Days of Thunder Meets Top Gun: NASCAR Announces 2026 San Diego Naval Base Race
“This isn’t just a race – it’s a mission.”
Tom Cruise, are you listening?
In a shocking twist to whether NASCAR would move out of the Chicago Street Race next year, the league has thrown fans of the fast lane into more of a dizzying tailspin than when a dapper, mustachioed Ryan Blaney finally shaved off his lip foliage. So how do you trump the vanishing of one carefully curated and beloved mouth brow?
Well, not only did NASCAR announce it’s departing from the Windy City, league officials dropped perhaps the most epic, most cinematic promo for Chicago’s replacement – a little event on San Diego’s historic Coronado Navy site dubbed, “Race the Base.”
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Training day for the NASCAR “recruits”
Headlining the adrenaline-fueled piece that’d make even Michael Bay’s heart flutter isn’t Maverick, Goose or the late Ice Man – it’s none other than a select few of NASCAR’s own “Top Guns,” assembled by the league’s perennial most popular driver, Chase Elliott, aka “Peaches” in the promo. Joining him with their own code names are none other than the youngest driver to ever notch 600 career Cup Series starts, Joey “Zamboni” Logano, Carson “Hot Shot” Hocevar, Noah “Rizz” Gragson, Chase “Hoosier” Briscoe and William “Flame” Byron.
Feeling “the need for speed,” the six eager recruits endure a rigorous gamut of in-flight training, complete with all the harrowing barrel rolls one could ever want, before the group prepares to tackle their final mission – making it to the end of the course on the base without being caught be the Navy’s elite security force.
Passing muster
Out of time and options, “Peaches” (Elliott) and “Zamboni” (Logano) lock eyes with a plan of their own – putting the pedal to the metal under the disguise of classic rides, not stock cars. With “Peaches” channeling a steely-eyed Vin Diesel – after all, “it’s the driver, not the car” – the Cup Series stars nearly outrun their captors before one of the agents pops up in the back of “Zamboni’s” and “Rizz’s” cherry red classic Ford Mustang.
After passing the grueling test with flying colors, NASCAR’s chosen are welcomed into the Navy fold by Captain Loren “Wookie” Jacobi, the actual Commanding Officer at Coronado. It’s a touching finish to a high-octane piece, reminding fans from coast to coast about NASCAR’s strong ties to the United States military.
Race the Base course layout
While details of the Navy’s Coronado course will be released at a later date, NASCAR brass are using the iRacing simulator to develop the circuit just like the league did for other events, like the Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum and the Chicago Street Race.
“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,” revealed Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer.
“They’ll be going past [aircraft] carriers,” he continued. “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.”
NASCAR and the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy
The three-day, full-throttle event marks only the second street race in NASCAR’s modern era, but to the United States Navy, it carries even more weight because it will coincide with the military branch’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,” stated Captain Loren Jacobi in a press 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.”
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan explained why pairing NASCAR with America’s Navy is such a perfect fit.
“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence,” Phelan noted in a press release. “Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country.”
“From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR,” he continued.
“We’re proud to open our gates to the American people, honor those who serve and inspire the next generation to step forward and serve something greater than themselves.”
The three-day event kicks off with the Craftsman Truck Series on Friday, June 19, followed by the Xfinity Series hitting the black top Saturday, June 20, and ending with the Cup Series stars burning rubber on Sunday, June 21.
