SVG Sound Alarms on Nascar Garage Compromises Before Brutal San Diego Debut

For nearly 20 years, the Coronado Speed Festival turned active runways and taxiways into a circuit bordered by aircraft hangars, helicopters and warships. The event eventually went away in 2016, but the idea never completely went away.

For the first time, the Cup Series will race inside an active military base when the Anduril 250 debuts June 21 at Naval Base Coronado. And before a single competitive lap is turned, drivers already are warning that the 3.4-mile layout could be one of the biggest setup compromises the Next Gen era has seen.

“I know if you go do a sim session for this racetrack for two hours, you’re lucky to get 20 laps because it takes so long to get around there,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said during a recent appearance on Dirty Mo Media with Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch.

“Yeah, I actually did some iRacing last night,” van Gisbergen said. “That’s probably the only sim work I’ve ever done.”

“It’s hard bro. And even the first corner on the exit of that right-hander, and then you go down the hill and it’s bumpy.

Zilisch has already likened the challenge to Chicago, NASCAR’s last street-racing experiment.

Chicago was tough but I think this track is even more technical than that one.

That’s when the real fight begins. Some of this track, in NASCAR San Diego, is smooth public pavement, and some is the base’s old flight line, where the helicopters and Ospreys normally sit. “The bump in between the two is like Sebring,” van Gisbergen said, referring to the track that has been breaking cars for decades.

The challenge is not just on the pavement. NASCAR has said spotters will be stationed on top of military barracks, permanent buildings and even double-decker buses because no one vantage point can see the entire track. Chase Elliott recently said that the buildings around the course create large blind spots around parts of the course, adding another unknown to a weekend already defined by limited track data.

It’s not just the track that’s the problem. It’s how the track plays with NASCAR’s Next Gen car, which relies heavily on an underbody design that lends itself to low ride heights and stiff suspension setups. That’s where van Gisbergen identified where that philosophy could be put to the test.

“There’s a big compromise in getting the floor down on the ground and maintaining the ride quality. "So you won't have any trouble with bad handling cars.

The problem traces back to the design of NASCAR’s Next Gen car. Teams typically run the platform low and stiff to maximize downforce from the floor and diffuser. Coronado’s mix of fresh asphalt, rough military concrete and expansion joints is the opposite.

It’s going to be very bumpy so it’s all about the car then,” van Gisbergen said. “You need to have a good set-up of your suspension, soft and compliant.”

That is a compromise. A softer setup allows the car to absorb bumps and transitions in the surface, but teams risk losing some of the aerodynamic platform that creates grip on road courses.

“People have been getting greedy,” he said. “The cars have been getting lower and lower and stiffer because that’s how you make grip with the car.

AJ Allmendinger also said much the same thing after looking over the layout.

“I know they’re trying to repave parts of it and make it smoother but it’s going to be bumpy.”

“I was in the simulator for a while and had some of those worries,” William Byron said.

“It probably took me anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to learn the track and learn what turn was coming up next,” Byron said.

Why Van Gisbergen feels like he’s at home in Coronado

‘Van Gisbergen actually went out and walked the place. While the rest of the garage were staring at simulator screens. It was still half built with only Turns 1 and 2 having barriers in place and the airfield section not even paved yet. Helicopters were still parked on what will eventually be the racetrack. And somehow he liked what he saw.

“I think the layout of NASCAR San Diego reminds me of Homebush, the old Sydney Olympic Park street circuit that hosted Supercars season finales from 2009 through 2016,” he said.

“It’s all one to the other, nothing flows really. Then we’ll stick a corner here and here. “That’s weird.” Speedcafe.

The comparison is important because Homebush was one of the most demanding street circuits in Australian motorsport. The track built around Sydney Olympic Park was a mix of public roads concrete sections and awkward corner sequences that drivers often described as lacking natural rhythm.

He did a good job out there. He has four race wins and 11 podiums at the venue, including a victory during the 2016 season finale that sealed his first Supercars title. For a driver who made his name mastering rough unforgiving street circuits it's hard to ignore the similarities to Coronado.

That’s also why Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain said he’s relying heavily on van Gisbergen’s experience.

"I’m going to learn a lot from Shane," Chastain said. “Shane is like an open book.”

Oddsmakers have taken note, making van Gisbergen a favorite for the inaugural event. Whether that makes for a victory remains to be seen. But with teams arriving with limited data and a track cobbled together from public roads, military concrete and active airfield pavement, van Gisbergen has one advantage few others can claim: he’s seen this kind of puzzle before.