Latest news with #U.S.Navy
USA Today
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
NASCAR reveals new street course race in San Diego for 2026
Two years ago, the NASCAR Cup Series made history with the sport's inaugural street course race through Chicago. Since the first race in 2023, the course's been a unique challenge for drivers on the grid. Next year, they'll have a new street course to prepare for. NASCAR officials announced that a new street course in San Diego will debut in the 2026 Cup Series season. The race will be held on Naval Base Coronado and replace the Chicago Street Course on the calendar. There will be three days of action from San Diego next year with the Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series and Cup Series all competing in NASCAR's second-ever street course. It'll be a historic venue in its own right; this will be NASCAR's first race on a naval base. The race weekend will mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy. 'What a special way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Navy, 250th anniversary of our country and put on what is going to be undoubtedly the most anticipated event of 2026,' NASCAR executive vice president Ben Kennedy said in a statement. 'And I'm bullish on it being the best sporting event of the year.' Lawsuit latest: Updates on 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports vs. NASCAR lawsuit Here's what we know about the event. When will NASCAR race in San Diego? NASCAR's race weekend in San Diego will be June 19-21, 2026, during Father's Day weekend. That weekend also coincides with the anniversary of the U.S. Navy and will take that weekend from the Pocono race from the 2025 calendar. NASCAR San Diego course The official course layout has yet to be released. NASCAR officials state that they're driving around the base in person and using the popular racing simulation video game iRacing to help iron out the layout. They used iRacing for both the Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum and Chicago street race events. The course will likely use Naval Air Station North Island's streets as well as the runway tarmac. Officials expect the circuit will be roughly three miles in length. By comparison, the Chicago Street Course is 2.14 miles. 'It'll be a blend of traditional street racing in a way where we'll be winding our ways through some of the streets on the base,' Kennedy said in a statement. 'They'll be going past (aircraft) carriers. They'll eventually go out onto the tarmac, probably by some military aircraft, maybe a couple of F-18s out there, and then back towards the entrance to the base.' Why is NASCAR racing in San Diego? From 1997 through 2024, the Cup Series had a race in Southern California every year with one exception - 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The 2025 season is the first without a race in the area for no restricted reason since 1996. NASCAR's military ties, options for tarmac and street sections and the backdrop of downtown San Diego made the naval base a worthwhile venue. 'We contemplated a number of places, not just in San Diego, but the greater Southern California region,' Kennedy said. 'Naturally, I think we all started to gravitate towards the military base, seeing that we knew that the 250th anniversary was upcoming, our natural ties that we have to the military and then the location of it. I mean, you couldn't ask for a better location than Coronado, sitting between downtown San Diego, the Pacific Ocean and not far from Tijuana, either.' No specific number of events has been confirmed, but it's very likely San Diego will have at least three years, much like Chicago and Los Angeles Coliseum events. NASCAR's future in Chicago NASCAR confirmed it will not return to Chicago in 2026 but did not rule out a return in the future.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Iranian Navy helicopter confronts U.S. destroyer in Gulf of Oman
An Iranian Navy helicopter confronted a U.S. warship attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday (July 23, 2025), Iranian state TV reported. The incident was the first direct encounter reported between Iranian and U.S. forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, during which U.S. B-52 bombers targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. The report said Iranian forces dispatched the helicopter to confront a U.S. Navy destroyer identified as the USS Fitzgerald that approached the waters at around 10 a.m. local time. The report said the helicopter flew directly over the U.S. ship and issued a warning to maintain distance. In what the report described as a tense exchange, the U.S. warship reportedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it did not leave the area. The Navy referred requests for comment to the US Central Command, which said it would provide a response later Wednesday or early Thursday (July 24, 2025). The Iranian state TV report said that in response to the threats from the U.S. vessel, Iranian air defence forces announced that the helicopter was under the full protection of Iran's integrated air defence system. Eventually the USS Fitzgerald 'retreated southward,' the report said. It was not immediately clear how close the U.S. warship was to Iranian territorial waters.
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Iran says it warned away US destroyer but US dismisses account
DUBAI/WASHINGTON - Iran on Wednesday said it warned a U.S. Navy destroyer to change course as it moved through waters close to Iran, but a U.S. defense official said the interaction was safe and professional and had no impact on its mission. Iranian state media published images from a helicopter in visual range of the USS Fitzgerald guided missile destroyer. A crew member could be heard issuing what appeared to be a radio warning to the U.S. warship to change course, saying it was approaching Iranian territorial waters. "U.S. destroyer 'Fitzgerald' attempted to approach waters under Iran's monitoring, in a provocative move", Iranian state TV said, adding that the destroyer moved out of the area upon continued warning. Asked about the incident, a U.S. defense official told Reuters: "This interaction had no impact to USS Fitzgerald's mission and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods and attempts by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread misinformation." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the aircraft as an Iranian SH-3 "Sea King" helicopter and said the interaction took place entirely in international waters. The incident follows U.S. strikes last month on Iranian nuclear facilities that Washington says were part of a program geared towards developing nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is for purely civilian purposes. REUTERS
10 hours ago
- Politics
Iran state TV says an Iranian navy helicopter confronted a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman
TEHRAN, Iran -- An Iranian navy helicopter confronted a U.S. warship attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, Iranian state TV reported. The incident was the first direct encounter reported between Iranian and U.S. forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, during which U.S. B-52 bombers targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. The report said Iranian forces dispatched the helicopter to confront a U.S. Navy destroyer identified as the USS Fitzgerald that approached the waters at around 10 a.m. local time. The report said the helicopter flew directly over the U.S. ship and issued a warning to maintain distance. In what the report described as a tense exchange, the U.S. warship reportedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it did not leave the area. The Navy referred requests for comment to the U.S. Central Command, which said it would provide a response later Wednesday or early Thursday. The Iranian state TV report said that in response to the threats from the U.S. vessel, Iranian air defense forces announced that the helicopter was under the full protection of Iran's integrated air defense system. Eventually the USS Fitzgerald 'retreated southward,' the report said.
The Hill
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Iran state TV says an Iranian navy helicopter confronted a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian navy helicopter confronted a U.S. warship attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, Iranian state TV reported. The incident was the first direct encounter reported between Iranian and U.S. forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, during which U.S. B-52 bombers targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. The report said Iranian forces dispatched the helicopter to confront a U.S. Navy destroyer identified as the USS Fitzgerald that approached the waters at around 10 a.m. local time. The report said the helicopter flew directly over the U.S. ship and issued a warning to maintain distance. In what the report described as a tense exchange, the U.S. warship reportedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it did not leave the area. The Navy referred requests for comment to the U.S. Central Command, which said it would provide a response later Wednesday or early Thursday. The Iranian state TV report said that in response to the threats from the U.S. vessel, Iranian air defense forces announced that the helicopter was under the full protection of Iran's integrated air defense system. Eventually the USS Fitzgerald 'retreated southward,' the report said. It was not immediately clear how close the U.S. warship was to Iranian territorial waters.
