NASCAR Brings the Excitement to Naval Base Coronado
NASCAR has announced a significant change to its schedule for the upcoming season. Instead of the race in downtown Chicago, which was held for the last three years, the competition will move to the Naval Base Coronado in Southern California. This special event will take place in June of next year, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy. The celebration will include the three NASCAR national series over a weekend, from June 19th to 21st.This will be the second street race in NASCAR history, after the three-year experience in Chicago, and the first on an active military base. Although the circuit design is not yet finalized, it is expected to be approximately 3 miles long. The decision to move the race to the San Diego area does not rule out a possible return to Chicago in the future, where NASCAR will maintain an office and seek to compete again, possibly in 2027. NASCAR has seen the closure of Auto Club Speedway after the 2023 race. In addition, it built a temporary short track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022 to 2024, but that event moved to North Carolina. Ben Kennedy, who has spearheaded new initiatives for his family business, was the mastermind behind the races at the Coliseum, Chicago, this year’s visit to Mexico City and now, the event in San Diego, an initiative that excites the Navy.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. NASCAR San Diego weekend will honor the history of the Navy and the men and women who serve, as we bring the best of global motorsports to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.
Ben Kennedy, Executive Vice President of NASCAR and Head of Racing Innovation and Venues
The base is known as the “West Coast Quarterdeck” and is a consortium of nine Navy facilities 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 expanding the X Games when she lived in San Diego early in her career. She currently resides in Southern California.NASCAR embodies the best of the American spirit through speed, precision, and the 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 is 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
