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The NASCAR Cup Series made history Sunday with its first-ever points race on the San Diego Street Course, and when the checkered flag flew, it was Corey Heim standing in Victory Lane.
Heim delivered the biggest victory of his young Cup Series career in the inaugural Anduril 250, surviving an eventful afternoon filled with cautions, strategy battles, a high-profile driver change involving Christopher Bell, and several frontrunners seeing their races unravel before the halfway point.
The win immediately secured Heim a place in the NASCAR record books as the first Cup Series driver to win on the San Diego Street Course at Naval Base Coronado. After starting 13th, Heim steadily worked his way through the field, led three laps, and held off teammate Bubba Wallace over the closing stages to claim the historic victory.
Wallace finished second for 23XI Racing, while Kyle Larson completed the podium in third.
NASCAR’s long-awaited debut on the San Diego Street Course delivered plenty of drama from the opening laps.
Several of the race’s biggest contenders saw their afternoons end early. Pole winner Shane van Gisbergen finished 38th after an early exit, while Connor Zilisch, who led eight laps, finished 37th. Austin Hill, who also spent time at the front of the field, was credited with a 36th-place finish after leading one lap.
Championship leader Tyler Reddick entered the race facing adversity before the green flag even waved. After NASCAR sent the No. 45 team to the rear of the field because of unapproved adjustments following splitter repairs, Reddick spent much of the afternoon fighting traffic before finishing 25th.
Christopher Bell’s challenging weekend also came to an early end. Bell started the race despite a fractured wrist suffered earlier this month but turned the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota over to 18-year-old Brent Crews during the event. A mechanical issue later brought out a caution and left the team with a 39th-place finish.
Elsewhere, Denny Hamlin crossed the line 14th, Chase Elliott rallied from a 30th-place starting position to finish 12th, and Ryan Blaney recorded a ninth-place finish after leading a race-high 12 laps.
With the victory, Heim becomes the first winner in NASCAR Cup Series history on the San Diego Street Course and adds one of the most significant wins of the 2026 season to his growing résumé.
Continue reading...
Heim delivered the biggest victory of his young Cup Series career in the inaugural Anduril 250, surviving an eventful afternoon filled with cautions, strategy battles, a high-profile driver change involving Christopher Bell, and several frontrunners seeing their races unravel before the halfway point.
The win immediately secured Heim a place in the NASCAR record books as the first Cup Series driver to win on the San Diego Street Course at Naval Base Coronado. After starting 13th, Heim steadily worked his way through the field, led three laps, and held off teammate Bubba Wallace over the closing stages to claim the historic victory.
Wallace finished second for 23XI Racing, while Kyle Larson completed the podium in third.
Corey Heim Wins NASCAR’s Historic San Diego Debut
NASCAR’s long-awaited debut on the San Diego Street Course delivered plenty of drama from the opening laps.
Several of the race’s biggest contenders saw their afternoons end early. Pole winner Shane van Gisbergen finished 38th after an early exit, while Connor Zilisch, who led eight laps, finished 37th. Austin Hill, who also spent time at the front of the field, was credited with a 36th-place finish after leading one lap.
Championship leader Tyler Reddick entered the race facing adversity before the green flag even waved. After NASCAR sent the No. 45 team to the rear of the field because of unapproved adjustments following splitter repairs, Reddick spent much of the afternoon fighting traffic before finishing 25th.
Christopher Bell’s challenging weekend also came to an early end. Bell started the race despite a fractured wrist suffered earlier this month but turned the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota over to 18-year-old Brent Crews during the event. A mechanical issue later brought out a caution and left the team with a 39th-place finish.
Elsewhere, Denny Hamlin crossed the line 14th, Chase Elliott rallied from a 30th-place starting position to finish 12th, and Ryan Blaney recorded a ninth-place finish after leading a race-high 12 laps.
Full NASCAR Cup Series San Diego Results
- Corey Heim
- Bubba Wallace
- Kyle Larson
- Zane Smith
- AJ Allmendinger
- Chris Buescher
- Ross Chastain
- Riley Herbst
- Ryan Blaney
- Michael McDowell
- Ryan Preece
- Chase Elliott
- Daniel Suarez
- Denny Hamlin
- Ty Gibbs
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Chase Briscoe
- Joey Logano
- Carson Hocevar
- Erik Jones
- Todd Gilliland
- Austin Cindric
- Cody Ware
- Austin Dillon
- Tyler Reddick
- Alex Bowman
- Kevin Magnussen
- Jimmie Johnson
- Josh Berry
- Ty Dillon
- Cole Custer
- William Byron
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Brad Keselowski
- Noah Gragson
- Austin Hill
- Connor Zilisch
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Christopher Bell
With the victory, Heim becomes the first winner in NASCAR Cup Series history on the San Diego Street Course and adds one of the most significant wins of the 2026 season to his growing résumé.
Continue reading...
