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NASCAR is all set to create history next season. The stock car championship will be competing at an active US military base for the first time in San Diego. While the race will certainly create some interesting optics, the sport has now roped in a massive title sponsor from the world of defense.

The sport will head to San Diego’s Coronado Naval Base next season to host one race. According to reports, NASCAR will call the race the ‘Anduril 250.‘ Anduril Industries have reached a title sponsorship agreement with the sport for the San Diego weekend.

Anduril is a California-based defense technology giant, worth over $28 billion. The 250 in the race’s title refers to the 250th anniversary of the US Navy instead of the length of the race. Certainly, NASCAR has found the right partner to kickstart it’s first-ever weekend at a Military base.

Cup race next year at Coronado (San Diego) Naval Base has a sponsor … Anduril 250 … Anduril is a defense technology company. The 250 is in reference to the 250th anniversary of the Navy, not necessarily the length of the race.

Bob Pockrass wrote on X.

Cup race next year at Coronado (San Diego) Naval Base has a sponsor … Anduril 250 … Anduril is a defense technology company. The 250 is in reference to the 250th anniversary of the Navy, not necessarily the length of the race.

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 14, 2025

NASCAR hails Anduril’s title deal for San Diego race

NASCAR announced the new sponsorship agreement on its official website. The stock car series was proud to have partnered up a massive defense giant. The sport’s commercial chief Craig Stimmel asserted that Anduril was an American company that aligned with the sport’s push for forward thinking.

Anduril Industries will also serve as the official Defense Partner. Certainly, bagging the defense giant is a big coup for the sport. NASCAR is the premier racing series in the US and deserves to have some massive brands as its partners. The arrival of Anduril could pave the way for more big deals in the future.

NASCAR has long been woven into the fabric of Americana – it’s a sport that connects with fans across generations and reflects the energy and determination that define us. Anduril is an American company that’s pushing boundaries in defense technology, and they bring that same drive and forward-thinking mindset. We’re excited to welcome them as the title partner of NASCAR San Diego Weekend and as NASCAR’s Official Defense Partner. It’s a great match – two high-performance teams coming together with a shared vision for the future, both on and off the track

Craig Stimmel said on NASCAR’s website.

The Anduril 250 will take place on Sunday, June 21, 2926. Before the Cup race, the sport will also have Xfinity and Truck Series debut on the track. The track layout however is yet to be revealed. The Cup race at San Diego will be streamed on Prime Video.

Certainly, NASCAR seems to have everything in place for its first-ever Military base weekend in San Diego. The naval base will be a symbol of American pride, something that is intertwined with the spirit of the championship. Though, fans shouldn’t be surprised if critics slam NASCAR’s crossover with the world of defense, potentially highlighting the political factors. Nevertheless, the Anduril 250 is not a race to be missed.

Read More: Denny Hamlin Declares Shane van Gisbergen as the “Best Road Course Racer Ever”

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With two races remaining in the regular season, Richmond Raceway will play host to its only Cup race this season Saturday night.

The 16-driver playoff field essentially has three open spots with 13 winners essentially having locked into berths.

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Tyler Reddick (plus-117 points on the cutline) likely will secure a spot Saturday at the 0.75-mile oval regardless of his finish.

Alex Bowman (plus-60) and Chris Buescher (34 points over Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing teammate Ryan Preece) are holding onto the final two provisional spots on points.

Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski are among the drivers who will need a win at either Richmond or Daytona International Speedway to make the playoffs.

Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Richmond race

Denny Hamlin seeks to score his sixth Cup win at Richmond this weekend, but teammate Chase Briscoe will among the challengers.

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Richmond is the fourth of six short-track races this season. Chase Briscoe is the only driver with top-10 finishes in the first three short track races.

Saturday will mark the first time in 67 years that Richmond is scheduled for only one race weekend with NASCAR’s premier series.

The short track had two annual races on the Cup schedule from 1959-2024 (one of its 2020 races was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Details for Saturday’s Cup race at Richmond Raceway

(All times Eastern)

START: The race is scheduled to start shortly after 7:30 p.m..

PRERACE: The Cup garage will open at 4:30 p.m. … The drivers meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. … Drivers introductions will be at 6:55 p.m.

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DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (300 miles) on the 0.75-mile oval in Richmond, Virginia.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 20. Stage 2 ends at Lap 230.

ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 39 cars entered at Richmond Raceway.

TV/RADIO: USA Network will broadcast the race starting with Countdown to Green at 7 p.m. … Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage.

FORECAST: WeatherUnderground — Partly cloudy with a high of 88 degrees and light winds. It’s expected to be 79 degrees with a 2% chance of rain around the start of the Cup race.

LAST TIME: Austin Dillon won the Aug. 11, 2024 race in overtime, but the victory was stripped of playoff eligibility after NASCAR penalized Dillon for wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap.

Editor’s note: Charlie Douglas is the owner of Blue Crab Publishing LLC, which owns the Palatka Daily News.

Bolstered by big-name supporters but also facing their share of pushback, a father-son duo crossed a finish line this week as they continue their plans to open a motor sports complex in Palatka.

Scott and Scott Lagasse Jr., motorsports enthusiasts from Putnam and St. Johns counties, want to develop 443 acres near the Palatka Municipal Airport, 4015 Reid St., into a motorplex. The complex would be used for motorsports driver training and motorsports programming, according to a presentation during Wednesday’s Putnam County Planning Commission meeting. 

“It’s really exciting for us,” Lagasse Sr. told the Daily News on Thursday. “It’s something … my son and I’ve been working toward for a few years now.  … We wanted to bring it here because it’s basically home, and I can’t think of any other place we’d rather do it.”

The Planning Commission unanimously approved a zoning map change from agriculture to a planned unit development zoning at 370, 352, 344, and 320 County Road 309C and 4129 and 4075 Reid St., according to board documents. 

The project still must be approved by the Putnam County Board of Commissioners in two meetings, each about 30 days apart, Lagasse Sr. said. However, he said Thursday, construction could begin as early as the first quarter of 2026.

The completed 443 acres would feature areas for driving training, kart racing, other recreation and entertainment opportunities, event space, lodging, and retail, according to a presentation from Charlie Douglas, whose law firm represents the Lagasses. 

The first phase of the project would be to build the track and up to 200 garage facilities, according to the presentation. The second phase, which is to add more activities and a campground area, could be finished up to 20 years later. 

The track would be allowed to have only eight special track events each year, the presentation stipulates. 

Lagasse Sr. said he grew up in Federal Point playing every sport. His love for motorsports eventually evolved into racing, which led to the father and son owning the Team SLR racing and driver training team, which was formed in 1985, according to teamslr.com. 

In June, 14-year-old driver Tristan McKeen raced in the Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series in Wisconsin with his car bearing the “Visit Palatka” logo on the back. 

When one of the planning commissioners questioned why the Lagasse duo wanted to open the motorsports facility in Palatka, Lagasse Jr. said his family’s roots played a large role. 

“This is dad’s home, and for me, it’s a legacy,” he said. “So, why not here?”

Lagasse Jr. said similar training complexes exist in Orlando and Tampa, but the Palatka complex is slated to include garages for drivers’ cars. 

“I am unaware of a true driver-training facility built in the country,” he said. “It’s a unique thing that we’ve come up with with some pretty smart people and are pretty excited about it. Our core business is driver training for a lot of the young up-and-coming NASCAR drivers.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, the Lagasse family had the support of notable community leaders like Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach, St. Johns River State College President Joe Pickens, former state Rep. Bobby Payne and the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce. 

DeLoach said the project is crucial to Putnam’s success and would lead to more people visiting and spending money in the county. Lagasse Jr. noted he would have to travel six hours to the closest training facility. 

DeLoach said safety is his top priority, and deputies could use the facility to train in specialized driving techniques, something Putnam currently does not offer. 

“Having professional instructors and a purpose-built track means our deputies can sharpen their pursuit and emergency driving skills without leaving our county, directly enhancing our public safety,” DeLoach said.

Pickens told the commission the complex can offer other automotive courses at the college without having to add additional buildings to the Palatka campus, 5001 St. Johns Ave. 

Payne, who worked at Seminole-Electric Cooperative in Palatka for 30 years before serving in the Legislature from 2016 to 2024, said his goal while in office was to improve the quality of life for rural counties. 

While in the state capital, Payne talked to developers to determine why no one wanted to build in Putnam County. The biggest factor for not developing in Putnam was the county’s reputation, he told the Planning Commission. “Stagnant, economically stagnant. An industrial town. To some degree, education was not where it should be,” Payne said he heard from developers. “… So those were the things that were disappointing to me. I think the opportunity for this motorplex to develop, as we talk about, could be an anchor for our community, can be a state-of-the-art world-class facility.”

Hitting a yellow light

The Lagasse proposal didn’t get the green light without facing obstacles. Wednesday’s meeting lasted about three hours, with numerous people against having the facility open in Putnam County.

Some Putnam residents worried about the noise a motorsports complex would bring, while others were concerned about the impact it would have on the property and the surrounding area.

Kevon Branham, who said she has lived in Putnam County her whole life, told the commission Palatka can’t become like Jacksonville, Gainesville or Green Cove Springs. Palatka and the rest of the county need to retain its farms, trees and agricultural aspect, she said. 

“If you need this kind of stuff, drive to it,” Branham said. “That’s all I can tell you. There’s been a racetrack in Satsuma that’s opened and closed about 29 times over the last 60 years because I’ve been here that long. 

“Leave us the way we were. … We have enough business in this town. We can’t all be big dogs. We just can’t. Somewhere along the line, there’s going to be little counties. There just is. Drive.”

Florahome resident James McDaniel worried about urban sprawl and city-like infrastructure taking over agricultural lands, something he feared the proposed facility would accelerate. 

He questioned whether the proposed site could handle such a large development. 

“We don’t even support a movie theater in this town,” he said. “How are we going to support a race track for 15 years for the whole Phase 2 development to occur? Putnam County is rural. Putnam County is in the country. We live here because it’s rural, because it’s country.” 

Lagasse Sr. said he was disappointed to see some of the pushback but wants to work with the community. He plans to plant trees at the site to mitigate the sound, and he has met with Bardin residents to discuss activity times and other concerns they have. 

“We’re going to work extra hard not to inconvenience people’s lives, and do everything we can to buffer the sound,” he told the Daily News. “… I think most people, (we) were able to satisfy that we’ll be good neighbors, and that’s encouraging.”

What’s Happening?

North Wilkesboro Speedway may no longer host the NASCAR All-Star Race after this season. A new report claims that the race could move to Dover Motor Speedway in 2026, with its points dating to Wilkesboro.