NASCAR Reportedly Nearing Contract for San Diego-Area Street Course Race

NASCAR reportedly may be set to add a second street course to the Cup Series schedule for the 2026 season.

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, NASCAR is finalizing a deal that would see it run a street-course race in the San Diego area. While the deal isn't done yet, negotiations are ongoing, and it is anticipated that an announcement will be made next month if a pact is agreed upon.

Provided an official agreement is reached, it will mark a street course expansion for NASCAR, as the Cup Series began running an annual street course race in Chicago back in 2023.

NASCAR has reportedly been looking to return to the Southern California market ever since NASCAR-owned California Speedway in Fontana shut down in 2023.

Plans to renovate and re-open the track have been put on hold indefinitely, but in the meantime, running a street-course race in San Diego would allow NASCAR to get its foot back in the door with one of the biggest markets in the United States.

San Diego has never hosted a Cup Series race, but NASCAR views it as an ideal host for a street-course race with the Pacific Ocean providing a unique setting, per Bianchi.

Over the past several years, NASCAR has made a concerted effort to provide fans with more variety when it comes to the Cup Series tracks.

NASCAR introduced a road-course race at Sonoma Raceway in 1989, joining Watkins Glen as the only Cup Series races run at non-traditional tracks.

For the next few decades, Watkins Glen and Sonoma served as the only road-course races in the Cup Series, but that is no longer the case.

NASCAR has since added road-course races in Mexico City, Charlotte and Portland, Oregon; along with road courses at Circuit of the Americas and Lime Rock Park.

The street-course concept, which is popular on other motorsports circuits such as Formula One, had never been explored during the modern era of NASCAR, which began in 1972.

However, that changed with the introduction of the Chicago street course in 2023, with the third edition of the race set to be run on July 6.

NASCAR will have to drop a race from its Cup Series schedule in 2026 in order to accommodate San Diego. While that could result in San Diego replacing the Chicago Street Course since the Chicago deal only runs through this year, NASCAR holds an option for 2026, meaning two street-course races may be run next season.