The 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck schedule looks solid. Several novel developments are in process, like the return of Ram to NASCAR. Additionally, a lot of exciting racetracks are preparing to enthrall fans. Trucks will race as part of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend next year on Feb. 28th. Lime Rock Park, the picturesque Connecticut road course, will host NASCAR’s third tier yet again. Another location booked for Trucks is in San Diego.

NASCAR is heading to the Naval Base Coronado in San Diego from June 19th to 21st in 2026. It will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy, marking a unique event on a military base. Yet this NASCAR-Navy collaboration may be disappointing for a large section of fans.

San Diego will not be accessible on Friday

Ben Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy for NASCAR, first rolled out the San Diego plan in July. When he talked about preparations for designing the course with iRacing, a fan asked Bob Pockrass a pertinent question. Given the high-security measures prevalent in any military facility, will the Naval Base racetrack be open to the public? There was a vague supposition at that time. But now, NASCAR San Diego Weekend’s official website has it covered in its FAQ section.

NASCAR posted an answer to the question, “Is this race open to all civilians?” The reply started on an encouraging note, yet ended with the disappointing news for Craftsman Truck Series fans. “Absolutely! Naval Base Coronado will be open to all ticket holders. Note that Friday, June 19, is Navy Community Day and access will be limited to members of the U.S. Navy at Naval Base Coronado and residents of Coronado Island, culminating with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race. Ticket holders from the general public will be welcome aboard June 20-21, 2026.”

Bob Pockrass expanded on the available information, observing the exclusive access to the Truck Series race. He wrote, “Correct. That was announced the day the race was announced. Friday June 19th is Juneteenth, a federal holiday, so many of the base workers are off. And so the truck race at San Diego/Coronado will be primarily for military families already on the base.”

June 19th is Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the US. Dating back to 1865, the holiday hails the day when 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas, the last bastion for slavery during the final days of the Civil War, were declared free by the U.S. Army. In 1980, Texas became the first state to declare it a state holiday. In 2021, Juneteenth became a national holiday.

This marks a downer for diehard Truck Series fans. That is especially because the San Diego street race marks NASCAR’s return to Southern California for the first time since February 2024. There are also exciting events like the Pit Crew Challenge.

Meanwhile, fans can look forward to a hearty upgrade of an ARCA Menards Series star.

Scaling up to the next level

Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen has been a sensation in NASCAR’s feeder series. In 2025, he dominated the ARCA circuit, winning 8 of 20 races with a total of 17 top fives and 17 top tens. What’s more, Queen went on to clinch the ARCA Menards Series championship. Now, it is time for the short-track racing star to scale up within NASCAR. Queen will be part of Kaulig Racing’s brand new NASCAR Truck Series effort and Ram’s highly anticipated return to the sport.

With a five-race schedule coming up with support from the Stellantis brand, Brenden Queen is excited. “A big thanks to Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice, RAM, and everyone at Kaulig Racing for this opportunity,” said Queen. “I’m just a short-track kid who’s worked hard every day, never really knowing if I’d ever make it to this level. I’m very thankful for this chance and can’t wait to get rolling with RAM and Kaulig Racing. The goals are simple: build a winning team and chase championships.”

The former CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car tour champion has four Truck Series starts. He actually finished an impressive fourth in his 2024 debut at North Wilkesboro and made his Xfinity Series debut with Kaulig earlier this year. Queen also became the driver of the team’s No. 11 Chevy for the remainder of the 2025 NXS season.

Evidently, Truck Series fans have exciting stuff to look forward to – except for the San Diego event. Let’s wait and see if there are any developments in this regard.