Report: NASCAR replacing Chicago Street Race with San Diego in 2026, plans for Coronado circuit

Just days after NASCAR announced that it will not host the Chicago Street Race in 2026, a new location has been determined. The series will head to San Diego in 2026 in place of Chicago, according to a report from RACER.

Kelly Crandall of RACER reports that NASCAR will race on the Coronado Naval Base in the summer of 2026. A formal announcement is expected to come this week on Wednesday.

The new location should be a fun change of pace for NASCAR, and it’ll be interesting to see what the sport draws up in conjunction with the Naval base. It should certainly be of interest to the fans, though Chicago was also a well-loved race location.

The street race at Chicago was run three times, starting in 2023 and ending in 2025. NASCAR hopes to bring it back in the future, but plans have not yet been finalized.

NASCAR pulling out of Chicago

NASCAR will not host the Chicago Street Race in 2026. The city and the sanctioning body are exploring options for the future. The last three seasons, including this year, NASCAR has raced the Cup and Xfinity Series on the streets of the Windy City.

The Chicago Street Race was a first-of-its-kind event for NASCAR. A report from the Chicago Tribune notes that the event will not return in 2026. However, there are plans for the race to pop up again in 2027.

A different date away from the Fourth of July is a necessity. The two sides also want to explore ways to make the building and breaking down of the course more efficient.

NASCAR released a statement on the decision to move away from the Chicago Street Race in 2026. There is a stated goal of returning for the 2027 season.

“Thank you for all that you have done to make the NASCAR Chicago Street Race one of the most iconic events in global sports. Following the success of the first three years, the Chicago Street Race will hit pause in 2026 to afford us the time necessary to work collaboratively with the City of Chicago to explore a new potential date to develop a plan that further optimizes operational efficiencies, with a goal to return to the streets of Chicago in 2027.

“Together, we have built and grown an expanded community of fans that consists of longtime NASCAR enthusiasts and first-time racegoers from around the globe, and for that, we are immensely grateful. Thank you for the continued support – and we look forward to seeing you at the races.”

On3’s Jonathan Howard also contributed to this report.