Nascar Meets 'top Gun' With Street Race At Naval Base In 2026

United States Navy

From transforming nan LA Coliseum into a bullring to hosting a thoroughfare title successful downtown Chicago, experimentation connected a monumental standard has been NASCAR's scheduling modus operandi for nan past 3 years. NASCAR announced connected Wednesday that nan Cup Series will title a thoroughfare title astatine Naval Base Coronado successful San Diego, California successful precocious June adjacent season. The Xfinity Series and nan Craftsman Truck Series will besides beryllium tagging on for nan first NASCAR title play astatine an progressive subject base.

While nan regular play arena is ostensibly to observe nan 250th day of nan US Navy and nan country, NASCAR made judge to see each subject action movie trope nether nan sun successful nan trailer revealing nan "Top Gun: Maverick" filming location. Ben Kennedy, a NASCAR executive vice president and great-grandson of laminitis Bill France, admitted nan plans for a title connected a subject guidelines had been successful nan useful for years pinch aggregate locations successful consideration. Regarding nan Coronado circuit, he said:

"It'll beryllium a blend of accepted thoroughfare racing successful a measurement wherever we'll beryllium winding our ways done immoderate of nan streets connected nan base. They'll beryllium going past (aircraft) carriers. They'll yet spell retired onto nan tarmac, astir apt by immoderate subject aircraft, possibly a mates of F-18s retired there, and past backmost towards nan entranceway to nan base."

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The NASCAR San Diego Weekend will extremity a year-long absence from Southern California for banal car racing's astir prestigious title aft nan Clash near nan Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum aft nan 2024 edition. The season-opening accumulation moved to LA successful 2022 and saw nan location of USC Trojans shot and soon-to-be 3 Olympic Games temporarily paved over, an thought championed by Kennedy. The inaugural Clash astatine nan Coliseum was scheduled conscionable a week earlier nan metropolis was group to big Super Bowl LVI, generating a level of hype comparable to nan Big Game.

The Chicago thoroughfare title was NASCAR's adjacent large swing, debuting successful 2023. The arena was a rousing occurrence pinch Australian Supercars ace Shane van Gisbergen, becoming the first driver to triumph successful their Cup Series debut successful 60 years. NASCAR brought an breathtaking arena consecutive to caller fans successful nan bosom of 1 of America's largest cities. However, nan sanctioning assemblage was astatine likelihood pinch section officials while negotiating position to proceed nan event. Chicago's removal from nan 2026 schedule signaled nan commencement of speculation surrounding nan San Diego race. SVG, now a full-time Cup driver, is already nan favourite to triumph nan "Race astatine nan Base" pinch 3 roadworthy people wins this season, including nan last title successful Chicago.