by San Diego will soon sense the necessity. The necessity of speed.
And when NASCAR takes over Coronado for a special series of races called NASCAR San Diego in 2026, racing car driver Michael McDowell intends to bring it.
He stated, “It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The 2021 Daytona 500 winner McDowell traveled to San Diego on Tuesday to meet with some of his sponsors at K1 Speed Indoor Go Karts in Barrio Logan and promote the race in June.
Coronado was selected to commemorate the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary. Naval Air Station North Island will host the races.
The facility was one of several sites in the San Diego area that were utilized to film Top Gun, the movie where Tom Cruise famously said the speed line.
San Diego was a logical place for NASCAR officials to continue their efforts to increase interest in the sport, which has resulted in events in Mexico City and Chicago.
At a news conference last month to announce the event, NASCAR Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy stated, “Racing on a military base was one of the ideas that we had several years ago.”
We’ve spoken with bases all throughout the nation on several occasions. Additionally, we were looking for a means to establish ourselves in the Southern California market. For several years, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum has been the site of our racing and auto club. We thought it was an excellent chance to reconnect with our fans in the larger Southern California area.
From BMX bikes to karts, open wheel cars, and stock cars, McDowell has been involved in competitive racing since he was three years old. The 40-year-old McDowell is excited to participate in the three events scheduled for the weekend, including the NASCAR Cup Series race in Coronado.
He stated, “We’ve never been on a Navy base before, so it’s just really cool and something really different.” Additionally, since there is nothing like it, the course layout will undoubtedly be quite distinctive.
The challenge will be in racing in a place not built for speeding cars.
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He said, “You’re going to have some asphalt.” There will be concrete for you. There will be some changes for you. You will experience some dips. For example, you will have water runoff, drainage, and other issues. It’s not your normal racetrack, then.
The precise course of the race in San Diego is still being determined by officials. McDowell stated that the thrill will be felt outside of Coronado regardless of the route.
“I hope we can, you know, attract new fans and have new chances to reach people who may not have previously encountered the sport,” he remarked.
