CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR will hold a street race on Naval Base Coronado in Southern California next June as a replacement for its downtown Chicago event that ran the last three years.
The move to the San Diego area does not eliminate a return to Chicago, where NASCAR will still maintain an office and effort an eventual return, perhaps as early as 2027.
But the shift next year will allow NASCAR to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy by hosting all three of its national series over a three-day weekend on June 19-21.
“As part of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored for NASCAR to join the celebration as we host our first street race at a military base, Naval Base Coronado,” Ben Kennedy, executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer, said Wednesday. “NASCAR San Diego Weekend will honor the Navy’s history and the men and women who serve as we take the best motorsports in the world to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.”
It will be NASCAR's second street race in the sport's history, following the three-year run in Chicago, and first on an active military base. The course layout is not complete but is expected to be around 3 miles.
NASCAR has seen Auto Club Speedway close after the 2023 race. It built a temporary short track inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2002 through 2024 but moved that event to North Carolina.
Kennedy, who has been bullish on new endeavors for his family business, was the brains of the races at the Coliseum, Chicago, this year's visit to Mexico City and now next year in San Diego, a venture the Navy is excited about.
“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence," Navy Secretary John C. Phelan said. "Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country.
“From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR."
The base is known as the “West Coast Quarterdeck” and is a consortium of nine Navy installations that stretch from San Clemente Island 50 miles off the coast of Long Beach to the Mountain Warfare Training Facility 50 miles east of San Diego.
NASCAR named Amy Lupo, who has been with the series since 2021 and helped launch the Coliseum, as president of the race. She spent more than 20 years at ESPN expanding the X Games when she lived in San Diego early in her career. She still lives in Southern California.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
FILE - The guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale leaves Naval Base Coronado Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, in Coronado, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
MILAN (AP) — AC Milan didn’t let city rival Inter Milan open up too big a gap at the top of Serie A as it fought back to win 3-1 at in-form Como on Thursday, with Adrien Rabiot winning a penalty and then scoring two goals.
Inter had moved six points clear of Milan and Napoli with a 1-0 win over Lecce on Wednesday, coupled with Napoli’s frustrating draw against Parma.
Milan’s victory saw the Rossoneri cut the gap back to three points.
It didn’t start off so well for Massimiliano Allegri’s team, however.
Como — which was sixth in Serie A — got off to the perfect start when a corner was taken short and then floated in for Marc-Oliver Kempf to head the hosts into the lead in the 10th minute.
Como dominated but Milan leveled on the stroke of halftime when it was awarded a penalty after Rabiot was brought down by Kempf and Christopher Nkunku’s spot kick squirmed under the body of Jean Butez.
Milan turned the match around completely 10 minutes into the second half. Rafael Leão controlled a crossfield pass and then cut inside before lifting the ball over for Rabiot to chest down and volley across into the bottom right corner.
And Rabiot sealed the match shortly before full time when Niclas Füllkrug headed a ball back to the France midfielder and he drilled hard and low into the near corner.
Bologna ended a miserable run as it fought back to win 3-2 at relegation-threatened Hellas Verona in a match full of spectacular goals.
Bologna hadn’t won since November and got off to a poor start when it gave away the ball in the opposition penalty area and Antoine Bernède raced almost from box to box before laying it off for Gift Orban to fire home.
Riccardo Orsolini curled in an equalizer following a smart free kick and equally impressive goals from Jens Odgaard and Santiago Castro put Bologna 3-1 up at halftime.
Bologna midfielder Remo Marco Freuler accidentally turned a cross into his own net in the 71st minute.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Verona's Gift Orban, left, celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Bologna in Verona, Italy, Thursday Jan. 15 , 2026. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)
Bologna's Santiago Castro (9), right, celebrates goal 1-3 during the Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Bologna in Verona, Italy, Thursday Jan. 15 , 2026. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)
Como's Marc-Oliver Kempf, center, celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Milan in Como, Italy, Thursday Jan. 15, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)
Como's Nico Paz, left, and AC Milan's Luka Modric in action during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Milan in Como, Italy, Thursday Jan. 15, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)
AC Milan's Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Milan in Como, Italy, Thursday Jan. 15, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)
