NASCAR filmed a 28-minute movie at Naval Base Coronado, and the production is now streaming as the sport expands its reach into Hollywood.
"NASCAR vs Navy: The San Diego Mini Movie" was shot at the base ahead of the inaugural Cup Series race in June. The film features Cup Series drivers Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar and Connor Zilisch, with Blaney playing a prominent role, according to Yahoo Sports. It is available on YouTube and Amazon Prime, the Coronado Times reported.
The mini-movie is one piece of NASCAR's broader entertainment strategy. On Saturday, Aug. 29, Tom Cruise announced a sequel to the 1990 film "Days of Thunder" from Daytona International Speedway, hours before NASCAR's regular-season finale. Cruise posted a photo on X of himself and Anne Hathaway standing next to the green and yellow No. 46 car, with "Days of Thunder" and "Summer 2028" written on the side, Central Oregon Daily reported.
Cruise will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle. Hathaway will co-star as a team owner and engineer. Paramount Pictures set a June 2, 2028, release date. Jonathan Levine will direct from a script by Will Staples, and the film will be shot for IMAX screens, according to a Variety report cited by Central Oregon Daily.
Blaney, who starred in the Naval Base Coronado mini-movie, said he has spoken with the sequel's writers. "I'm excited to see what they do with Days of Thunder 2 because I know they're going to do it right," Blaney said Aug. 29.
Closer to home, NASCAR announced Aug. 25 that it will return to Naval Base Coronado for a second year. The Cup Series race is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 1, 2027, on TNT Sports. A free Navy Community Night on Friday, July 30, 2027, will give base access to Navy personnel and Coronado community members for practice, qualifying and interactive experiences.
NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Ben Kennedy said the 2027 Coronado race will serve as the championship round of the In-Season Challenge, a five-race, 32-driver midseason tournament.
The inaugural NASCAR San Diego Weekend, held June 19–21, drew upward of 100,000 visitors to the base's 16-turn, 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit, according to a Navy recap. Corey Heim won the Cup Series race in his 13th career start.
Coronado City Manager Tina Friend said the June race brought significant traffic, "pretty tremendous" sound impacts and reduced business for some merchants, the Coronado Times reported. The city said it will work to address public safety and minimize impacts for 2027 but was not involved in the decision to bring the event back.
NASCAR and the Department of Defense have announced a multiyear plan to rotate the military-base race to a different installation in 2028. That means the 2027 event could be Coronado's last for at least a year. NASCAR said additional details about the 2027 weekend will be announced at a later date.
