NASCAR Insider clears the air over influencer Neve Pratt’s San Diego street race rumors

NASCAR's recent collaboration with TikTok influencer Neve Pratt sparked speculation about San Diego potentially hosting a street race. However, these rumors were quickly dismissed by NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass, who stated that there was no clear indication of a street race being planned for the Southern California city.

The rumors emerged after Pratt, known for her dad jokes on TikTok and Instagram, collaborated with NASCAR while wearing San Diego Padres merchandise. Fans speculated that this was a subtle hint about San Diego being the next street race destination, following the inaugural Chicago Street Race.

Watch Pratt's collaboration with NASCAR in the below video:

In August 2024, a Sports Business Journal report about NASCAR exploring San Diego as a potential street race venue made headlines. With Pratt’s recent video reigniting the rumors, Pockrass clarified that her Padres sweatshirt was purely coincidental and should not be considered an indication of a future street race venue.

"NASCAR posted a video with social media influencer Neve Pratt on its Instagram & TikTok accounts. She wears a Padres sweatshirt (she occasionally does in her posts). I am told it is just a coincidence and not an indication of anything imminent on possible San Diego street race," Pockrass wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

With the closure of Auto Club Speedway and the Clash returning to Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR is actively searching for a venue in the Southern California market. Following the rumors of a San Diego street race, the COO for NASCAR, Steve O'Donnell didn’t confirm the speculation but told SBJ last year:

"A number of folks who are interested at looking at NASCAR from a street race (perspective). We are certainly interested in California and the Southern California market, and that will continue to be a focus for us, but nothing to confirm at this point," Steve told SBJ.

For now, no concrete reports are indicating that San Diego will host a street race soon.

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NASCAR's Chicago Street Race future remains in doubt

NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 (Source: Getty)

Two years ago, NASCAR made history in Chicago when Grant Park hosted the sport’s inaugural street race. The three-year deal with the City of Chicago is set to conclude after this year’s event, with no official reports indicating a possible extension.

In an interview with SBJ, O'Donnell declined to comment on the future of the Chicago Street Race, stating that their focus remains on this year's event. He was quoted as saying:

"For us, we’re just looking at 2025. It’ll be the third year of a three-year run and each year we’ve wanted to build upon the momentum that we have. We’ve learned things each and every year -- it’s our first street race, a lot of learnings came from that," O'Donnell told SBJ.

NASCAR has invested $50 million for the inaugural edition of the Chicago Street Race, and additional expenses for the second event. Organizers haven't made any profits from the street race. However, the event did manage to attract the attention of Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery.