When NASCAR Cup Series drivers converge on Naval Base Coronado in June, they won’t just be racing for their teams — they’ll be racing for the Navy.
Hosted by Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cup Series stars Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece and Ty Dillon visited the San Diego base Wednesday to select drivers to represent different Naval commands for the inaugural Anduril 250 (June 21, 4 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The squadron assignments add another “Hell Yeah” twist as NASCAR’s premier series returns to Southern California on a brand-new street course.
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Upon arrival, Fitzpatrick — a longtime NFL quarterback and analyst for Prime Video — visited the legendary I-Bar at the Base before greeting Bell, Preece and Dillon on-site. He hosted an NFL-style draft with several guest pickers, including members of the Navy and part-time NASCAR driver Jesse Iwuji, who’s also a Naval Reserve Officer. The draft — which took place at the North Island Club — also featured a performance from the Navy Band.
Between now and race weekend, drivers will begin visiting the base to participate in immersive experiences with their assigned commands and capture behind-the-scenes content. The goal of the squadron assignments is for drivers to build authentic relationships with service members in the lead-up to race weekend, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.
In addition to the Cup Series, both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series will “Race the Base,” making it a can’t-miss tripleheader around the 16-turn, 3.4-mile temporary circuit.
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See below the full squadron assignments for the Cup Series at Naval Base Coronado, in alphabetical order of last name:
| Driver | Squadron |
|---|---|
| AJ Allmendinger | Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One (EODGRU-1) |
| Christopher Bell | Naval Base Point Loma |
| Josh Berry | Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 |
| Ryan Blaney | Strike Group Oceanography Team San Diego |
| Alex Bowman | Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet |
| Chase Briscoe | USS Somerset (LPD 25) |
| Chris Buescher | USS Kansas City (LCS 22) |
| William Byron | Assault Craft Unit 1 |
| Ross Chastain | Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 5 (MSRON 5) |
| Austin Cindric | Naval Base San Diego |
| Cole Custer | Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Four (HSC-4) "Black Knights" |
| Ty Dilon | USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) |
| Austin Dillon | Maritime Expeditionary Security Training and Evaluation Unit ONE |
| Chase Elliott | Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron THREE (HELSEACOMBATRON 3 or HSC-3 Merlins) |
| Ty Gibbs | Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 "Magicians" |
| Todd Gilliland | Special Reconnaissance Team ONE |
| Noah Gragson | Beachmaster Unit ONE |
| Denny Hamlin | USS Greenville (SSN-772) |
| Riley Herbst | Naval Base Coronado (NBC) |
| Carson Hocevar | Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) |
| Jimmie Johnson | Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 21 "Blackjacks" |
| Erik Jones | USS America (LHA 6) |
| Brad Keselowski | USS O'Kane (DDG 77) |
| Kyle Larson | Carrier Strike Group Fifteen (CSG-15) |
| Joey Logano | Naval Surface Warfare Leadership and Development Command (NLEAD) |
| Michael McDowell | VRM-50 (Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 50 "SunHawks") |
| John Hunter Nemechek | Southwest Regional Maintenance Center |
| Ryan Preece | Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) & FRCSW DET North Island |
| Tyler Reddick | Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Fifty-Seven (VR-57), the "Conquistadors" |
| Zane Smith | USS Pierre (LCS 38) |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 "Blue Hawks" |
| Daniel Suárez | Surface Combat Systems Training Command's (SCST) San Diego |
| Shane van Gisbergen | Commander Naval Surface Group Southwest (CNSGSW) |
| Bubba Wallace | Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 49 "Scorpions" |
| Cody Ware | Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit North Island (CNATTU) |
| Connor Zilisch | VRM-30 (Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron 30 "Titans") |