NASCAR Could Be Coming to San Diego in 2026

What’s Happening?

NASCAR’s next street circuit may have its location and could host a race within the next two seasons. San Diego is the apparent leader in a list of interested cities and could be on the 2026 NASCAR schedule.

• The release of the 2025 NASCAR schedule means that Ben Kennedy and his team are already working on 2026. In 2026, much like this coming year, big changes might already be in the works. Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal reported earlier this week that Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and San Diego are among the options for NASCAR’s next street race.
• The NASCAR Cup Series’ first street race was in 2023. Chicago’s Grant Park played host to the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series. Two races into a three-race contract with Chicago, most have seen the event as a success. Unfortunately, poor weather has factored into both events. In turn, Stern now reports that weather may not be a problem in 2026 as San Diego is a realistic possibility for what is now the next schedule in development.
• The sunny streets of a Southern California town are a stark comparison to the slick, wet roads of the windy city. Not only is San Diego warm, but it fills a large void in the 2025 NASCAR calendar. Upon Auto Club Speedway’s 2023 closure, NASCAR’s only Southern California race was the non-points Clash in Los Angeles. With the Clash headed back East, the So. Cal. market is a major necessity for NASCAR, and San Diego provides a fresh city in that market that NASCAR has yet to venture into.

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