The sport’s return to Southern California produced plenty of surprises and drama in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado.
Many expected polesitter Shane van Gisbergen to put on one of his masterclass performances at the 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit near San Diego, California. But when the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet driver was taken out in a multicar wreck during the Lap 32 restart, the Anduril 250 was anyone’s game, with 23XI Racing driver Corey Heim taking advantage of van Gisbergen’s misfortune to claim his first career Cup Series victory in only his 13th premier series start.
Outside of Heim’s memorable maiden victory at NASCAR’s highest level, a few drivers punched above their weight at the base to score a decent result, while others hope to put the street race behind them and look ahead to Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
RELATED: Race results
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1. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Started: 4th
Finished: 4th
What happened: After coming to Naval Base Coronado with two finishes of 33rd or worse, Smith righted the ship with a top five at the 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit. The No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford has been extremely fast in the last several Cup Series races, but two crashes at Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway derailed Smith’s progress. But after starting and finishing fourth in San Diego, Smith perfectly executed the race, which may allow the No. 38 team to build momentum as the summer heats up.
What’s next: In three Cup Series races at Sonoma, Smith’s best finish is 16th; the other two results were 27th or worse. While that does not sound too promising, San Diego proved that you should not sleep on the Front Row driver’s road-course racing abilities. He may produce another surprise performance in wine country.
2. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Started: 15th
Finished: 5th
What happened: Before the arrival of van Gisbergen, Allmendinger was often looked at as the Cup driver to beat on road courses. At Qualcomm Circuit, we saw the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet pilot showcase his skills at turning left and right en route to his first top five of the 2026 Cup Series season. Scoring 45 points in the Anduril 250, Allmendinger moved up a spot in the standings to 20th and looks to make a run toward The Chase in the next several weeks.
What’s next: With another road-course coming up in wine country, Allmendinger will have the ability to shine for the second straight week. In the last four Sonoma trips, the Kaulig driver has had a pair of sixth-place finishes. Look for “The Dinger” to be in the mix for another strong result at the 1.99-mile road course.
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3. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Started: 7th
Finished: 11th
What happened: Preece finally ended a skid of four consecutive finishes of 28th or worse with a strong showing at Naval Base Coronado. The No. 60 RFK Racing Ford driver tied Kaulig Racing’s Allmendinger for most points scored (45) during Sunday’s Anduril 250 after finishing runner-up in Stage 1 and winning Stage 2. Finishing 11th in Southern California was the result that the No. 60 team has been looking for in recent weeks as Preece gained three spots in the Cup Series standings and moved into the final provisional Chase spot in 16th.
What’s next: Entering San Diego, Racing Insights had Preece sitting at a 14.2% chance of advancing to the postseason. Those odds improved to 34.4% after a strong performance in Southern California. Looking ahead to Sonoma, Preece has finished 13th or better twice in his last three trips to wine country. If he can put together another solid showing, Preece’s Chase percentage odds will only increase.
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1. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
Started: 29th
Finished: 34th
What happened: Keselowki’s race took a turn in the wrong direction after getting squeezed into the wall due to contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Since the No. 6 RFK Racing driver usually struggles on road courses, these next couple of weeks with left-and-right turns were likely going to be all about survival. Unfortunately, the No. 6 Ford was not able to escape trouble at the 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit, which ultimately resulted in a 34th-place finish. To make matters worse, this was also Keselowski’s fourth straight finish of 34th or worse.
What’s next: Although road courses are not Keselowski’s greatest area of strength, he has finished inside the top 20 in the last 10 Sonoma Cup Series races, including 11th-place in last year’s contest. If the RFK driver can keep his No. 6 Ford out of trouble on Sunday, he can potentially trend toward The Chase cutline after dropping two spots to 19th in the Cup Series standings.
2. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Started: 1st
Finished: 38th
What happened: After a pair of disappointing results at Michigan and Pocono, the street race at Naval Base Coronado seemed like the perfect destination for van Gisbergen to rebound. Everything was going according to plan for the Trackhouse Racing driver until he crashed out of the race during a restart on Lap 32, with his No. 97 Chevrolet suffering heavy damage alongside teammate Connor Zilisch and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill. Van Gisbergen was understandably frustrated at the missed opportunity in Southern California as he finished 30th or worse for the third consecutive race.
What’s next: SVG’s race-ending Qualcomm Circuit crash hurt his chances of making The Chase, per Racing Insights. Entering San Diego, his Chase chances sat at 67%. Following the DNF, those odds dropped to 20.2%. Now, he enters Sonoma as the defending race winner and likely faces a must-win situation to keep his hopes of making The Chase alive after dropping to 17th in the Cup Series standings. Do not be surprised if the Trackhouse driver takes the San Diego loss personally and drives with determination to place the No. 97 Chevrolet on the right side of the cutline.
3. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Started: 37th
Finished: 39th
What happened: Given the bumpy, twisty nature of the 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit, it was a tough weekend for Bell to make left-and-right turns as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver continues to recover from a fractured left wrist suffered at Michigan. Bell struggled in qualifying after rolling off the grid from 37th. He ended up handing over his No. 20 Toyota to NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular Brent Crews, who intended to finish the race until a mechanical issue took him out on Lap 30, resulting in a 39th-place finish. This was Bell’s third straight finish of 26th or worse, dropping him to 12th in the Cup Series standings.
What’s next: After nursing his injured wrist at the Southern California street course near San Diego, it makes one wonder if the No. 20 team will need 18-year-old Crews to relieve Bell for the second consecutive week. If Bell can go the distance in wine country, he is riding a streak of three straight top 10s at the 1.99-mile road course.
