NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Navy 250 The NASCAR Cup Series is set to be held at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego on Sunday, with the sport long having ties to the military.NASCAR has always had an extremely patriotic feel to the sport, being distinctly American - be it emotional national anthems or regular flyovers. But this weekend's race at a military base will be a unique event for the drivers as the sport honors the troops once again.In the early days of the sport, many drivers served in World War II. NASCAR began racing on Independence Day in 1948, while regularly honoring fallen troops and holding an event on Memorial Day. This weekend, Pete Hegseth is being given a special role for the race.Scottie Scheffler's caddie yells at U.S. Open marshals after opening round incidentJimmie Johnson lands new NASCAR role after retirement announcementBack in 1961, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels were posted on the cover of a program of the Southern 500 at Darlington to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Naval aviation.In 1988, the Daytona 500 was moved to the July 4th weekend so fans could sit and watch the races together, with huge national anthem ceremonies. NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Three years later, in 1991, the Daytona 500 was packed with military-themed cars to celebrate the armed forces. It happened while the Gulf War was ongoing, with NASCAR looking to honor the troops and their families.In today's NASCAR, a special annual event, the 600 Miles of Remembrance, is held during Military Appreciation Month. NASCAR Cup Series cars display the name of a fallen U.S. service member on their cars.But this weekend will be the first time a race has been held at a naval base, with legendary driver Jimmie Johnson returning to compete. After seeing the track in his home city, Johnson said: "Yeah, I'm blown away. It's so great to be here in person. I made a lap around the racetrack itself for what I could."There's some fences and such in the way right now, but to get a sense of the space and just how picturesque it's going to be."