Two years ago, NASCAR assigned Ben Kennedy the task of addressing two items on the stock car racing wish list — adding a Southern California race and staging a race on a military base. Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and NASCAR’s chief venue and racing innovation officer, found the answer to both needs with one site.

NASCAR will host street races on a naval base in San Diego Bay in 2026 in an event that coincides with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy. The races bring NASCAR back to Southern California