Writer: Melissa Ramus
Photographer: Rashad Griffin Sr.
CORONADO, Calif. — June 21, 2026 — NASCAR brought the thunder of the Cup Series to San Diego on Sunday as Naval Base Coronado hosted a historic afternoon of racing, ending with Corey Heim capturing his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in the inaugural Anduril 250.
The race took place on the 3.4-mile, 16-turn Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Air Station North Island, marking the first major NASCAR event held on an active military installation. The unique course provided a backdrop unlike anything normally seen on the Cup Series schedule, with race cars competing alongside military facilities and aircraft carriers positioned nearby.
For Heim, the afternoon became a career-defining moment.
Driving the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing, the 23-year-old started 13th and initially struggled to make progress through the field. But as the race developed, Heim and his team stayed patient and eventually put themselves in position to challenge for the victory.
The decisive moment came with only three laps remaining.
23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick had controlled the closing portion of the race, leading from Lap 64 through Lap 72. On Lap 73, Reddick slipped in Turn 2, opening the door for Heim.
The teammates battled side-by-side through the next several corners. Reddick attempted to regain the position entering Turn 5, with the two Toyotas making contact during the fight. Heim held on and emerged with the lead while Reddick later suffered a flat left-front tire that dropped him to 25th.
Once in front, Heim pulled away.
He crossed the finish line 10.365 seconds ahead of Bubba Wallace, completing a 1-2 finish for 23XI Racing. Kyle Larson finished third, Zane Smith fourth and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top five. Heim led only the final three laps, but they were the three that mattered most.
Sunday’s race provided plenty of action long before the final battle.
Ryan Blaney captured Stage 1 under caution after Wallace lost a right-front wheel following a pit stop. Wallace received a two-lap penalty but fought his way back through the field to eventually finish second.
Ryan Preece won Stage 2 after passing Riley Herbst late in the segment.
One of the biggest moments came during a restart around Lap 32.
Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch were battling near the front when Hill locked his brakes entering Turn 1, sending Zilisch hard into the outside barrier. The incident quickly collected multiple cars, including pole winner and accomplished road-course racer Shane van Gisbergen.
Zilisch, Hill and van Gisbergen were unable to continue, dramatically changing the complexion of the race.
The Anduril 250 featured seven cautions covering 11 of its 75 laps and 20 lead changes among 13 drivers. Blaney led a race-high 12 laps, while Larson led 11 and Reddick led nine.
But beyond the competition, Sunday’s event was about NASCAR doing something different.
Fans in San Diego County witnessed Cup Series cars racing through an active military installation, creating images rarely associated with stock-car racing. NASCAR’s race-weekend photography captured cars speeding past an aircraft carrier, Navy sailors watching from the grandstands and the San Diego waterfront surrounding the circuit.
The combination of motorsports and the military setting gave photographers and fans a visual experience unique to Coronado.
Instead of the traditional grandstands and surroundings of an established speedway, the San Diego event incorporated the character of Naval Base Coronado into the race itself. Military personnel were part of the weekend atmosphere, while the location placed one of America’s biggest racing series directly alongside the San Diego Bay.
The race also produced an unexpected winner.
Heim entered Sunday with only 12 previous Cup Series starts. By the end of his 13th, he was celebrating in Victory Lane after completing the 255-mile race in 3 hours, 36 minutes and 50 seconds at an average speed of 70.561 mph.
After taking the checkered flag, Heim celebrated with an extended burnout before joining his 23XI Racing team.
For San Diego, the weekend represented a new chapter in the region’s sports history. For NASCAR, it demonstrated how racing could be presented in an environment far removed from a traditional oval.
And for Corey Heim, Sunday at Naval Base Coronado will forever be the place where he became a NASCAR Cup Series winner.
On a course surrounded by San Diego Bay, military history and thousands of race fans, Heim needed only three laps out front to make history of his own.
