As NASCAR heads to San Diego for the inaugural street race, concerns about the track have surfaced. However, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell does not seem sold on its comparisons with the Chicago street circuit and expects San Diego to be better. 

The comparison between the two street tracks was mainly due to their bumpy surface, making racing challenging and physically demanding. The nature of street circuits also sometimes prevents overtaking.

Despite this, Bell is looking forward to putting some laps at the track. Appearing on Thursday's episode of Kevin Harvick's "Happy Hour" podcast, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver expressed his excitement for the race.

"I think it's going to be awesome," said Bell. "And everyone kind of compares it to the Chicago street course, which it is a street course, and it is a street course, period. But the difference is it's going to be way wider than what we had at Chicago. So, Chicago ended up being a really raceable track. And I think that this is going to be even better."

The inaugural race at Qualcomm Circuit on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego is all set to take place this Sunday. It has been one of the most-awaited races on the calendar. The 3.4-mile temporary circuit is NASCAR’s first one-of-a-kind track, as it is built on an active military base.

While Bell appeared confident about San Diego delivering a spectacular race, several others in the NASCAR garage raised concerns over a few issues at the track. The major issue was the crane rail embedded into the surface, which made the track bumpy.

However, according to NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, the issue has been resolved by the sanctioning body, as they tried to smooth out the areas. Another point of concern was the tire barrier at the chicane before the pit lane, which, according to Pockrass, will be looked into before the event. 

While NASCAR continues to fine-tune the track ahead of the main event, drivers continue to share their excitement about the race.

Ryan Blaney Shares His Excitement About NASCAR's San Diego Debut

Christopher Bell is not the only one looking forward to racing at the 3.4-mile track. 2023 NASCAR Cup champion Ryan Blaney recently spoke to the media ahead of the San Diego inaugural weekend. 

"Everyone's starting at zero there," Blaney said via FOX Sports. "So I look forward to getting out there at San Diego. I think it's going to be a fantastic weekend. The course is very unique, but I think it's going to put on a good show. 

Blaney was one of the drivers who got a chance to see the track up close a few days before other drivers, as he was involved in the shooting of a fictional NASCAR short film there.

With NASCAR racing here for the first time, this will also level out the field. It will be interesting to see which of the drivers excluding SVG, who usually dominates road/street courses, will be able to overcome the challenges the 16-turn track presents. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak