By Neha Dwivedi, Staff Writer
In July, NASCAR announced its long-awaited return to Southern California with a groundbreaking event: the first-ever street races at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, for 2026. And now, on October 21, 2025, the sanctioning body has lifted the curtain on detailed renderings of the street course for next year’s NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril.
“It’s so exciting to finally share the street course layout and provide this first look for our long-time and new fans,” said NASCAR San Diego President Amy Lupo. “Anticipation for this event is already high, and we know this course layout will raise that level of excitement even higher. We can’t wait to see how the best drivers in the world meet this challenge, while celebrating America’s Navy.”
Naval Base Coronado, one of the Navy’s most vital installations, houses 17 squadrons, three aircraft carriers, four SEAL Teams and numerous commands across air, surface and subsurface divisions. It’s home to key units including Commander Naval Air Forces, Naval Surface Force Pacific, Commander Naval Special Warfare and the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest.
The newly revealed 16-turn, 3.4-mile street circuit promises to blend speed, strategy and spectacle. Designed along the San Diego Bay, the course delivers a technical challenge and will be a fitting stage to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy from June 19–21, 2026.
The three-day festival will mark NASCAR’s first-ever event held on an active military base. The Craftsman Truck Series will take the green flag on Friday, June 19, followed by the Xfinity Series on Saturday, June 20, before the Cup Series closes the weekend under the California sun on Sunday, June 21. The San Diego Street Course will join Chicago as only the second street race in NASCAR’s modern era, while Coronado makes history as the first active military base to host the sport. The naval complex spans eight installations, from San Clemente Island to the La Posta Mountain Warfare Training Facility.
With the official course layout now public, NASCAR confirmed that grandstand seating and hospitality suites will line the track. The circuit opens with a sharp right-hand turn after the Ellyson Start/Finish Line, followed by a pair of tight 90-degree left-handers that send drivers barreling along the bayfront and past one of America’s most storied military sites.
The Ellyson Start/Finish Line honors Commander Theodore Ellyson, Naval Aviator Number One, whose early training at North Island led to its 1917 commissioning as a naval air station, later recognized as the Birthplace of Naval Aviation. Turn 5, Carrier Corner, cuts a sharp left between the berths of two aircraft carriers. Turn 8, known as the Coronado Chicane, forms a challenging series of bends to test both precision and nerve as drivers snake toward the base’s interior. Finally, Turn 14, Runway Road, runs along the north end of Runway 18/36 at Halsey Field, a finale for a track that marries speed, history, and military heritage.