After two years of rain-soaked July Fourth weekend events, could the NASCAR Chicago Street Race be heading west to eternally sunny San Diego?

The Athletic reported Wednesday that NASCAR and the Southern California city’s sports tourism commission are in negotiations to hold a race on the streets of San Diego in 2026.

A NASCAR spokesperson declined to comment on the unconfirmed report, while the San Diego Sports Commission did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Chicago is set to host the third annual street race July 5-6 on a pop-up course in and around Grant Park, completing an inaugural three-year agreement with NASCAR. The deal, struck during former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, includes a two-year renewal option.

“We continue to have positive conversations with the city of Chicago, and right now, we’re focused on making 2025 the best event yet,” a NASCAR spokesperson said Thursday.

A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. The city, which had an annual 180-day exit clause after the first two races, committed to this year’s event in August.

Adding a San Diego street race next year does not necessarily affect the future of the Chicago Street Race.

Most NASCAR tracks range from a quarter-mile to 2 ½-mile banked ovals, but the Florida-based sanctioning body for stock car racing holds several events at road courses, including Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in Sonoma, California, and at Watkins Glen in New York. NASCAR might similarly be building its portfolio of urban street races, with Chicago paving the way.

The Chicago Street Race has nonetheless had its challenges in the first two years, including pushback over the disruption and street closures to set up the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue.

This year, NASCAR has streamlined the buildout and reduced major street closings to 18 days, starting with the shutdown Thursday of Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. All streets are scheduled to be reopened by July 14.

But the biggest issue facing the first two street races was inclement weather.

In 2023, the inaugural Fourth of July weekend event navigated record rainfall that curtailed races, canceled concerts and left fans soaked. The first Cup Series street race also garnered a huge national TV audience with Chicago as a rainy backdrop, averaging nearly 4.8 million viewers during a four-hour broadcast on NBC.

NASCAR fans are in for a surprise this June. Garage 66 has announced they’re bringing back 57-year-old David Starr for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway on June 28. The veteran Texan driver will be behind the wheel of the No. 66 Ford, decked out with sponsorship from WNB Factory Wings N Burgers, Roofing Georgia/NGE Decks, and several other partners.

David Starr Making 2025 Cup Debut at EchoPark Speedway

Starr isn’t exactly a newcomer to NASCAR’s big leagues. He’s been racing since the late 1990s and has four Truck Series race wins under his belt, a top-five Xfinity Series race finish, and 18 career Cup Series races.

In April 2024, he was at Martinsville with the same Garage 66 team, showing his strong connection with team owner Carl Long.

Most drivers his age have hung up their helmets, but not Starr. He’s still out there grinding in the Xfinity Series with Joey Gase Motorsports. Over the last two seasons, he’s made eight starts. His 26th-place finish at Darlington proves he’s still got what it takes to compete with drivers half his age, and he had an eighth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway at the 2024 United Rentals 250 last season.

If you follow NASCAR, you know Garage 66 isn’t exactly rolling in cash like the big teams. Carl Long runs the scrappy operation under MBM Motorsports, and they’re the definition of doing more with less. They run the No. 66 part-time, bouncing between different drivers and piecing together sponsorship deals to keep the lights on.

What makes them special is that they give guys like Starr a shot when nobody else will. The team recently rebranded to Garage 66 and keeps finding ways to stay relevant, whether it’s through veteran drivers or unique sponsor partnerships that bigger teams might overlook.

NEWS: Garage 66 returns to #NASCAR Cup with David @starr_racing at the @EchoParkSpdwy #QuakerState400.

The Texan will pilot the @wnbfactory / @RoofingGeorgia1 / @ngedecks1 / Coble Enterprises / Carter’s Royal Dispos-all #66.

READ: https://t.co/edBPxDwLPl

@JTDesigns57 pic.twitter.com/AsIgPQWs0o

— Garage 66 & MBM Motorsports (@MBMMotorsports) June 19, 2025

EchoPark Speedway is going to be the perfect stage for this David vs. Goliath story. The track’s got that high-speed, high-banked action that makes for great racing, and the Quaker State 400 draws serious attention. In 2021’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500, Starr started at 38th and finished 23rd. Let’s hope this year brings in better opportunities for him.

Starr clearly can’t contain his excitement about getting back in a Cup car. “EchoPark Speedway is one of the most exciting tracks on the schedule, and I’m thrilled to compete here with such an incredible group of partners,” he said. “The No. 66 looks amazing, and we’re ready to go full throttle on race day.”

The folks at WNB Factory are pretty pumped, too. Company President and COO Robert Bales said, “We’re proud to join forces with Garage 66 to showcase our brand on one of racing’s biggest stages. This is a great opportunity to connect with race fans and represent Georgia with pride.”

At 57, most people are thinking about retirement, not strapping into a 200 mph stock car. But Starr’s story shows what NASCAR is really about: never giving up, finding opportunities where others see dead ends, and proving that sometimes experience beats youth. Whether he finishes first or last, just seeing him out there competing is pretty inspiring.

Paul Tracy sits down with one of the most decorated drivers in motorsports history: Jimmie Johnson. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and IndyCar competitor, Johnson’s relentless drive and quiet determination have made him a modern legend.

Tracy dives deep with Johnson on his incredible NASCAR dynasty with Hendrick Motorsports, what it took to dominate an entire era, and how he made the bold leap to open-wheel racing in the latter stages of his career. From the pressure of the Daytona 500 to the challenge of the Indianapolis 500, Johnson reflects on the risks, the rewards, and what still fuels him today.

They discuss the differences between stock cars and IndyCars, how racing culture has evolved, and Johnson’s rare ability to transition across disciplines while staying true to the craft. Expect a candid conversation about legacy, reinvention, and what it means to chase greatness – no matter the arena.

With Paul Tracy’s signature unfiltered style, this episode delivers the rare perspective of a racer who conquered it all, and then started over.

Garage 66 (formerly known as MBM Motorsports) will run the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend, making their sixth start of the year.

The non-charted team has used a variety of drivers including Josh Bilicki, Chad Finchum, and Casey Mears. Their best finish of the year came in the Coca-Cola 600 where Bilicki placed 33rd in the 40-car field.

But at Atlanta, David Starr will make a surprise appearance in the Cup Series, driving the No. 66 Ford. The 57-year-old has 18 starts in the Cup Series and none so far this year. However, Starr’s career also includes 268 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, and 317 Truck Series starts.

David Starr, Chevrolet

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

He’s a proven winner with four victories in Trucks, placing as high as fourth in the championship in 2006. Starr has one Cup start at Atlanta back in 2011, but that was on the old configuration. But the veteran driver’s best finish in the Cup Series came in 2021 at Texas where he finished 23rd.

“EchoPark Speedway is one of the most exciting tracks on the schedule, and I’m thrilled to compete here with such an incredible group of partners,” said Starr in a release from the team. “The No. 66 looks amazing, and we’re ready to go full throttle on race day.”

The effort will be backed by WNB Factory Wings N Burgers, Roofing Georgia/NGE Decks, Coble Enterprises, and Carter’s Royal Dispos-all.