Revving Up: NASCAR's Potential Street Course Race in San Diego for 2026 Season
Could NASCAR be adding a new street course race to its schedule next season? Reports suggest that NASCAR is in talks with San Diego to potentially host a race on the city streets. Currently, NASCAR only has one points race in California and none in Southern California, with the closure of Auto Club Speedway in 2023.
The possibility of a street course race in San Diego could be a significant addition to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The Chicago street course race, now in its third year, has no long-term agreement beyond the current season. The addition of the Chicago race came after NASCAR stopped racing at Chicagoland Speedway in 2020.
If San Diego were to join the schedule in 2026, it would likely replace an existing road course race. With five road and street course races already on the 2025 Cup Series schedule, adding a sixth could create an imbalance between traditional oval racing and road course events. The recent race in Mexico City marked the fifth road course race on the schedule, but there is no contract in place for NASCAR to return in 2026.
The potential addition of a street course race in San Diego could bring new excitement to the NASCAR schedule. As the sport continues to explore different venues and formats, fans can look forward to the possibility of seeing their favorite drivers navigate the streets of San Diego in the upcoming season.