NASCAR is moving its street circuit from the streets of Chicago’s Grant Park to the roads and tarmacs of San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado for a never-before-seen type of NASCAR race.
Photo by NASCAR
When rumors first circulated that NASCAR could head to San Diego, race fans in Southern California pitched their location and ideas for the event. However, what NASCAR had in mind was something unlike any other, with the sport announcing on Jul. 23 that the race, scheduled for 2026, will be held at Naval Base Coronado.
Though this is not NASCAR‘s first venture in street racing, it is NASCAR’s first race at a venue of this type. The weekend will not only be a celebration of auto racing in Southern California but also mark the return of NASCAR to the market and celebrate the United States and the United States Navy, both of which will be celebrating their 250th birthdays in 2026.
Naval Base Coronado, technically in Coronado, California, will serve as the setting for one of the most unique and visually eye-catching events in NASCAR history. The base, known as “the Navy’s West Coast Quarterback,” has 17 squadrons, three aircraft carriers, and four Navy SEAL teams, among other valuable military assets.
Photo by NASCAR
While this event will have the normal pomp and circumstance of a NASCAR race weekend, its special nature goes far beyond that of just a unique race at a special, scenic venue.
Racing in Southern California has a rich history, with NASCAR traveling to tracks such as Ontario Motor Speedway, Riverside International Speedway, and Auto Club Speedway throughout its history. However, each of those tracks has seemingly met the same fate throughout time.
When NASCAR left the now mostly abandoned Auto Club Speedway in 2023, it marked the end of a long tradition of point races in both Northern and Southern California. At that time, NASCAR still had a preseason race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2024; however, that contract ended after that season.
Unfortunately, NASCAR would not return to the Southern California market in 2025. However, with its contract expiring with the city of Chicago, rumors swirled that NASCAR was considering San Diego as a temporary option to tap into the massive Southern California market once again. Now, that dream is a reality, and NASCAR is back in one of its western homes.
The current layout of the circuit is unknown, though it will be a roughly three-mile course using the base’s streets and some portions of the tarmac.
In the NASCAR announcement video, a track layout on a map of the base was shown. However, NASCAR officials have confirmed that this is not the official layout for the track and was made for the video’s promotional purposes.
In a press conference shortly after the announcement, Ben Kennedy, NASCAR EVP and Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer, said that they are working closely on the course design with NASCAR partner and sim racing firm, iRacing. While Kennedy said the layout is under development and will be unveiled later this fall, he did detail some visual and technical aspects of the circuit.
“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 sessions.” — Ben Kennedy
The mention of long straightaways is reminiscent of the Chicago Street circuit, which featured several long portions of track laid out through Chicago’s Grant Park.
NASCAR has already confirmed that the San Diego Street Race will be the only street circuit on the 2026 NASCAR calendar.
It replaces Chicago’s Street Race, which took place from 2023 to 2025. Prior to the announcement of the San Diego Street Race, NASCAR confirmed that it will not return to Chicago in 2026, though it is attempting to return in 2027 or 2028. Though it is not exactly replacing Chicago’s Jul. 4 race weekend on the calendar, the street race in 2026 is scheduled for the weekend of June 19–21.
Furthermore, the San Diego street race is on a one-race contract, with Ben Kenndedy saying “Not sure what that looks like beyond ’26, whether it stays in San Diego or goes to other locations, but it’s something we’ve discussed.”
It may seem that a street race is no different from a normal road course race, but certain drivers will perform better than they normally do on road courses. Even though the race is a little under a year away, most fans already expect Shane van Gisbergen, who won two Xfinity Series and two Cup Series races at Chicago (four of the six races ever held on that circuit), to be the favorite to win.
Unlike NASCAR’s first street race, the Chicago Street race, the San Diego race will be a traditional triple-header weekend, with the Truck Series racing on June 19, Xfinity Series cars on June 20, and Cup Series racing on June 21.
The Truck Series will be broadcast on Fox Sports, and the Xfinity series will once again be on the CW. The CW is on a tremendous run of viewership in its first full season of NASCAR coverage, scoring an impressive 1.137 million viewers for the Chicago race. On the Cup Series side, the race will be the final race of Prime Video’s five-race coverage in 2026.
This year, Pocono Raceway held that race weekend, and it is unknown where Pocono will be on the 2026 schedule. But, it is noteworthy that Prime’s younger average age of the audience gives NASCAR a chance to bring street racing to the attention of a younger audience as a whole.
Moving this race date could also remove a road course from the 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge, as the Chicago Street race was part of the 2025 event. If NASCAR makes this change, it will likely be a popular one, as fans complained about the chaotic schedule of NASCAR‘s first-ever in-season tournament.
Tickets for the 2026 NASCAR San Diego Weekend will go on sale in the fall of 2025, and NASCAR expects enough room for “tens of thousands” of fans.
This article will be updated with new information about the 2026 San Diego Street Race as NASCAR announces more information.
