Copyright Essentially Sports
NASCAR’s bold push into major metropolitan areas reaches a historic new peak in 2026 with the inaugural San Diego Street Course race, a groundbreaking 3-day event set to transform a working military base into a racing spectacle. Scheduled for the weekend of June 19-21, 2026, this marks the first time in history that a NASCAR Cup Series event will be held on an active U.S. military installation, specifically the Naval Base Coronado. The full weekend schedule features the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, June 19, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday, June 20, and the premier Cup Series race, the Anduril 250, on Sunday, June 21. The event’s impact is already being felt in the motorsports community, particularly by local hero Jimmie Johnson, whose participation makes it a full-circle experience for the veteran. ADVERTISEMENT Jimmie Johnson shares heartfelt thoughts on returning to racing roots The groundbreaking nature of the new schedule represents a realization of what Johnson thought was an impossible dream. In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, he candidly expressed the disbelief and excitement over the sport’s evolving landscape, stating, “With the chance to go back and race at home, first and foremost, I just never thought that NASCAR would be in San Diego. There’s plenty of racing in and around the area, but with how densely populated San Diego is, it just never seemed like there’d be a day.” “But now that we have street courses and we certainly have the confidence as a sport to take our street racing abroad, here we go. And it’s going to be fun. I’m so excited for it,” he continued. This confidence stems from the success of the inaugural Chicago Street Race, which proved that temporary circuits could be safely and effectively built and dismantled in major city environments. The San Diego race will be particularly historic as it will be the first-ever NASCAR event held on an active U.S. military base, transforming the 3.4-mile, 16-turn layout on Naval Base Coronado into a high-speed racing circuit. For Johnson, whose own family has ties to the military, the connection to the location adds an element of profound emotion, stating, “My grandparents are, there’s a cemetery just above overlooking Long Island. All four of my grandparents are up there and will be watching as well.” ADVERTISEMENT His commitment to the Southern California homecoming race was so strong that he immediately began leveraging his new position as a part-owner of Legacy Motor Club to guarantee his spot behind the wheel of the No. 84 Toyota Camry. The veteran racer was direct about his behind-the-scenes efforts to secure his place, confessing, “When I caught wind of the series considering it months ago. I started nudging people behind the scenes at Legacy and certainly at Toyota, making sure that if the opportunity really did come together, that I was going to have a seat there.” ADVERTISEMENT Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports This proactive push ensured he would not miss out on a ‘bucket-list’ opportunity in his final years of limited competition. The multi-day racing platform has fueled Johnson’s competitive spirit to look beyond just the Sunday Cup Series race, suggesting he is actively looking for opportunities to race on the street course earlier in the weekend. Johnson showed his renewed competitive drive and commitment to racing every chance he gets, stating, “I’m not sure if I would drop the mic.” “I mean, I still have a desire to compete and certainly hope to very soon announce a more broad schedule of events for myself in 26,” he continued. “But that kind of opportunity to go home, to race there, and honestly, the opportunity at hand with a truck race, an Xfinity race, and a cup race, first time that we’ve all been there, if I could figure out a way to be in a Friday race or Saturday race, I would certainly look really hard at that as well.” But beyond the thrill of the race itself, the timing of the San Diego event offers a massive platform to celebrate a major milestone for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. “We have the 20th anniversary for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, literally the month that we’ll be celebrating. So going home will be a massive, I don’t know, just going to be a huge opportunity for myself and our company.” ADVERTISEMENT Johnson and his wife, Chandra, founded the organization in 2006, meaning the June 2026 race will coincide exactly with the foundation’s 20th anniversary. This program has contributed millions of dollars to K-12 public education. He views the homecoming race as a significant opportunity to draw national attention to his foundation’s impact, making the event far more substantial than just a race. But for now, Johnson has been busy bringing NASCAR’s roaring power to Japan’s Fuji Speedway in a landmark cultural crossover event. ADVERTISEMENT Jimmie Johnson leads NASCAR’s bold showcase in the land of the rising sun NASCAR’s global momentum continues to build, and this time, the spotlight shifts east. The legendary Fuji Speedway is set to welcome a fleet of NASCAR stock cars for a rare demonstration during the Super Taikyu Series finale. At the center of this event is 7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who will pilot the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 from his 2023 Le Mans run. Insider Steven Taranto revealed the lineup featuring Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, and John Hunter Nemechek, among others. Kobayashi, the Le Mans winner and former Formula 1 driver, shared his enthusiasm for NASCAR’s cross-cultural reach, stating, “I think NASCAR is kind of like baseball. It’s something different in the culture of motorsports compared to Japan and Europe, and it’s NASCAR, and as a driver, it’s an American dream.” With Toyota and LMC both involved, this event feels less like a demo and more like a blueprint for NASCAR’s evolving global identity. The initiative, spearheaded by Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda through the Super Taikyu Mirai Organization, aims to unite American and Japanese racing culture. As the STMO noted, the event will “introduce the appeal of American-made vehicles… to increase spectators and attract new teams.” With NASCAR cars roaring across Fuji’s straightaways and displayed in the paddock all weekend, this showcase isn’t just a spectacle; it’s a statement. A new era of motorsport exchange has begun, with Johnson leading the charge.
