NASCAR announced preliminary numbers for the San Diego race weekend at Naval Base Coronado:
Californians so far have purchased “60% of the tickets for Saturday’s and Sunday’s races.”The 40% of out-of-state tickets included “buyers from all 50 states plus 17 countries.” Nearly 40% of the ticket buyers “were female, which is 11 percentage points more than other NASCAR events.” More than two-thirds of the attendees — 67% — are “experiencing their first NASCAR race.” The turnout of Hispanic attendees was “nearly three times the regular NASCAR event.”
San Diego is the seventh sellout of the 2026 season, with “ticket demand in most areas exceeding availability.” NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson said, “It’s really wise for NASCAR to do this event with the Navy. I hope it’s not a one-and-done. I think this weekend is great for NASCAR, the Navy and San Diego. I hope we’ll be returning” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/20).
After Friday’s 50-minute practice session, drivers were “united in their concerns about the multi-surface circuit’s lack of grip, tight walls and fears of a high attrition rate” in Sunday’s 75-lap feature. NASCAR driver Shane van Gisbergen said, “I don’t think it’s possible to have a perfect lap here. It’s going to be really hard to execute” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/19).
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth traveled Saturday to San Diego to be the “honorary starter” for Sunday’s race. It was not immediately known “how Hegseth’s presence would affect traffic and attendance issues, which are already expected to be complicated given Coronado has just two access points and given the race is the fist ever to be held on an active Navy base.” NASCAR officials said that Hegseth’s visit “would not change security plans.” Approximately 50,000 tickets “have been sold to the public” for the featured Saturday and Sunday programs. The Anduril 250 begins at 1pm PT Sunday (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/19).