Teenage Car Theft Drove Me into NASCAR’s Arms
My 15-year-old daughter tried to steal our car this week, so I’m ready to become a NASCAR dad. It would be appropriate discipline. We just relocated to a very nice suburb within walking distance of her high school. The suburbs are like living in a Tesla commercial. I am pretty far from the wealthiest dad in this neighborhood (I am, in fact, the least wealthy dad in this ’hood), more than a few engineering degrees short of being in the running.
I’m fairly certain watching NASCAR is a violation of our HOA and a violation of my daughter’s emotional HOA. But NASCAR hits San Diego this weekend and I have a fever I’ve never felt before. I want to watch 111 drivers do dangerous things in cars and trucks on an active military base in the ocean. Since my lifelong exposure to NASCAR is limited to Talladega Nights and every single iteration of the movie Cars, I can only base my plan of attack on oafish stereotypes.
So while other neighbor dads are sizing bubble jackets for their golf simulators, I’m gonna grow a Ricky Bobby, run the extension cord for the TV out into the carport we share with six other condos, fill a cooler with a proper 80-20 split of Hamm’s and Mountain Dew, treat a lawn chair like an ADU, and spend a few hours yelling ohsheeeit as if it’s a single, nine-syllable word.
The quality parents in our neighborhood seem to be able to sense anytime a vehicle breaches the 6 MPH threshold, so I should gather a crowd pretty fast. They may come over with strongly worded emails in their hearts, but one glimpse of Shane van Gisbergen and hometown hero Jimmy Johnson guzzling the last remaining drops of gasoline on the planet in a dazzling display of carmanship—they’ll join my NASCAR pop-up party.
By the time my daughter brings her friends over, we’ll have a real welcoming committee. I’ll set a special lawn chair out for the nice young boy who bought her flowers on her birthday. Have a Dew and talk to me about yourself and please list out your morals alphabetically, kid, I’ll say.
Because, like I said, my daughter tried to steal my car.
She wasn’t going to Mexico. But while Claire and I were off doing businessy stuff to afford the teen’s skincare rituals, she and a friend decided to teach themselves stick shift. She’s never driven a stick before. I’m not saying she has, but if she has driven a vehicle at all—it would have been done in a remote, abandoned parking lot where the only possible thing she could destroy was the concept of driving itself.
But a couple TikTok videos later, she and her friends felt a certain level of mastery had been achieved, and they gave it a go. They backed our VW Bug out of the garage with a series of stalls and transmission seizures, and managed to get it into the carport, attempting to do “donuts.” That’s when I got a call from a resident, who had taken an active interest in this experiment.
Which got me wondering about the power and might of vehicles. Turns out, even at carport speeds there exists a bit of potential fireworks. A garage door could become not a garage door anymore. At 145 MPH on Naval Base Coronado this weekend (don’t worry, they slow down to 100 MPH for turns), NASCAR drivers are essentially doorbell ditching gods. I didn’t register the temperature after my daughter’s trial run, but the track at NASCAR races usually hits a cool 130-150 degrees, enough to lightly sear some Nikes (the tires themselves hover in the 200 degree range).
And that is at least part of our fascination with NASCAR (the other fascination is the legendary pit parties, which either set humanity back a few evolutionary links, or advance it by the same amount of links). These drivers take something us adults do every day in a very efficient, boring way and take it to its extreme impulse. Grace and precision at the thunderous edge of shit going terribly wrong. Most of us have, upon seeing the price of California gas, wanted to pile our worldly possessions into a Honda Pilot and see how fast we could make it to our new home in Vegas. So NASCAR drivers are acting on our own wildest impulse.
Construction at the Naval Base Coronado started on June 1. Thirty two hundred retaining walls, massive grandstands, protective fencing, which is pretty much like Catcher in the Rye for people who drive insane cars insanely. Sixteen turns, 3.4 miles. It’s the longest course in this year’s NASCAR national series schedule. It’s part of the 250th anniversary of the US Navy (and the country itself). Stars and spangles will be hung everywhere.
Construction will be finished on June 17. Final inspection is this Thursday, June 18. So, in a little over two weeks, cranes and trucks and men and women have built a national NASCAR spectacle on an active military base, the secretive central heart of San Diego. It’s the first NASCAR race ever held on an active military base. On Father’s Day. Over 100,000 people are expected to attend the three-day spectacle. Afterward, the tourism board will sell surplus testosterone to sister cities.
You might think that all of this is very un-San Diego. Like we reached for the Manuka honey but accidentally grabbed some motor oil and ruined an acai bowl. But before we got Priused and gasoline became the black truffle of the pump—we had a rich racing history. Before golf, Torrey Pines was a road-racing site in the 1950s on a former military base. Balboa Stadium hosted midget races (big engine, tiny cars) from 1937 to 1961, only stopping so that the Chargers could start losing football games at the site. Cajon Speedway had a famed figure-eight track and hosted the NASCAR Southwest Series for decades. There was the Carlsbad Raceway, the Paradise Mesa Drag Strip, Lakeside tracks, South Bay/117 Speedway, Barona Speedway, you name it.
The Navy’s not new to it, either. From 1997 to 2016, Naval Air Station North Island hosted the Coronado Speed Festival as part of “Fleet Week.”
NASCAR’s had deep ties in Southern California, too. The Auto Club Speedway in Fontana (about 50 miles east of LA) was NASCARland west for 27 years. When it closed in 2023, the search for new homes and tracks started in earnest. That’s when some experiential marketing person got the ear of an important NASCARian and convinced them to build a course through Downtown Chicago in 2024. People went bananas for it, adults watching their Matchbox car dreams manifest in reality.
It was a great spectacle. But some Chicagoans—namely, those who hadn’t had their cars hotwired by their teen, beginning an unsuspected fascination with NASCAR—complained that the urban course had gummed up the city’s gears too much.
And so the Navy and Sports San Diego—the nonprofit who brings major sporting events to the city, like the Holiday Bowl and Ray Children’s Invitational—offered a compromise. A naval city within a city.
I’m sure some San Diegans will shake their fist at the traffic this weekend. Imperfections will abound, always do with spectacles. I’ll be in my carport with my grand-larcenist teen, cheering on the other, wealthier Mr. Johnson.
NASCAR San Diego Weekend FAQ
When is the NASCAR San Diego Weekend?
NASCAR San Diego Weekend takes place June 19–21, 2026, at Naval Base Coronado’s Naval Air Station North Island. The three-day event features all three of NASCAR’s national touring series competing on a first-of-its-kind street course built on an active military installation.
What races are happening during the weekend?
Friday, June 19
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series — Navy 250
Saturday, June 20
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series — United Rentals Driven to Serve 250
Sunday, June 21
- NASCAR Cup Series — Anduril 250 (weekend headliner)
What is the race schedule?
Friday, June 19
- Gates open: 9 a.m.
- Truck Series race: 4 p.m.
Saturday, June 20
- Gates open: 9 a.m.
- O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race: 2 p.m.
Sunday, June 21
- Gates open: 9 a.m.
- NASCAR Cup Series race: 1 p.m.
How can I watch the races?
Fans can attend in person with tickets or watch from home. National television and streaming coverage will air across NASCAR’s broadcast partners, including Prime Video, FS1 and The CW, depending on the series and session. Check NASCAR’s official weekend schedule for the latest broadcast information.
Where is the race being held?
The event takes place on a custom-built street course at Naval Air Station North Island within Naval Base Coronado. The 3.4-mile circuit winds through portions of the base and along San Diego Bay, making it one of the most unique venues in NASCAR history.
Is this NASCAR’s first race in San Diego?
Yes. It is NASCAR’s first event in San Diego and the first time the sport has staged a race on an active military base.
Are tickets still available?
Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are sold out on the official NASCAR website, but may still be available through third-party sellers. Visit the official NASCAR San Diego website for current availability and to join the waitlist.
What should fans know before attending?
Attendees should plan ahead for transportation, parking, security screening and base access requirements. NASCAR has published an interactive venue map and fan guide with parking locations, gate information, schedules and event details.
Why is this race such a big deal?
Beyond bringing NASCAR back to Southern California, the event coincides with the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary celebration and is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to the region. The unique setting and waterfront course have already made it one of the most anticipated races of the 2026 season.
Where can I find more information?
NASCAR San Diego Official Website
NASCAR Weekend Schedule & Fan Guide
The post Teenage Car Theft Drove Me into NASCAR’s Arms appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
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