Report: NASCAR nears deal for San Diego street race, questions arise on which race gets replaced

NASCAR is working toward finalizing a deal to bring a street course race to the San Diego area in 2026, per Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic. While NASCAR and the city of San Diego have yet to agree on a deal, discussions are ongoing.

Pending a finalized deal, an announcement is tentatively scheduled for next month, Bianchi noted. This would mark NASCAR’s return to the Southern California market after a multi-year absence.

Auto Club Speedway in Fontana hosted the last Cup Series points race in the market. That race took place in February 2023. The racetrack has since been demolished, though there were plans to redevelop it into a short track. Those plans have since been on hold.

Since its closure, NASCAR has been looking at options to return to racing in Southern California. NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell confirmed the stock car racing series’ interest in San Diego back in December.

“We are certainly interested in California and the Southern California market,” O’Donnell said. “That will continue to be a focus for us, but nothing to confirm at this point.”

How will 2026 NASCAR schedule change with potential addition of San Diego?

San Diego has never hosted a Cup race, and an exact location and layout is currently unknown. But this will be a street course similar to what we’ve seen the last two years in downtown Chicago. That race has put NASCAR in the spotlight in a major metropolitan market. The 2025 Chicago Street Race is the last of a three-year contract, however, NASCAR has an option to return next season.

So, what does that mean for San Diego? How will the addition of a San Diego street course affect other tracks on the schedule? These are the questions, among others, that have to be answered. Of course, if San Diego is added to the 38-race schedule (including two exhibitions), one race has to go.

With Chicago’s deal coming to an end, that could be a possibility. But what if NASCAR wants to have multiple street courses on the schedule? Perhaps then, a track which currently has two dates could lose one to accommodate San Diego. We saw the scenario play out this year, when NASCAR decided to take its show to Mexico City. Richmond Raceway, as a result, lost one of its two dates.