Stock cars are making their way onto an active military post for the first time in NASCAR history. With a temporary street circuit, Navy festivities, and one of the most unusual venues the sport has ever seen, the 2026 NASCAR San Diego Weekend at Naval Base Coronado is a whole new challenge. Here’s everything you need to know as race week draws near, including the schedule, TV times, entry lists, odds, purse information, and where to watch the action.

Weekend schedule (All times ET)

The San Diego weekend runs across three days at Naval Base Coronado and combines all three national series with NASCAR’s first-ever Cup Series street race on an active military installation. The event is partly intended to celebrate the U.S. Navy and the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Friday

12:00 PM: Truck Series practice (40 min) — FS2
1:00 PM: Truck Series qualifying & qualifying races — FS2
3:30 PM: O’Reilly Series practice (50 min) — CW App
5:00 PM: Cup Series practice (50 min) — Prime Video
7:00 PM: Truck Series race — FS1

Important: The Truck race is not open to the general public. Attendance for that event is restricted under military access protocols tied to the base.

Saturday

1:00 PM: O’Reilly Series qualifying — CW
2:30 PM: Cup Series qualifying — Prime Video
5:00 PM: O’Reilly Series race (15–15–30 stage format) – CW

Sunday

4:00 PM: Cup Series Anduril 250 race (20–20–35 stages) — Prime Video

The weather outlook currently looks favorable with temperatures expected in the 60s to low 70s and just a 1% rain chance of rain.

Where to watch

With so much packed into the weekend, it’s not a race weekend NASCAR fans will want to miss. Here’s where you can tune in to watch the historic races:

• Cup Series: Amazon Prime Video
• Truck Series: FS1 / FS2
• O’Reilly Series: CW + CW App

Prime Video continues carrying exclusive Cup coverage, so make sure your subscription is active before race weekend.

Who’s participating

The entry list for the Anduril 250 Race consists of 39 teams for 40 spots, which are listed. This includes the open teams of No. 67 – Corey Heim, No. 84 – Jimmie Johnson, and No. 91 – Kevin Magnussen. Growing up in El Cajon just miles away, Johnson considers this a bucket-list event and has a special, personalized paint scheme designed by Carvana featuring landmarks from his Southern California upbringing. Similarly, Kevin Magnussen makes a crossover from F1 to NASCAR with Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91, a special entry designed to give international racing stars the opportunity to compete in NASCAR’s top level.

This 37-car grid (of the 38 spots available) for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series includes several highly anticipated part-time and special entries. This includes Alex Labbe, Austin Green, and Baltazar Leguizamon.

For the Truck Series race, there will be 36 entries for the 2026 Navy 250, meaning all spots are filled. Notable names include Jimmie Johnson, Connor Mosack, and Justin Marks. Justin Marks is the owner of Trackhouse Racing and will return to the driver’s seat with Spire Motorsports in a unique cross-team partnership.

Prize money (Purse)

NASCAR generally distributes Cup prize money through a centralized structure that includes finishing position, charter agreements, and other incentives. Because this is a first-of-its-kind street event on a military base, there’s extra curiosity surrounding the financial side.

But for now, the official purse for the NASCAR San Diego weekend has not yet been announced.

Early race odds & favorites

No official sportsbook consensus has fully settled yet, but the early conversation has centered around three names:

1. Denny Hamlin: Coming in red hot after his recent run of hat-trick wins at Nashville, Michigan, and Pocono, and arguably the most complete team in the garage. Has massively reduced the gap between him and Reddick (currently just 19 points) in the last few outings.
2. Tyler Reddick: Best start to the season with three consecutive wins at Daytona, Atlanta, and COTA, and is the current Cup Series leader, 19 points ahead of Hamlin.
3. Shane van Gisbergen: Expected to attract heavy attention thanks to his road-course and street-racing pedigree. His notable performances this year include a legendary charge at Watkins Glen, where he chased down the leader from 29 seconds back in just 18 laps.

Street racing tends to create unpredictability, though, so strategy, cautions, and track position could outweigh outright pace.

Before you arrive: Know these rules

San Diego isn’t a normal race weekend. All guests entering Naval Base Coronado will be required to present a valid government-issued photo ID. U.S. guests can use state IDs, passports, military IDs, and permanent resident cards where applicable. International visitors must bring passports and may undergo additional screening.

A REAL ID is not required. There is also a strict no-re-entry policy. So, once you leave, you cannot come back in. Your ticket includes a digital parking pass, and entry gates depend on your assigned parking zone. And unlike traditional NASCAR weekends, tailgating and infield RV camping are prohibited due to active military security requirements.

Plan ahead, arrive early, and treat this more like entering a secured venue than a standard race track weekend. For more info, check out our NASCAR San Diego fan guide.