Brace yourselves, San Diego. NASCAR is invading — and this time, it’s not just for the sunshine and fish tacos.
As part of the 250th anniversary celebration for the United States Navy, NASCAR will launch its next big street racing experiment on one of the most secure pieces of real estate in the country: Naval Base Coronado, home of aircraft carriers, fighter jets, and the world-famous training grounds for the U.S. Navy SEALs.
Yes, that Coronado — where Hell Week was born and where pain is practically a prerequisite.
On June 21, 2026, the same blacktop where future SEALs run, crawl, and occasionally question their life choices will rumble with the sound of V8s and the faint aroma of race fuel. It’s the first time in NASCAR’s 76-year history that the Cup Series will race on an active military base — and only the second time they’ve dared turn left and right on actual city streets.
The event, dubbed NASCAR San Diego, runs June 19–21 and brings along the full battalion: the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Friday, the Xfinity Series on Saturday, and the Cup Series grand finale on Sunday. NASCAR is calling it a celebration — but for drivers? It’s shaping up to be stock car Hell Week. Tight walls, unpredictable grip, and the pressure of live TV on a military base where the spectators probably know how to disassemble an M4 in under 30 seconds.
“As part of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored to join the celebration by hosting our first street race at a military base,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer. Translation: we’re throwing another curveball and seeing which drivers can adapt before they get eaten alive by the walls — or worse, social media.
“Hosting a race aboard NAS North Island isn’t just a historic first,” added Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan. “It’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork, and love of country.”
It’s also a rare case where NASCAR might not have the most intense training regimen on the grounds that weekend.
Captain Loren Jacobi, Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado, sees it as a natural partnership. “We are privileged to showcase the dedication of our Sailors alongside NASCAR’s finest.” Here’s hoping the Sailors don’t show up the pit crews.
The event branding leans all the way into military flair — featuring a Navy-only F/A-18 Super Hornet, stars representing land, sea, and air, and mission-style architecture as a nod to the host city. Even the color stripes represent the four main military branches, though Space Force again gets left out like that one cousin nobody invites to Thanksgiving.
Amy Lupo has been named President of NASCAR San Diego, and if her track record launching the Clash at the Coliseum is any indication, we can expect this to be more than just a parade of Camrys around a few cones. She helped build ESPN’s X Games into an international phenomenon and knows how to make a spectacle feel personal.
“This is a huge win for San Diego,” said Mark Neville, CEO of Sports San Diego. “And being the first-ever NASCAR race on an active military base? That’s going to be quite the spectacle.”
Broadcast-wise, Prime Video will carry the Cup Series race as the capstone of its five-race 2026 slate. The CW has the Xfinity race, and FOX Sports will handle the Trucks. So yes, you can stream this street brawl from your living room — or watch from the deck of an aircraft carrier, if you happen to have one of those lying around.
From the same base where SEALs train to push past their limits, NASCAR’s best will be trying to do the same. No helmets full of water or log carries here — just 3,500-pound machines and no margin for error.
NASCAR San Diego: It’s not just a race. It’s our kind of boot camp.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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