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NASCAR Adds San Diego Street Course At Naval Base Coronado To 2026 Schedule

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
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Jimmie Johnson

Goodbye, Chicago street course. Hello, San Diego street course.

That’s a summation of how NASCAR ended all speculation Wednesday about its previously announced plans to replace the Chicago Street Race in 2026.

Instead of navigating the streets of The Windy City for a fourth consecutive year, NASCAR will go street course racing at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado. The event is slated for the weekend of June 19-21. The Cup Series will convene for its race that Sunday, June 21.

NASCAR did not announce the exact layout of the course on Wednesday. However, the sanctioning body confirmed that the course length will be around three miles. The track will sit entirely on the Naval base.

“You’ll have the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. You’ll see other shots of the backdrop of San Diego,” NASCAR Executive Vice President, the Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer Ben Kennedy said on a Zoom call unveiling the newest addition to the 2026 NASCAR schedule. “Actually, being here in a bit of the peninsula, in between the bay and the ocean, is going to make for an amazing backdrop.

“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. You might have some long straightaways, more technical sections.”

NASCAR Weekend At San Diego Street Course Will Have A Military Flair

Dubbed the “West Coast Quarterdeck,” Naval Base Coronado is a consortium of nine Navy installations. The base provides force generation infrastructure to support U.S. warfighters. It also delivers exceptional quality of life and wellness services for sailors and their families.

Naval Base Coronado is home to 17 squadrons, three aircraft carriers, four SEAL Teams, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command squadrons, and other air, surface and subsurface commands. Notable commands include Commander Naval Air Forces, Naval Surface Force Pacific, Commander Naval Special Warfare and the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest.

The inaugural NASCAR weekend in San Diego will feature all three major NASCAR stock car divisions. That means the Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck series will compete, each on a different day. Along with the on-track activities, the event will be a celebration of the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary.

“As commanding officer of Naval Base Coronado and on behalf of the United States Navy, it’s an honor to partner with NASCAR at NAS North Island as part of our 250th anniversary celebration,” Captain Loren Jacobi said in a NASCAR news release. “Hosting one of America’s premier motorsports events on this historic base reflects our partnership with the local community and our shared pride in the nation’s heritage.

“We are privileged to showcase the dedication of our sailors alongside NASCAR’s finest as we celebrate our 250th anniversary.”

Jimmie Johnson Is Thrilled To Be Heading Back Home To New San Diego Street Course

Those looking forward to NASCAR’s first trip to San Diego include seven-time Cup Series champion and Legacy Motor Club owner Jimmie Johnson. A native of El Cajon, California, Johnson grew up only about 20 minutes from where Naval Base Coronado is located.

Johnson was understandably ecstatic upon learning that NASCAR will be visiting San Diego.

“I was just smiling like, ‘No way. This is really going to happen,’” Johnson said on a Wednesday Zoom call in connection with the big announcement.

“Credit to everybody at NASCAR for putting this together and being so adamant in San Diego being a destination and where a street circuit should go.’’

Johnson has made only infrequent Cup Series starts in recent seasons for the team he owns. But he won’t rule out the possibility of the San Diego street course being on his limited 2026 driving schedule.

“The desire to race in my hometown is off the charts,” Johnson said. “I will aggressively work on being in the event.”

Johnson isn’t quite ready to commit just yet, however.

“If for some reason I’m not able to pull that off, I will absolutely be there and help support Legacy Motor Club, all of our partners, NASCAR, the city,” he said.

No doubt Johnson will have plenty of company.

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.
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