Kevin Magnussen will be the first Cup Series driver to take on NASCAR’s new Naval Base Coronado qualifying test, while Denny Hamlin will wait until the very end of the order in San Diego.
NASCAR confirmed the full qualifying order for its landmark street-race weekend on Wednesday, setting the running sequence for all three national series before the Cup field tackles group qualifying at 2:30pm ET on Saturday. Practice is scheduled for Friday at 5pm ET.
The order gives Magnussen, entered in the No. 91, the cleanest first look at the session. Jimmie Johnson is second on the list, followed by Corey Heim, Noah Gragson and Zane Smith, with the first group also featuring Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell, AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen.
Hamlin faces a very different qualifying puzzle
Hamlin, who has already been central to NASCAR’s recent momentum after his Michigan victory tightened the title race, is listed 39th and last in the Cup order. Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson and William Byron are immediately ahead of him in the second group.
That makes track evolution one of the early unknowns. A new temporary circuit can improve quickly as rubber goes down, but traffic, wall proximity and any early stoppages can turn a late draw into a more complicated assignment.
The qualifying release also sharpens the competitive picture around NASCAR’s first San Diego weekend, after driver concerns over bumps and course width had already put the Naval Base Coronado layout under scrutiny.
Van Gisbergen will be another name to watch from Group 1. His road and street-course reputation remains one of the clearest benchmarks for the field, especially after Dale Earnhardt Jr. previously explained the traits behind Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR success.
The official order, published by NASCAR.com, gives the weekend its first proper competitive shape. Now the question is whether the first cars out get the cleaner track, or whether the late runners inherit the faster one.
