Navy 250
Location: San Diego, Calif.
Course: Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Base Coronado
Format: 3.4-mile street course
Laps: 50
NASCAR Trucks Series Race Preview
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series makes another street course debut this week at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. Earlier this season, the trucks tackled the Streets of St. Petersburg for the first time, a race won by Layne Riggs. Teams and drivers faced plenty of unknowns that weekend, and they will face many of those same challenges again this week with the first race ever held on this temporary course. With just four races remaining to lock in the 10-driver field for this year's championship, there is no room for error either. After Corey Heim's win last race at Michigan, Riggs holds the top spot in the standings with a 26-point margin over Kaden Honeycutt. At the opposite end of the Chase field, Jake Garcia and Daniel Hemric are tied at 278 points. Just five points separate those drivers from Tyler Ankrum in eighth, while Stewart Friesen sits just nine points adrift in 12th. With everything still up for grabs, this weekend's first of back-to-back road course races is a prime opportunity for drivers to make their case to be part of this season's championship hunt.
Key Stats at Qualcomm Circuit
- Number of races: 0
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 0
- Winners from top-10 starters: 0
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: N/A
Previous 10 Road Course Winners
2026 Watkins Glen - Kaden Honeycutt
2026 St. Petersburg - Layne Riggs
2025 Charlotte ROVAL - Corey Heim
2025 Watkins Glen - Corey Heim
2025 Lime Rock Park - Corey Heim
2024 Circuit of the Americas - Corey Heim
2023 Mid-Ohio - Corey Heim
2023 Circuit of the Americas - Zane Smith
2022 Mid-Ohio - Parker Kligerman
2022 Sonoma - Kyle Busch
Naval Base Coronado, or Qualcomm Circuit, is NASCAR's newest street course, and it will host all three national touring series this week. The circuit is a 3.4-mile temporary layout with 16 turns, making it NASCAR's longest road course. Situated among the base's airfields and hangars, the track is expected to be bumpy. As with any street course, maximizing mechanical grip will be critical. The technical sections are paired with relatively long straights that end in what should be heavy-braking zones. Those areas will likely be the prime spots for overtaking, but with the narrow confines of a street course in several places, fans should expect some bumping and banging to complete passes, too. Since no one has ever raced on this course before, everyone will be working to figure things out as quickly as possible and climb the learning curve together. Drivers will need to adapt quickly, much like they did at St. Petersburg earlier this year, to gain an early advantage and turn it into a strong race finish.
RotoWire NASCAR Truck Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Navy 250
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Layne Riggs - $10,100
Kaden Honeycutt - $9,900
Chandler Smith - $9,200
Kaz Grala - $9,100
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Christian Eckes - $8,900
Ty Majeski - $8,800
Ben Rhodes - $8,600
Jimmie Johnson - $8,500
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Grant Enfinger - $8,100
Tyler Ankrum - $7,900
Daniel Hemric - $7,800
Jake Garcia - $7,400
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Stewart Friesen - $7,200
Justin Haley - $6,900
Jamie McMurray - $6,500
Justin Marks - $6,400
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Navy 250
Layne Riggs - $10,100
Christian Eckes - $8,900
Ty Majeski - $8,800
Daniel Hemric - $7,800
Jake Garcia - $7,400
Justin Haley - $6,900
Another first-time event on a temporary course makes driver selection a difficult task this week. However, Layne Riggs came up with the win the last time we faced this same situation earlier this year at St. Petersburg. A top-10 finish at Watkins Glen reinforces him as a top choice, too. Riggs has been the best full-time driver in the series this season and there is no reason to turn away from him this week with all of the question marks heading into the race.
Christian Eckes should be another top option. The McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver finished 16th earlier this season at Watkins Glen and was 15th at St. Petersburg. He was also on a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes before a loose wheel late in the race at Michigan ended the run. He has multiple top-five and top-10 finishes at other road courses the series has raced on, and he is in the midst of a late charge up the standings as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
ThorSport Racing's Ty Majeski is also working hard to consolidate a spot in among the championship contenders. He qualified on the front row at Watkins Glen, too. More impressively, Majeski came from the 22nd starting spot at St. Petersburg to finish second behind Riggs. With top-five and top-10 finishes on most of the road courses this series races on, Majeski is positioned as a reliable option for rosters at this new venue.
Another driver working to stay among the championship contenders is Daniel Hemric. The good news for him is that some of his best finishes this season have been on road courses, which makes this week a chance where he can gain some ground in the points battle. At St. Petersburg, he finished eighth despite starting 34th. Then at Watkins Glen, he ran inside the top five throughout the race and finished fourth.
Jake Garcia is tied with Hemric in the standings and also seeking to gain some ground to solidify his spot in The Chase. Garcia has rarely finished outside of the top 15 this season and placed 11th at Watkins Glen. Road courses aren't his best tracks, but he has been scoring respectable finishes despite the challenge. With a spot among the championship contenders on the line, Garcia has extra motivation to have a smooth race and finish in the top 15 again this week at San Diego.
New circuits should also drive roster selections toward seasoned veterans. One worth looking at for San Diego is Justin Haley. This hasn't been the season he was hoping for, but he has had some impressive moments on street courses. Earlier this season he finished 12th at St. Petersburg, and he finished second to Shane van Gisbergen in the Cup Series debut of the Chicago Street Course. That runner-up finish came from the 37th starting spot, too. Under the right circumstances, Haley can impress on street courses.
Best Bets for the Navy 250
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4:30 PM ET Thursday
Race Winner - Kaden Honeycutt +400
Top-Three Finish - Ty Majeski +225
Top-Five Finish - Daniel Hemric +400
Layne Riggs might be the favorite to win this week's race, but Kaden Honeycutt isn't far behind, and at twice the return, he may be the top option. Honeycutt is second in the series standings and his first series victory came at Watkins Glen just a few races ago. Since that race, he also has three top-five finishes including two runner-ups. He brings confidence and momentum into this week's race, and with a top-five finish at St. Petersburg also on his resume, wagerers should take a good look at going with the Tricon Garage driver for the victory.
Ty Majeski's veteran experience should come in handy this week. He is a regular finisher among the leaders on road courses and is looking to make up for a missed opportunity at Watkins Glen. Majeski came from the 22nd starting spot in St. Petersburg to finish second, too. A better starting position this week should lead to even great success for Majeski, and a top-three finish is certainly within his wheelhouse.
Favorable odds for Daniel Hemric to finish in the top five are also worth taking. He was fourth at Watkins Glen and placed eighth earlier in the year at St. Petersburg. When compared with the other drivers capable of finishing in that range this week, Hemric's odds stand out as an attractive value wager.
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