NASCAR Insider Teases San Diego Track Map With Fighter Jet Views for 2026 Naval Base Showdown

“He’s been doing some stuff that Bill France Jr. was kind of interested in doing back in the day, as far as international racing goes and street course racing.” A PRN Live host recently said this about NASCAR’s Executive Vice President, Ben Kennedy, the man quietly steering the sport’s next big chapter. If Chicago was a test run, Kennedy’s vision is about to get even bolder with the introduction of San Diego in 2026. We’re talking bigger sights, sharper turns, and a venue so unexpected it might just top everything the series has done on city streets so far with the San Diego track map.

If what insiders are teasing turns out to be true, NASCAR fans are in for a high-speed spectacle that blends military muscle with motorsport madness. One insider just dropped a hint that’s got everyone scrambling for Google Earth, and it’s not just for the track layout.

San Diego track map: NASCAR’s wildest race course yet is taking shape

When NASCAR heads to the San Diego Naval Base, Coronado, next June 19-21, it won’t just be another street course. Instead, it’ll be a full-blown military mash-up. Ben Kennedy, the brain behind NASCAR’s new-wave street circuits, is cooking up something that feels more Top Gun than Talladega. Imagine this: a three-mile layout where stock cars whip past F-18 fighter jets, swing by an aircraft carrier, and then hammer down on the base’s wide-open tarmac.

Yes, really! Speaking from the control tower overlooking the base, Ben Kennedy described a layout that’s still in progress. But, it already sounds like the boldest course in modern NASCAR. With the San Diego track map, there could be chicanes or esses (think quick back-to-back turns) on the runway and multiple sweeping corners right next to helicopters.

And because the roads on base are five or six lanes wide, Kennedy’s expecting the course to offer some prime passing zones. “You have the tarmac, which is as wide as you want to make it,” Kennedy said. “And then a lot of the roads and streets that we drove in this morning, they’re five or six lanes wide. So this is going to create for some really good passing zones.” Well, passing zones are what fans have been asking for ever since the Next-Gen car was introduced, and if San Diego’s street course is working towards that, then there’s hope for the Gen 7, too!

As for the names that will be gracing this historic race, one likely candidate is El Cajon, California native, Jimmie Johnson! The 7-time Cup Series Champion and Legacy Motor Club co-owner said, “I don’t know all the challenges they’re going to face with the location [but] I’m highly confident we’re going to have an incredible venue, incredible backdrop and great racing.” And Ben Kennedy’s ideas only echo this sentiment. Kennedy added, “Downton San Diego is here, the Bay Area runs around us… They’ll eventually make their way along the Bay; this is where our money shots are going to be at Downtown San Diego. Amazing shots on TV.”

While the final San Diego track map isn’t confirmed yet, Kennedy and his team are testing variations on iRacing, and he seems pretty confident about the idea for the race course. If you remember, this is just like they did with Chicago. That sim-driven approach means real-world driver feedback is already shaping where each apex lands. Expect between 10 and 15 turns on a mostly flat surface, with slight elevation changes near the waterfront.

This race won’t just be about speed; it’s tied to something bigger. The June 19–21 weekend lines up with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy, making it NASCAR’s first-ever race on an active military base. So yeah, this one’s about patriotism, power, and a whole lot of pavement. And if the buzz is right, we’re not just getting a new race. Instead, we’re getting a spectacle. We couldn’t be more excited!

NASCAR drivers share their opinions on the San Diego track map

The wild layout teased by Ben Kennedy has fans buzzing. But what about the drivers? Surprisingly, they’re not sweating the specifics of the San Diego track map just yet. 2023 Cup Series champ Ryan Blaney seemed more pumped about the scenery than the corners. “I’ve heard a rumor that on one of the straightaways, we will be going by a couple of aircraft carriers,” he said, grinning. “That’s going to be hard not to pay attention to, going by those on the sea.”

For Blaney, the excitement isn’t about tight hairpins or elevation, it’s about the opportunity to race at such a historic place. “I know it’s going to be a great layout and a great course and just a special place to be able to go run here at such a famous base.” Meanwhile, Kyle Larson, never one to get caught up in the hype, shrugged off the unknowns. “I have no clue,” the 2021 champ admitted about the San Diego track map. “I haven’t seen any drawing or anything of anything yet. But I don’t really care what the course is. I’m just happy that we’re doing this.” His take? The track will figure itself out once the rubber hits the road.

AJ Allmendinger, a road course savant, backed NASCAR’s experimental spirit. “I’m all for trying new things,” he said. “Dirt race at Bristol, whether you liked or hated it, it was new. Street racing, going to different places. I think it’s cool.” So while the San Diego track map isn’t finalized (and still being shaped through iRacing), most drivers aren’t demanding to see the blueprints.

They trust the process and are all-in on the experience. Whether it’s a twisty technical layout or a fast, flowy course, the consensus is clear: This is less about perfect geometry and more about making history. What do you think? Will the San Diego track map deliver something unforgettable, or will it be another bold swing with mixed results? Either way, one thing’s for sure: NASCAR’s never steered closer to a Top Gun fantasy than this.