NASCAR has looked for ways to return to Southern California since the end of California Speedway and the short stint at the LA Memorial Coliseum. According to a report from The Athletic, the Cup Series could head back in 2026 while taking on a new city.
Insider Jordan Bianchi, who regularly breaks schedule-related stories, reported on Wednesday that NASCAR is near a deal to hold a street race in the San Diego next year. According to Bianchi's sources, the deal is not finalized, but negotiations are ongoing. An announcement could happen next month if everything falls into place.
As racing historian "NASCARMAN" pointed out on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, San Diego has previously hosted street races for IMSA. These took place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the 1980s and '90s. Championship-winning team owner Wayne Taylor competed on this purpose-built course while racing in the Camel GT Series.
Would the San Diego street race replace the Chicago street race? That remains a possibility as NASCAR prepares for the final event on its three-year deal with the city of Chicago. Although an option remains for NASCAR to return to Chicago in 2026.
The street race in the San Diego area could also join the schedule while taking a date away from another track on the schedule. NASCAR has previously shown a willingness to strip events from certain tracks to add new destinations to the schedule.
Dover lost a date so Nashville could live. Richmond lost a date so Mexico City could join the schedule. Texas Motor Speedway lost one of its points-paying races so NASCAR could head to Circuit of the Americas.
The tracks currently hosting two events each season include Daytona, Atlanta, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Kansas, Charlotte, Martinsville, Talladega, Darlington, and Bristol. It's hard to identify any of these tracks as options to lose a date, unless NASCAR wants to take away Phoenix's spring date and keep it only as a playoff track.
However, this would further shorten the West Coast swing, which lost California Speedway after 2023. Fans in Arizona also regularly flock to the updated 1-mile venue to fill the stands.
At this point, the exact details of the Southern California race weekend remain unknown until NASCAR and the city of San Diego finalize an agreement.