NASCAR debuts street race at San Diego naval base

NASCAR Brings the Excitement to Naval Base Coronado in San Diego

The prestigious NASCAR competition, in a strategic move, has announced that it will hold a street race at the Naval Base Coronado, located in Southern California, in June of next year. This event will replace the race that has been held in downtown Chicago for the last three years. This decision will allow NASCAR to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy, hosting the competition’s three national series over a three-day weekend, from June 19 to 21.

As part of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored that NASCAR will join the celebration by hosting our first street race on a military base, Naval Base Coronado. The NASCAR San Diego Weekend will honor the history of the Navy and the men and women who serve, as we bring the best of world motorsport to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Director of Racing Innovation and Venues.

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

This will be the second street race in NASCAR history, after the three years in Chicago, and the first on an active military base. Although the circuit design is not yet finalized, it is expected to be around 3 miles long. The transition to the San Diego area does not rule out a possible return to Chicago, where NASCAR will maintain an office and seek to return in the future, possibly in 2027. NASCAR has seen the closure of Auto Club Speedway after the 2023 race. It built a temporary short track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022 to 2024, but moved that event to North Carolina. Kennedy, known for his vision in new projects for his family business, was the mastermind behind the races at the Coliseum, Chicago, this year’s visit to Mexico City and now in San Diego, an initiative that excites the Navy.

NASCAR embodies the best of the American spirit through speed, precision, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, is not just a historical first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: courage, teamwork, and love of country. 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.

John C. Phelan, Secretary of the Navy.

The base is known as the “West Coast Headquarters” and is a consortium of nine Navy installations that extend from San Clemente Island, 50 miles off the coast of Long Beach, to the Mountain Warfare Training Center, 50 miles east of San Diego. NASCAR has named Amy Lupo, who has been with the series since 2021 and helped launch the Coliseum event, as race president. Lupo spent more than 20 years at ESPN expanding the X Games when she lived in San Diego early in her career. She still resides in Southern California.