NASCAR phenom Corey Heim wins first Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado

Last month, Denny Hamlin called Corey Heim a “gifted driver” and a “generational talent.”

On Sunday at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego, Heim proved the co-owner of 23XI Racing right.

In his 13th career start in NASCAR’s top-level Cup Series, the 23-year-old Heim won the Anduril 250, taking the checkered flag in the sport’s first-ever race on an active military installation. Heim won by a wide margin with in No. 67 Toyota, finishing 10 seconds ahead of fellow 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace.

"I hope I don't wake up from this dream,” Heim said. “Caught a good break by some good guys wrecking out, but they don't ask how, just how many." 

For a while in the late stages of the race, it looked like a day when another 23XI driver, Tyler Reddick, would make his way to victory lane. Reddick already owns five victories this season and leads the 2026 drivers standings over Hamlin.

Carson Hocevar led a restart with 12 laps to go after the final caution of the day, but he couldn’t hold off Reddick. After Reddick passed the No. 77 Chevrolet, Hocevar spun out after getting hit on the bumper by Heim.

Over the next several laps, Heim chased down Reddick, waiting for an opening. After Reddick went wide in turn 2, the two Toyotas went side-by-side, then Heim passed Reddick with less than three laps to go after kissing the wall in turn 5. Moments later, Reddick then blew his left front tire and fell back, finishing 25th. From there, no driver came close to catching Heim.

Heim is running a mixed schedule this season, but will be full-time in the Cup Series for the team co-owned by Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan next year. Driving the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage last season, Heim won the championship in the Truck Series and set the record for most wins in a single season at that level with 12 — breaking Greg Biffle’s mark of nine victories set in 1999.

A native of Marietta, Georgia, Heim has been viewed as one of NASCAR’s best emerging prospects in the last few years. He has three victories in the Truck Series this season.

Wallace’s comeback on Sunday was remarkable too. After leading a few laps early in the race, the driver of the No. 23 Toyota took a two-lap penalty when he lost his right front tire at the end of Stage 1. Wallace battled all the way back and the second-place finish marks his best of the season. It’s also Wallace’s best result ever at a road course.

Another 23XI driver, Riley Herbst, finished eighth, tying his best career finish at the Cup level.

Hamlin finished 14th and now trails Reddick by just eight points atop the season standings.

Three contenders were knocked out of the race in a multi-car crash on the 32nd lap. Battling with Connor Zilisch for the lead out of a restart, Austin Hill seemingly missed Turn 1, and Shane van Gisbergen slammed into his rear, sending Hill into Zilisch. All three Chevrolets received massive damage and were ordered to the garage. The red flag came out to repair the wall the trio wrecked into.

Van Gisbergen was widely seen as the favorite entering this race, as the driver of the No. 97 machine for Trackhouse Racing had won six of the previous seven Cup Series competitions on road courses. Hill, in the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing, which was previously Kyle Busch’s No. 8, won the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday. Zilisch led eight laps Sunday and previously won seven road course races at the O’Reilly level.

“I felt like I was giving Austin space, and the next thing I was in the wall,” Zilisch told Prime Sports after exiting the infield care center.

The DNF for van Gisbergen is bad news for his standings in the points on a day where it was widely assumed he would contend for a win. Asked how disappointed he was after leaving the care center, the New Zealand native said, “I’m filthy.”

Van Gisbergen fell below the Chase cutline with the result, but he should have the chance to bounce back next weekend at another road course, when NASCAR heads to Sonoma.

Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 4 Ford, was also knocked out of the race. Gragson wrecked when Kevin Magnussen drove into his right rear quarter panel, spinning him near the end of Stage 2. Magnussen, a former Formula 1 driver, finished 27th in his first NASCAR race, but had the fastest lap of the day at 2:12.485.

Christopher Bell, still racing with a fractured left wrist that he suffered during a high-speed crash at Michigan two weeks ago, was relieved on the 12th lap by developmental driver Brent Crews. Bell initially said he would be a “game-time decision” to run the road course, but his No. 20 Toyota crew decided he would start the race and exit on the first caution. It was the first Cup Series appearance for the 18-year-old Crews, who has notched six top-five finishes for Joe Gibbs Racing in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts series. Crews ran into problems of his own on lap 29 when he blew up his gearbox, ending his day.

NASCAR Anduril 250 highlights from Naval Base Coronado

Top 10 finishers in Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado

With starting position in parentheses, driver, team and car manufacturer:

1. (13) Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Toyota
2. (12) Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota
3. (14) Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
4. (4) Zane Smith, Front Row Ford
5. (15) AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
6. (16) Chris Buescher, RFK Racing Ford
7. (23 Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
8. (24) Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Toyota
9. (3) Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford
10. (9) Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

▶ Click here to see full results from the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado.

Caution flag out with 15 laps to go

NASCAR dropped the caution flag with 15 laps to go in the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado after fluid poured out of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s No. 47 Chevrolet onto the track.

Carson Hocevar is the current leader in the No. 77 Chevrolet, with Chris Buescher, Zane Smith, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick behind him.

Ryan Preece in the lead at the end of Stage 2

Ryan Preece notched his second stage win of the season as the No. 60 was running upfront at the end of 40 laps on Sunday in the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado.

The RFK Racing driver has led four laps and made his way to the front after a multi-car crash knocked Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch and Austin Hill out of the race. Kyle Larson led for a while after that incident, but took a green flag pit stop with two laps to go.

Here was the top 10 at the end of Stage 2:

1. Ryan Preece
2. Riley Herbst
3. Chris Buescher
4. AJ Allmendinger
5. Ryan Blaney
6. Carson Hocevar
7. Daniel Suarez
8. Ross Chastain
9. Todd Gilliland
10. Joey Logano

Blaney, Allmendinger, Gilliland, Hocevar and Logano were also in the top 10 at the end of Stage 1. Stage 3 will be 35 laps to the finish.

Patrick Mahomes hanging out on Kyle Larson's pit box

Crash sends Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Hill, Connor Zilisch to the garage

The first red flag of the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado after a multi-car crash on the 32nd lap that sent multiple contenders to the garage with heavy damage.

Austin Hill, who won Saturday's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race, seemingly missed turn 1 while battling with Connor Zilisch on a restart. Shane van Gisbergen then slammed into the rear of Hill, sending him into Zilisch and causing a pileup on the track.

van Gisbergen, who has won six of the last seven Cup Series races on road courses for Trackhouse Racing, was told to take his No. 97 Chevrolet to the garage. Hill was told to do the same with his No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. The red flag was given to repair the wall the trio of drivers slammed into.

Chris Buescher pulls off masterful 360 spin after getting bumped by SVG

Bubba Wallace loses tire, brings out caution to end Stage 1

The second caution flag of the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado came out on the 18th lap after Bubba Wallace lost his right front tire between turns 9 and 10. The No. 23 Toyota had led two laps earlier in the race.

Per NASCAR rules, Wallace will be held for two laps as a penalty and two of his crew members will be suspended for two weeks.

Stage 1 ended under the caution flag. This was the top 10, with Ryan Blaney collecting the stage win:

1. Ryan Blaney
2. Ryan Preece
3. Kyle Larson
4. Ty Gibbs
5. AJ Allmendinger
6. Todd Gilliland
7. Carson Hocevar
8. Joey Logano
9. Connor Zilisch
10. William Byron

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. stalls on track, brings out first caution

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. stalled out on the track, bringing down the first caution flag of the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on the 12th lap.

Stenhouse's No. 47 Chevrolet seemingly lost power, telling his crew over the radio, "Need a battery."

With the first caution flag coming, Christopher Bell will exit his No. 20 Toyota and let JGR developmental driver Brent Crews finish the 75-lap race. Bell fractured his wrist two weeks ago during a high-speed crash at Michigan. This will be the first Cup Series race for the 18-year-old Crews. Since Bell started the race, he will get the points for Crews' finish.

Moments before the first caution, Shane van Gisbergen passed Bubba Wallace for the lead. Wallace fell to third and Chris Buescher moved into second.

Jimmie Johnson slams hard into tire barrier on lap 6 in San Diego

Seven-time Cup Series champion and southern California native Jimmie Johnson had to make an early pit stop after missing a turn and slamming into a tire barrier on the sixth lap of the the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on Sunday.

Johnson was able to make it to pit road and his crash did not trigger a caution flag. Johnson mentioned having brake issues on his radio.

The 50-year-old Johnson led two laps in Friday's Truck Series race before issues forced him to the back, where he finished 30th.

Christopher Bell to be replaced by Brent Crews on first caution due to wrist injury

According to a report from Amazon Prime pit reporter Marty Snider, Christopher Bell will exit his No. 20 Toyota during the first caution flag of Sunday's race and Brent Crews will finish the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Bell is still dealing with a fractured left wrist after wrecking in a high-speed collision with Chase Elliott two weeks ago at Michigan. Bell ran all of last Sunday's race at Pocono, leading 18 laps late before being overtaken by Denny Hamlin. Bell ran out of fuel and finished 26th.

But NASCAR's first-ever race on an active military base features unique challenges that aren't present on ovals. The 3.4-mile track features about 16 turns and different types of pavement. To shift, change speeds and make all those turns cleanly, Bell would be better off with full range of motion in his wrist. He said earlier this weekend that he would be a "game-time decision."

Crews, an 18-year-old from Hickory, North Carolina, signed to JGR as a development driver. He’s placed in the top six of 14 second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts races this season, has four top-10 finishes in 11 Craftsman Truck Series competitions, and has six victories in the third-tier ARCA Menards Series.

This will mark his first-ever time racing in NASCAR's top-level Cup Series.

Travis Kelce among celebrities at NASCAR race in San Diego

Super Bowl-winning tight end Travis Kelce is among the celebrities at the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on Sunday. Amazon Prime's cameras caught the Kansas City Chiefs star mingling in the crowd.

His brother Jason Kelce joined Hendrick Motorsports earlier this season at Talladega, assisting on the pit crew for Corey Day in his first career win.

Other notable names at Sunday's race include Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who will wave the green flag.

What time does the NASCAR Cup race in San Diego start?

The Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET Sunday in San Diego, California.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race in San Diego on?

The Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado is the final race of the year to be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video. That means there is no national TV broadcast for the race. Pre-race coverage will start at 2:30 p.m. ET.

MRN will carry live radio coverage.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at San Diego?

Yes, the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado will be streamed on Prime Video.

Individual driver cameras can be watched on HBO Max.

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at San Diego?

The Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado is 75 laps around the 3.4-mile track for a total of 255 miles. It is the longest track that NASCAR will compete at this season. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 20 laps; Stage 2: 20 laps; Stage 3: 35 laps.

Who won the last NASCAR Cup race on a road course?

Shane van Gidbergen has become NASCAR’s king of road courses, winning six of the last seven races on those styles of track. The New Zealand native and veteran of V8 Supercars won at Watkins Glen in May. He also won the last two races where NASCAR raced on a street course at a new venue for the first time, taking the checkered flag at the Chicago Street Course in 2023 and the 2025 road course in Mexico City. van Gisbergen needs just two victories at the Cup level to tie Jeff Gordon’s all-time wins record on road courses. 

What is the lineup for the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado?

1. (97) Shane van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
2. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
3. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
4. (38) Zane Smith, Ford
5. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
6. (7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
7. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford
8. (88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet
9. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
10. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
11. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
12. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
13. (67) Corey Heim, Toyota
14. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
15. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
16. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
17. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
18. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
19. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
20. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
21. (91) Kevin Magnussen, Chevrolet
22. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
23. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
24. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
25. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet
26. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
27. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
28. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
29. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
30. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
31. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
32. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
33. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
34. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
35. (21) Josh Berry, Ford
36. (84) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota
37. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
38. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
39. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet