CORONADO, Calif. — NASCAR’s drivers have yet to turn an official, competitive lap on the Naval Base Coronado grounds, but the sprawling, new street course that continued taking shape Thursday afternoon has already made a dynamic first impression.
Orientation day at the 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit gave many teams their first real-life introduction to the course that will host all three NASCAR national series this weekend. The otherwise quiet Thursday marked the eve of on-track activity and the welcoming of spectators through the gates on what promises to be a significantly louder day.
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The dramatic backdrop of the USS Carl Vinson supercarrier came into clearer view, stretching nearly 1,100 feet along the waterfront at the bottom of the left-hand Turn 3. The mix of surfaces, little undulations and variations in the circuit’s width made for an intriguing track walk for drivers, crew chiefs and team members, who all made mental notes of the nuances.
All the simulation work, iRacing sessions and virtual training for NASCAR’s first race along the North San Diego Bay can only do so much to substitute for the actual on-track experience that will come in Friday’s first laps. “It’s kind of one of those unknown things,” said Craftsman Truck Series regular Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, who noted many of the bumps and spaces where the track’s barriers tighten. “We really don’t know till we get out there.”
What he did grasp was part of the surreal nature of walking through a Truck Series garage that materialized earlier that day on a live military installation, with grandstands, hospitality areas and fan amenities taking shape around them. He also noted the significance of racing here as the yearlong celebration of America’s 250th anniversary continues its march forward.
“I’m obviously not known as a road course, street course guy, but I think the opportunity to race here, I love the country and America, and I think it’s just awesome to be a part of this because you don’t ever know if this will happen again,” Queen said. “So, super cool to go walk the course and just really take a moment and soak in where we’re at, why we get to race, the people that make it possible, and I think that makes it even even cooler to me.”
Queen and the rest of the Craftsman Truck Series crowd will be the first to take to the track Friday (noon ET, FS2) as all three tours make their first practice laps. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series follows at 3:30 p.m. ET (The CW) with the headlining Cup Series taking its first practice laps at 5 p.m. ET (Prime Video, MRN, SiriusXM). The Truck Series will then lead off again with the first race of the weekend Friday at 7 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX One, NASCAR Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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All three series parked haulers Thursday to establish their garage footprint, with their setups flanking the fan midway. The last of the catch-fencing was still going up amidst the hangars and vintage aircraft, but the true challenges of the track were also coming into view.
As they walked, 23XI Racing teammates Bubba Wallace and Corey Heim pointed out the braking-point markers and other landmarks that helped identify where to get on the binders. The mix of fresh pavement and rough tarmac made for a curious blend, and an area in the slight Turn 4 bend presented what looked like trolley rails. The train-style tracks are actually to help guide cranes that are manned on the facility.
Drivers paid attention to those raised areas, in addition to the rest of Naval Base Coronado’s nooks and crannies. Friday, they’ll get an even better introduction behind the wheel.
