After one month of speculation, it’s official: NASCAR will be returning to Southern California in 2026 with a street race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.
The base, which faces the Pacific Ocean and is located directly across the San Diego Bay from the downtown San Diego skyline, will host NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series from June 19 to June 21, 2026.
It’s the newest addition to the schedule and the latest track to have its dates confirmed in a calendar that remains relatively wide open. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovations Officer, said that the 2026 schedule will be out “in a few weeks or so.”
From confirmed dates to probable races to potential rumors, here’s everything that we know about the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule at the moment.
Confirmed
The following tracks and dates have a confirmed date on the 2026 calendar.
- Feb. 1 — Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium
- Feb. 15 — The 68th Daytona 500
- May 24 — Coca-Cola 600
- June 21 — San Diego/Naval Base Coronado
- Nov. 8 — Season Finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway
The 2026 Southern 500 hasn’t been officially announced, but assuming it keeps its Labor Day Weekend date, it would be held on Sept. 6.
The 2025 Cup season started on Feb. 2 (Clash) and will end on Nov. 2 (Phoenix). With the 2026 season starting on Feb. 1 (Clash) and ending on Nov. 8 (Homestead), it appears 2026 will have an extra week — whether it’s used for racing or rest — to play with.
The Chicago Street Race will not return for 2026. It is TBD for 2027 and beyond.
2026 Ticket Information
NOTE: The following information is not official and won’t be official until a full schedule release. Dates and tracks may be subject to change.
The following tracks have 2026 ticket renewals available for races that took place in the first half of 2025.
- Nashville Superspeedway — Tickets for June 2026 are available on Nashville’s website.
- Texas Motor Speedway — Tickets for May 2026 are available on Texas’ website.
- Circuit of the Americas — Tickets for 2026 are available on COTA’s website.
- Dover Motor Speedway — Tickets for July 2026 are available on Dover’s website.
- Sonoma Raceway — Tickets for July 2026 are available on Sonoma’s website.
- Michigan International Speedway — Tickets for 2026 are available on Michigan’s website.
- Pocono Raceway — Ticket renewals for 2026 are available on Pocono’s website.
- Bristol Motor Speedway — Tickets for April 2026 are available on Bristol’s website. Second Cup race of 2025 will be held on Sept. 13.
- Martinsville Speedway — Tickets for Spring 2026 are available on Martinsville’s website. Second Cup race of 2025 will be held on Oct. 26.
- Kansas Speedway — Tickets for Spring 2026 are available on Kansas’ website. Second Cup date of 2025 will be held on Sept. 28.
- Phoenix Raceway — Tickets for Spring 2026 are available on Phoenix’s website. Second Cup date of 2025 will be held on Nov. 2.
- Darlington Raceway — Tickets for Spring 2026 are available on Darlington’s website. The 2025 Southern 500 will be held on Aug. 31.
- Las Vegas Motor Speedway — Listed annual package provides “reserved seating for both 2026 Spring & Fall weekends.”
- Talladega Superspeedway — Tickets for Spring 2026 are available on Talladega’s website. Second Cup race of 2025 will be held on Oct. 19.
- EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) — Tickets for Spring 2026 are currently available. No information currently available for a second 2026 date.
The following tracks have no information available for 2026 renewals, as they have yet to complete their 2025 race weekends.
- World Wide Technology Raceway — Track’s 2025 Cup race is scheduled for Sept. 7.
- New Hampshire Motor Speedway — Track’s 2025 Cup race is scheduled for Sept. 21.
- Iowa Speedway — Track’s 2025 Cup race is scheduled for Aug. 3.
- Watkins Glen International — Track’s 2025 Cup race is scheduled for Aug. 10.
- Richmond Raceway — Track’s 2025 Cup race is scheduled for Aug. 16.
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway — The 2025 Brickyard 400 is scheduled for July 27.
- Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL — Track’s 2025 Cup race is scheduled for Oct. 5.
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’s website does not have any information about 2026 NASCAR ticket renewals at the moment. The NASCAR Mexico City website appears to only have information about the 2025 race weekend.
North Wilkesboro Speedway has a page for 2026 ticket renewals, but it makes no mention of an All-Star Race. Instead, the page simply reads, “Lock in Your 2026 NASCAR Tickets.”
Biggest Questions Remaining
- Chicagoland Speedway: There continues to be noise about Chicagoland and a possible return, but there is currently no timetable; the track itself will have to undergo repairs. If the Chicago Street Race’s removal becomes permanent, Chicagoland gives NASCAR at least some presence within the third-largest media market in the United States.
- Other Potential Tracks: Philadelphia and Montreal have been floated as possibilities but not much has been heard about either site in months. Worth noting that it took about one month for San Diego to go from a rumor to a done deal for 2026.
- Fourth of July Weekend: After a long-time home at Daytona International Speedway from 1960 to 2019, the Fourth of July weekend has bounced between the Brickyard 400 (2020), Road America (2021-2022) and Chicago (2023-2025). What track receives this highly coveted date for 2026, and is the goal to find a temporary or permanent home for this weekend?
- Playoffs: Homestead will serve as the finale, so where will Phoenix go? What tracks will serve in the opening rounds, and what will the playoff format look like? Will it be the same as 2025, or will next year feature sweeping changes?
Stephen Stumpf is the NASCAR Content Director for Frontstretch and is a three-year veteran of the site. His weekly column is “Stat Sheet,” and he formerly wrote "4 Burning Questions" for three years. He also writes commentaries, contributes to podcasts, edits articles and is frequently at the track for on-site coverage.
Find Stephen on Twitter @stephen_stumpf