The historic NASCAR race in San Diego honors the country’s 250th anniversary and is the first-ever race on an active military base.
SAN DIEGO — NASCAR found an unexpected — and memorable — place to promote its upcoming San Diego race: the San Diego Zoo.
Former NASCAR driver Kurt Busch paid a visit to the San Diego Zoo, where he got an up-close encounter with an aardvark as part of the promotional push for next month’s event. Busch, a Las Vegas native, said the visit brought back childhood memories and gave him a new appreciation for the animal’s strength.
Busch described feeding the aardvark termites and worms and watching how easily it could move dirt and burrow.
“Just its sheer power on what an aardvark can do… it’s amazing,” Busch said.
While Busch is no longer racing, he’s closely following preparations for the event, which will mark the first time NASCAR has ever staged a race on an active military base. The course will be built on Naval Air Station North Island and feature a mix of sharp turns and high-speed sections.
Busch said the layout will challenge drivers, pointing to a sharp left-hand turn and sweeping corners that run through industrial areas with rail tracks and drainage culverts.
“It’s going to be raw. It’s going to be mean. And it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said.
When asked who he expects to win, Busch quickly pointed to Shane van Gisbergen, calling the New Zealand driver a road-course specialist. Busch praised van Gisbergen’s technical driving style, particularly his heel-toe braking, which helps protect both brakes and tires.
Busch also weighed in on how Jimmie Johnson may perform, saying the truck series could be Johnson’s best opportunity on a brand-new circuit. He added that Johnson’s experience could help him find subtle advantages around the track.
The race will cover 255 miles over 75 laps on the newly created course. Television ratings could be closely watched, with the event going head-to-head against the U.S. Open Golf Championship on Father’s Day weekend.