Anduril announces the Anderl 250, the first ever NASCAR race on an active military base
Aug 14, 2025 with Jeff Miller, Jen Kha & Ben Kennedy
Key Points
- Anduril secures title sponsorship of the Anderl 250, a NASCAR Cup Series race scheduled for June 21, 2026, at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego—the first race ever held on an active U.S. military base.
- Anduril is pursuing a car livery deal with NASCAR teams, mirroring the black-and-safety-yellow markings of its actual defense products rather than traditional corporate branding.
- The race originated as a Navy-NASCAR collaboration that would have proceeded without Anduril; the defense contractor joined in April because its warfighter mission aligned with the event's values.
Summary
Anduril is sponsoring the first-ever NASCAR race held on an active U.S. military base — Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, home of the Top Gun filming locations. The race, branded the Anderl 250, is scheduled for June 21st, 2026, with deposits already open. Tickets and merchandise are expected to follow.
The deal goes well beyond a logo placement. Anduril's name is on the race itself, and the company is in discussions with NASCAR teams about fielding a car with its livery — black primary, safety yellow accent, mirroring the high-visibility markings on its actual defense products. Jeff Miller and Jen from Anduril joined from the company's hangar in Morrisville, North Carolina, where they've been embedded with NASCAR leadership this week.
The race originated as a collaboration between NASCAR leadership — specifically Ben Kennedy — and the U.S. Navy. Anduril joined in April. Miller is clear that the race would have happened without Anduril; what NASCAR saw in the company was alignment with military values and a genuine commitment to the warfighter, not just a check.
For Anduril, the branding logic is consistent with how the company has positioned itself publicly — including a billboard on the 101 featuring the Fury drone with the line "no more enterprise SaaS," which Miller himself commissioned after Anduril's leadership grew frustrated with the sea of software-company billboards crowding the highway.