined comment.
Adding a race in San Diego would accomplish NASCAR’s stated goal of returning to Southern California, a move likely to be popular in the garage and throughout the sport’s landscape. It would be the first points race in the market since California Speedway in Fontana was indefinitely shuttered in 2023. NASCAR last raced in Southern California in 2024, when it held the final of three straight season-opening exhibition races on a purposely-built oval inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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How San Diego would fit within the 2026 schedule is not yet clear. A current race would have to be dropped to accommodate any addition, as the schedule is presently at its 38-race cap (36 points races plus two exhibitions).
— The Athletic —