NASCAR's 2027 return to Naval Base Coronado will carry higher stakes than its debut: the Cup Series street race on Saturday, Aug. 1, will decide a $1 million championship as the finale of the five-race In-Season Challenge tournament.
Organizers announced Wednesday, Aug. 26 that the NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril will run Thursday, July 30, through Sunday, Aug. 1, 2027, on the 16-turn, 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Air Station North Island. The circuit is NASCAR's longest street course, threading past military aircraft and the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
As we reported Aug. 26, the event's opening night, Thursday, July 30, is Navy Community Night, offering free access to sailors and Coronado residents with practice, qualifying and interactive experiences.
The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race follows Friday, July 31, airing on The CW and the ESPN App. The Cup Series championship race on Saturday, Aug. 1, will broadcast on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.
Thirty-two drivers will compete in the bracket-style In-Season Challenge, a midseason tournament that launches at Iowa Speedway on July 4 and continues at Sonoma Raceway, EchoPark Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway before its winner-take-all finale in Coronado.
Mayor welcomes return, notes 2026 impacts
Coronado Mayor John Duncan said the event benefits the city's tourism economy and its relationship with the Navy.
"We're proud to once again welcome race fans from across the country and honoring the active duty Navy personnel," Duncan said in a statement.
The city was not involved in the decision to bring the race back, according to the Coronado Times. That decision was made by NASCAR and the U.S. Navy.
City Manager Tina Friend said earlier this summer that the June 2026 inaugural event brought significant traffic, "pretty tremendous" sound impacts and reduced business for some merchants. She also said city police and fire staff managed the weekend with no interruption to public safety service elsewhere in Coronado.
Communications officer Kaylee Ricci said the city will remain focused on public safety and transparency and will welcome community feedback as planning continues.
2028 expansion planned
NASCAR and the Department of War announced plans to bring the military-base street race to a different U.S. military installation in 2028. No specific location has been named.
"By bringing this event to different military installations in the years ahead, we can reach more service members across the country," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a statement.
Amy Lupo, NASCAR San Diego president, said organizers are "fully committed to improving the experience" after learning from the 2026 debut, which drew more than 100,000 visitors over Father's Day weekend according to a U.S. Navy recap.
Tickets for 2027 have not gone on sale. Fans can register for presale access at nascarsandiego.com. Start times have not been announced.
