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By Jordan Bianchi, The Athletic
UPDATED! From July 14, 2025
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NASCAR and the city of San Diego have agreed on a deal and all the organizing discussions finished, and it is expected that the agreement will focus on the newly announced course location, according to those sources.
NASCAR and Sports San Diego, the city’s sports tourism commission, declined comment, (to The Athletic).
Adding a race in San Diego will accomplish NASCAR’s stated goal of returning to Southern California, a move likely to be popular in the garage and throughout the sport’s landscape.
It would be the first points race in the market since California Speedway in Fontana was indefinitely shuttered in 2023. NASCAR last raced in Southern California in 2024, when it held the final of three straight season-opening exhibition races on a purposely-built oval inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
But racing at the Coliseum was never viewed as a long-term solution for NASCAR to maintain a presence in the region. NASCAR closed California Speedway, which it owns, with the intent of remodeling the facility, reconfiguring the track, and eventually returning to race there on a permanent basis. These plans, announced in September 2020, have since been put on hold.
With California Speedway off the schedule, NASCAR has explored multiple options to hold a points race in Southern California — a key market to the league, its teams, media rights partners and sponsors.
This search led NASCAR to San Diego, which has never hosted a Cup race and offers a picturesque setting to construct the course, with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop.
BAJA RACING CLUB San Diego has Exclusive details on the Pro-Am course layout, the Silver Sands 250 routing.
NASCAR in Chicago NASCAR has raced in downtown Chicago for the past two years, a test of its hopes to bring the sport to temporary tracks in more populated areas.
A race in San Diego will be NASCAR’s second city street course race in three years after introducing one in downtown Chicago in 2023, the first time in NASCAR’s modern era (1972 to present) that Cup competed on such a track. That race is considered a key development for NASCAR as part of an initiative to bring high-level stock car racing to major metropolitan markets, as opposed to the majority of its tracks, which are located in less populated areas. NASCAR’s intent with Chicago, which will host the third edition of its event on July 6, was to offer a proof-of-concept to other cities throughout the United States that it could design a course incorporating city streets and generate attention and tourism revenue for the community. NASCAR and the city of Chicago are in the last year of a three-year contract, though NASCAR does have an option to return in 2026 and has said it wants to continue racing there.
The current race will be dropped to accommodate any addition, as the schedule is presently at its 38-race cap (36 points races plus two exhibitions). With the Chicago deal coming to an end, NASCAR could swap one city street course for another, but the league has also shown a willingness in recent years to shift a date from an existing track with two races on the schedule to accommodate a new addition it feels will enhance the sport. The addition of the Mexico City race this year, for example, led NASCAR to drop one of the two races at Richmond Raceway in Virginia."
(Top photo of San Diego skyline and the San Diego Bay, with the Coronado Bridge in the foreground: Joe Sohm / Visions of America / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
HammerKING Radio LIVE! ONLINE - Monday, November 24, 5PM SPECIAL
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*ADDITIONAL DETAILED REPORTING*
Before the official announcements
"NASCAR raced on the streets of Chicago for the third and potentially final time over the weekend. The initial three-year deal between NASCAR and the city of Chicago ended with Sunday’s race. However, there is a two-year option in the contract that could be exercised, allowing the event to continue. Regardless, it should be viewed as a successful event for NASCAR. The industry saw it as an opportunity to put the sport in front of new fans and bring racing to those who are unwilling to travel to Joliet, Illinois, for Chicagoland Speedway. That track is about an hour away from Grant Park. As for the city of Chicago, it cashed in. The economic impact of the inaugural 2023 event was $109 million. The 2024 race generated a total economic impact of $128 million for the city. NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps revealed in December during Race Industry Week that it costs the industry $50 million to put on the Chicago event. The event was the first time the Cup Series had raced on a street course. However, if Chicago were to disappear, that doesn’t necessarily mean street racing would. San Diego, a rumored destination for NASCAR for over a year now, is picking up steam. RACER is unaware of any finalized deal in place for NASCAR to race in San Diego in 2026. The city has also said there is no documentation available related to any conversations or plans with NASCAR. However, that could simply be because the deal being worked on is also being handled in a way to prevent it from leaking. Earlier this month however, The Athletic reported NASCAR is working on finalizing such a deal. A date change could be on the cards for Mexico City. Jaime Lopez/Getty Images The most intriguing aspect of the San Diego idea is its location. A natural assumption is that it's someplace downtown, in a similar manner to Chicago. But talk of an interesting alternative started floating around the garage over the weekend: Coronado. It’s the peninsula, or island, depending on your view, that’s connected to the mainland in San Diego, which also has a naval base on it. NASCAR has long stated its desire for a presence in California, which it lost after the 2023 race at Auto Club Speedway. And then the Busch Light Clash, a pre-season exhibition event, was moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina. L.A., though, was a purpose-built short track that served its purpose of introducing NASCAR to new fans while using celebrities, music, and athletes to help hype the event ahead of a new season. San Diego would keep a street course on the NASCAR map. It would put the sport back in Southern California. But there are so many questions to be answered about the 2026 schedule. And quite frankly, there isn’t enough space for all the puzzle pieces to fit. Chicago, does it stay or does it go? San Diego: Yes? No? And then some are pushing hard for a return to Chicagoland Speedway. NASCAR has kept any potential plans for the track close to the vest. Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval, has not hosted the three NASCAR national series since 2019. The good news is that it is still in good enough shape to be made presentable to welcome guests again in short order. Carson Hocevar stirred the pot by making a recent visit to the facility and posting about it on social media and his YouTube page. Hocevar claims he went there on his own because he had the time, and he had never seen the track before. In other words, chalk it up to curiosity. But it goes without saying that when someone wants something, there is no better way to manifest it than to start talking about it. Chicagoland has been mentioned far more this season than ever before. Then there is the international approach. Mexico City's status beyond this year is unknown, although NASCAR has a multi-year contract in place for racing there. Some of the discussions since the inaugural event last month have been that if it does stay on the schedule, perhaps it will be moved to a different date on the calendar. On the other hand, Mexico City seemed to win out over Canada – an either-or situation. NASCAR is still interested in making a return north of the border, but it’s unclear when or how it is going to get there. Montreal has previously hosted Xfinity Series events. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park did the same with the Craftsman Truck Series. It would be a shame if NASCAR limits itself to only new venues that are road or street courses. Denny Hamlin threw out the idea, which could be considered wild depending on who you ask, about a street oval somewhere. Brad Keselowski, who has previously raced in Canada and praised its racing fan base, is a proponent of hosting an oval race in Canada to show what NASCAR is capable of. It will likely be another few months before NASCAR rolls out its 2026 schedule. What is known is that there is a lot to figure out, and a lot of chatter about what could be on there, for the months in between the Daytona 500 on February 15, 2026, and championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 8."
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"After two years of rain-soaked July Fourth weekend events, could the NASCAR Chicago Street Race be heading west to eternally sunny San Diego? The Athletic reported Wednesday that NASCAR and the Southern California city’s sports tourism commission are in negotiations to hold a race on the streets of San Diego in 2026. A NASCAR spokesperson declined to comment on the unconfirmed report, while the San Diego Sports Commission did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Chicago is set to host the third annual street race July 5-6 on a pop-up course in and around Grant Park, completing an inaugural three-year agreement with NASCAR. The deal, struck during former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, includes a two-year renewal option. “We continue to have positive conversations with the city of Chicago, and right now, we’re focused on making 2025 the best event yet,” a NASCAR spokesperson said Thursday. A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. The city, which had an annual 180-day exit clause after the first two races, committed to this year’s event in August. Adding a San Diego street race next year does not necessarily affect the future of the Chicago Street Race. Most NASCAR tracks range from a quarter-mile to 2 ½-mile banked ovals, but the Florida-based sanctioning body for stock car racing holds several events at road courses, including Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in Sonoma, California, and at Watkins Glen in New York. NASCAR might similarly be building its portfolio of urban street races, with Chicago paving the way. The Chicago Street Race has nonetheless had its challenges in the first two years, including pushback over the disruption and street closures to set up the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue. This year, NASCAR has streamlined the buildout and reduced major street closings to 18 days, starting with the shutdown Thursday of Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. All streets are scheduled to be reopened by July 14. But the biggest issue facing the first two street races was inclement weather. In 2023, the inaugural Fourth of July weekend event navigated record rainfall that curtailed races, canceled concerts and left fans soaked. The first Cup Series street race also garnered a huge national TV audience with Chicago as a rainy backdrop, averaging nearly 4.8 million viewers during a four-hour broadcast on NBC. Related Articles Mr. Beef, Jake Melnick’s, Lexington Betty to serve NASCAR Chicago Street Race fans Street closings will begin this week for Chicago’s NASCAR street race. Here’s what to know. Chicago Street Race adds Arby’s as major sponsor for July Fourth NASCAR event Are rain delays the NASCAR Chicago Street Race’s superpower? The course ‘puts on a great show,’ Jeff Gordon says NASCAR shaves two weeks off setup and road closures for Chicago Street Race While clear skies prevailed for last year’s Xfinity Series race on Saturday, the nationally televised Cup Series race on Sunday was once again shortened when rain delays forced officials to call the race after 58 laps as darkness fell on the unlit street course. Last year’s race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm. This year, the Grant Park 165 main event on Sunday is scheduled to start at 1 p.m., 2 ½ hours earlier than last year, in hopes of finally getting the race to the finish line. The nationally televised broadcast is moving from NBC to cable channel TNT. If the San Diego Street Race comes to fruition for 2026, whether as a competitive event or supplanting Chicago, the forecast for a dry run is likely much brighter. San Diego, which is considered to have among the best year-round climates in the nation, averages less than 10 inches of annual rainfall, according to National Weather Service data. The Windy City is far wetter than Southern California. Chicago averages closer to 40 inches of annual precipitation, with a record 3 to 7 inches of rain hitting the city and flooding the street course during the first Cup Series race in 2023."
###
"NASCAR reportedly may be set to add a second street course to the Cup Series schedule for the 2026 season. According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, NASCAR is finalizing a deal that would see it run a street-course race in the San Diego area. While the deal isn't done yet, negotiations are ongoing, and it is anticipated that an announcement will be made next month if a pact is agreed upon. Provided an official agreement is reached, it will mark a street course expansion for NASCAR, as the Cup Series began running an annual street course race in Chicago back in 2023. NASCAR has reportedly been looking to return to the Southern California market ever since NASCAR-owned California Speedway in Fontana shut down in 2023. Plans to renovate and re-open the track have been put on hold indefinitely, but in the meantime, running a street-course race in San Diego would allow NASCAR to get its foot back in the door with one of the biggest markets in the United States. San Diego has never hosted a Cup Series race, but NASCAR views it as an ideal host for a street-course race with the Pacific Ocean providing a unique setting, per Bianchi. Over the past several years, NASCAR has made a concerted effort to provide fans with more variety when it comes to the Cup Series tracks. NASCAR introduced a road-course race at Sonoma Raceway in 1989, joining Watkins Glen as the only Cup Series races run at non-traditional tracks. For the next few decades, Watkins Glen and Sonoma served as the only road-course races in the Cup Series, but that is no longer the case. NASCAR has since added road-course races in Mexico City, Charlotte and Portland, Oregon; along with road courses at Circuit of the Americas and Lime Rock Park. The street-course concept, which is popular on other motorsports circuits such as Formula One, had never been explored during the modern era of NASCAR, which began in 1972. However, that changed with the introduction of the Chicago street course in 2023, with the third edition of the race set to be run on July 6. NASCAR will have to drop a race from its Cup Series schedule in 2026 in order to accommodate San Diego. While that could result in San Diego replacing the Chicago Street Course since the Chicago deal only runs through this year, NASCAR holds an option for 2026, meaning two street-course races may be run next season."
RAM TRUCKS RETURNS TO NASCAR SAN DIEGO 2026 'SILVER SANDS 250'
EXCLUSIVE REPORTING
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