From Battleships to Burnouts: NASCAR Set to Race at Naval Base Coronado
In yet another example of NASCAR’s willingness to introduce new racing venues and broaden its stock car racing audience, the sanctioning body announced Wednesday a major new addition to the 2026 schedule – a road course race around the famous Naval Air Station Coronado in San Diego that will host all three national series; the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
“The natural ties our fans and a lot of the folks in our industry have with the military and the men and women that fight for our freedom, give us the ability to do what we love to do every single day, it was a natural fit,” NASCAR Executive Vice President, the Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer Ben Kennedy said.
“As we got to the base, started to have conversations with the team here at Naval Base Coronado, one thing led to another. They’ve been tremendous partners from the start. Then to sync it up with the 250th anniversary of our Navy, there were so many synergies that came together. This was a no-brainer for us.”
The triple-header event will mark the first time NASCAR has competed on an active military base. The exact course layout is expected to be revealed “in the near future” but Kennedy said the plan is for it to be roughly three-miles long.
“You’ll have the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, you’ll see other shots of the backdrop of San Diego,” Kennedy said. “Actually, being here in a bit of the peninsula, in between the bay and the ocean is going to make for an amazing backdrop.
“We’re going to be weaving our way through the base, too. You’ll see a couple of carriers, F-18s on the tarmac. Some of the course will be set in stone a little bit as we’re making our way through the streets here on the base, then a lot of it is going to be a blank canvas. There will be a portion going out onto the tarmac, might have some long straightaways, more technical sections.”
The NASCAR Cup Series will race on Sunday, June 21 (televised on Amazon Prime) preceded by the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (FOX Sports) on Friday, June 19 and the Xfinity Series (CW) on Saturday, June 20.
And the welcome vibe is already unmistakable.
“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence,” Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan said. “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.”
“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,” Phelan added.
The specially designed logo for the San Diego event features an F-18 Super Hornet jet and three stars signifying land, sea and air, a nod to the Navy being the only military branch to operate in all three spaces. Four stripes at the bottom of the logo represent the country’s four armed force branches, the Airforce, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.
Judging by the immediate social media reaction, the news has been well-received by teams, competitors and fans.
Southern California native, NASCAR Hall of Famer and current NASCAR Cup Series team owner Jimmie Johnson was certainly pleased with the news that his hometown would be playing host to a triple-header race weekend.
“To a San Diegan to hear those words, I was just smiling, like no way, this is really going to happen,” said Johnson, who even indicated he’d love to compete in the race and include it on his part-time schedule next year.
“From everyone at NASCAR and their mission and growth to be in Southern California and doing something unique and different, credit to everybody at NASCAR for putting this together and being so adamant in San Diego being a destination and where a street circuit should go.’’
“The community really loves something to do on the weekends and with the great weather, the social scene, the relaxed nature to go an event an enjoy it’s top of the line to people who really look for those experiences,” he continued.
“I know there are race fans around San Diego but there are more fans to be discovered and to be in the Southern California market is really important. We’re obviously not far away from LA and the influence that has. … I think it’s a really smart strategic move.”
“The more we can move into these major markets, domestic or otherwise, and also hit new pockets around the country where we haven’t traditionally been, we’re only going to grow the sport. I think that brings in eyeballs, it brings in partners and relationships.
“I think it also bolsters relationships that teams and tracks and NASCAR already have. We end up in people’s backyards that we traditionally don’t. That diversification is really helpful and key as we try to grow the sport.”
In announcing the news, NASCAR released a well-received three-minute video on social media paired with the announcement and starring some of the sport’s brightest stars from current NASCAR Cup Series championship leaders Chase Elliott and William Byron to popular champion Ryan Blaney and reigning champ Joey Logano.
The tagline from the video was “this isn’t just a race, it’s a mission” and the drivers have embraced the “Race the Base” expression for the event. Fans seemed to agree. Immediately from the moment the news was released, responses on social media ranged from “Can’t wait for this,” to “Absolutely epic” to another who not only loved the idea of racing at Coronado, but suggested the Navy invite the Blue Angels to perform an air show that weekend.
“So cool to be a part of this, can’t wait to get to Coronado and race the base,” said Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe.
Kennedy stressed that although the event is on a military base, fans will be allowed trackside and urged those interested to go to the NASCARSanDiego.com website to put their name on the wait list or place a deposit for the weekend. NASCAR Wire Service