NASCAR’s Next Track Is Inside a Military Base

July 24, 2025

July 24, 2025 | Edition #206

👋 Dear Motorheads,

We’re back at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And, Ty Dillon will take on Ty Gibbs in the In-Season Challenge finale. With $1 million on the line, it’s bound to get feisty at the Brickyard. But plenty is happening off the track, too.

NASCAR has announced an exciting triple-header at Naval Base Coronado, while Ryan Blaney is firing back at playoff critics. Jimmie Johnson has finally responded to silly season rumors. And NASCAR’s next generation is already turning heads with their heroics at the grassroots level.

📅 Weekend Schedule

 🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

NASCAR Makes a Statement at San Diego

Folks, this is a big one! NASCAR has just announced one of its boldest moves in recent years. The stock car racing series is heading to sunny San Diego for a triple-header at the Naval Base Coronado. Races will be held at an active military base. Talk about a unique backdrop, right?

The three-day event will be held from June 19th to 21st, landing on Father’s Day weekend. Friday will feature the Truck Series race, followed by the Xfinity Series on Saturday, and the big Cup Series race on Sunday. The focus will not just be on racing, though. NASCAR is paying tribute to the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary as well.

The race isn’t your typical street course like in Chicago, either. NASCAR is flipping the script by keeping the track’s layout inside the base. This means no traffic shutdowns, while aircraft carriers, fighter jets, and the San Diego skyline will be looming large in the background. Executive VP Ben Kennedy called it “undoubtedly the most anticipated event of 2026”, and honestly, he might be right!

And, the announcement video is already covering some of the most promising drivers. Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Carson Hocevar, and more are featured in the announcement video. And, it’s all nostalgia, just like the Top Gun: Maverick movie. Here, look at these drivers getting dragged to the Navy base.

But why San Diego? Well, Southern California has been overlooked by NASCAR ever since Auto Club Speedway was demolished and the LA Coliseum’s exhibition race was switched to the Bowman Gray. The sanctioning body has been keen to bring NASCAR back to the West Coast.

It’s not just the local fans who are excited for the race. Navy officials seem equally on board, with Captain Loren Jacobi saying, “Hosting one of America’s premier motorsports events on this historic base reflects our partnership with the local community and our shared pride in the nation’s heritage.”

The demand for tickets is already through the roof. As things stand, deposits are now open for early access when sales go live this fall. And while this is technically a one-year deal, Ben Kennedy has hinted that it may become a recurring fixture, or similar events will take place in the future.

He also said, “We'd love to kick it off and be at Naval Base Coronado for a number of years, but this could also be an opportunity for us to move it to other military installations across the country, too.” The San Diego triple-header isn’t just a race, but a milestone achievement for NASCAR.

Fuel Your Green Thumb

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•⁠ ⁠Outdoor décor, lights & birdbaths that add flair and function to your backyard

There’s no better time to grow what you love… both on and off the track!

🥊 In Today’s Debate

Blaney Is Tired of “Mickey Mouse” Label

It looks like Ryan Blaney has finally run out of patience. The 2023 Cup Series champ has fired back at critics who’ve tried to downplay his championship run, brushing aside the ‘Mickey Mouse’ label associated with the playoff format.

Winning the Bill France Cup isn’t easy, especially with the competition being fiercer than ever, and the narrative surrounding his triumph is clearly getting on his nerves. But Blaney’s frustration isn’t something new.

It’s been bubbling underneath the surface for a while now, and the recent playoff debate has only amplified it. And, the No. 12 Ford driver finally started to hit back.

“What kind of bugs me a little bit is the people that are so die‑hard on, like, ‘If you won a championship in this format that we have now, oh, it’s a Mickey Mouse championship and it doesn’t matter and it doesn’t count,” Blaney said recently.

Now, if we talk about the title, everyone in the 16-driver playoff grid has the same shot at making history, and the format has remained nearly unchanged for years. Yet, fans and even Mark Martin have been calling for the pre-2004 classic full-season format to return. This is what Mark Martin said.

“Well, that’s great, but we haven’t used that format in 20 years,” Blaney responded. And such narratives don’t sit well with Blaney. He was agitated, even pointed out those who keep questioning his skills, saying it gets under his skin. Watch here.

Journey for Blaney was far from easy. He had to grind it out to make it to the championship race. A win at Talladega, followed by a crucial win at Martinsville in the Round of 8, that’s how he got to Phoenix. And, despite his triumph, he acknowledged that the playoff format isn’t ideal. But calling the playoff-era champions 'Mickey Mouse’ is just disrespectful, according to him.

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll! 🏁

Do You Think the NASCAR Playoff System Turns the Championship Into a “Mickey Mouse” Title?

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 🎡 Roulette of Rumors

JJ Keeping It ‘Strictly Friends’ With Daniel Suarez

When the news broke out about Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing parting ways, the NASCAR rumor mill immediately went into overdrive. Fans began speculating potential landing spots, with one team standing out from the pack. After all, Suarez won the 2016 Xfinity Series title with JGR, a flagship Toyota team. And Legacy Motor Club has been on a hunt for the third charter.

LMC will need a new driver if they are expanding to a three-car operation, and this idea serves both parties well. But Jimmie Johnson publicly cleared the air surrounding these links, stating that the Mexican driver isn’t on their wish list. And, his reasoning somewhat means Daniel isn’t a serious option. Yes, JJ said that. Take a look for yourself.

The Suarez links are coming at a complicated time for LMC. The team is still figuring out its charter situation amid the ongoing lawsuit with Rick Ware Racing. While Johnson has admitted that those talks were “ongoing,” the process of getting a new driver at this point is premature. It’s worth noting that Corey Heim is already in the Toyota pipeline, and the team is likely to bet on young talent over a driver who’s hit a plateau in recent years.

That’s not it, Johnson is also keeping a close eye on this Xfinity driver from Richard Childress Racing. Now that JJ has publicly stated his intentions, it seems LMC is inclined towards rising stars over experienced veterans.

 🫡 The Lucky Dog Salutes

NASCAR Legacy Is in the Right Hands

Tuesday night’s Cook Out Summer Shootout was a sign of what’s to come in the NASCAR world. Two familiar last names, Busch and Harvick, tore up the racetrack, proving they can live up to the hype and immense expectations.

It looks like the next generation is already here.

To start with, Keelan Harvick stole the spotlight in the Pro Division. He didn’t just win the race, but dominated the track. Starting from the middle of the pack, the 13-year-old went past Sean McElearney and Jensen Jorgensen by Lap 5 like they didn’t exist, and there was no looking back from that point on.

Keelan restarted next to Shane van Gisbergen after a caution, but looked utterly unfazed. While Harvick launched ahead, managing to build a steady lead, Kiwi tried his best to chase him down. But Keelan was unstoppable. And by Lap 16, the teenager was fending off the road course hero. Some said it was a 70 percent weight advantage, and some are saying it’s pure talent. This is how the road course hero was chasing Keelan.

And then there’s Brexton Busch. He’s already a five-time winner in the Bandits division this season and showed exactly why he’s leading the series’ points table. Taking the lead on Lap 3, Brexton defended like his life depended on it, even though James Behnke and Gerald White III kept the pressure on.

But B-Rex held on, showing some real racer’s instincts to get that hard-fought victory, despite being only 10 years old, crossing the checkered flag 0.142 seconds ahead of Behnke. And, if you’d hear them out, you’d be surprised to see the maturity and resilience in both of them. Both are acting like true NASCAR champions. Watch here.

If that’s not a real NASCAR talent, we don’t know what is. In all, it feels like NASCAR’s future is in good hands.

  1. Ty Dillon Shares Honest Verdict on 2025 Season Amid Ongoing Cinderella Run - Full Story

  2. Insider Exposes Hidden Cost Lurking Beneath NASCAR’s San Diego Debut - Full Story

  3. Kyle Larson’s ‘Yung Money’ Tag Rings True Ahead of Brickyard 400 Showdown-Full Story

  4. Dale Jr. Drops Honest Verdict Behind Dover’s Dirty Tactics - Full Story

  5. NASCAR’s Executive Shares Update on 2026 Schedule, Mexico City Could Be Out - Full Story

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