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If you love the military and feel the need for speed, then NASCAR is about to do you a huge solid. In 2026, America’s preeminent racing series will be coming to Southern California. And not just anywhere in SoCal, but on Naval Base Coronado.
Anduril, the defense technology company, will be the presenting sponsor of the Anduril 250 “Race the Base” Cup Series. The race will see the Navy installation turned into a street course, like one you would see at Monaco, Long Beach, or Singapore. Chicago previously hosted NASCAR street circuits for the Xfinity and Cup series.
San Diego is about as military as a military town can get. From the Naval Aviators on Coronado’s North Island, to the SEALs on the Silver Strand, to the home of the largest naval fleet in the world, and of course, those crazy Marines, NASCAR found a perfect spot to run a race while honoring the military.
It is something they have been known to do thanks to partnerships with the military, defense contractors, veterans groups, and other affiliated organizations. That long history, along with a great location, makes for what should be a memorable race weekend.
In addition to the NASCAR Cup Series race, which will feature all the best drivers, NASCAR will also have its junior Xfinity Series and its Craftsman Truck Series, as well.
If you’ve ever seen a NASCAR race, you know you can feel the race too. If you’ve never seen a race, now is the time. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
The course, which will be the second only street course in NASCAR’s history, will also coincide with a bit of military history: The race will be held on the Navy’s 250th birthday.
“What a special way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Navy, 250th anniversary of our country, and put on what is going to be undoubtedly the most anticipated event of 2026,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer, said in a statement. “And I’m bullish on it being the best sporting event of the year.”
The course itself has yet to be revealed, but we know that there will be racing on the tarmac. A place usually reserved for fighter jets will have dozens of cars blazing down the runway at full speed. One thing is certain: NASCAR has big plans for the course layout.
“It’ll be a blend of traditional street racing in a way where we’ll be winding our ways through some of the streets on the base,” Kennedy said. “They’ll be going past [aircraft] carriers. They’ll eventually go out onto the tarmac, probably by some military aircraft, maybe a couple of F-18s out there, and then back towards the entrance to the base.”
The track and entire race weekend are sure to draw racing fans from all over the world, fans who are keen not just to see the best stock car racers battle each other, but also to witness the battle weapons of the United States Navy. You can be sure this will be an event for the ages. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can speed on base yourself. Base MPs will still be pulling you over for going one mile over the speed limit, so leave the speeding to NASCAR.
If you can’t make it to San Diego for the Race the Base Cup series, you can catch it on Prime Video, while the Xfinity Series race will air on The CW, and Trucks on FOX Sports.
Tickets for 2026 NASCAR San Diego Weekend go on sale in the fall, but race fans can put down a deposit for advance pricing at NASCARSanDiego.com.
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Jos Joseph is a published writer and is a graduate of Harvard University and the Ohio State University. He is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq. He currently lives in Anaheim, California.