The cover star for the upcoming NASCAR 26 video game has been revealed – and it's one of the sport's very biggest names.
NASCAR and iRacing Studios unveiled reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson as the cover driver for the game at an event on Thursday aboard the historic USS Midway in downtown San Diego.
NASCAR is in town for a historic weekend celebrating 250 years of the US Navy with all three national series racing at the brand new Qualcomm Circuit, with the NASCAR 26 cover launch going off in style on Thursday before on-track action got underway.
Larson came out onto the USS Midway flight deck during Thursday night's event for a series of burnouts, before heading to the stage for the reveal of the game's cover art, upon which he and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy feature prominently.
READ MORE: NASCAR confirms Cup, O'Reilly and Truck Series entry lists for San Diego race at Coronado Naval Base
Larson set for San Diego race after NASCAR 26 reveal
The event concluded with NASCAR presenting a donation in support of Freedom Park and the USS Midway Museum, recognizing the organizations’ contributions to preserving the stories of military service and leadership in the San Diego community.
Developed by iRacing Studios, NASCAR 26 is scheduled to launch in September 2026.
Larson will take to the new track for the first time on Saturday afternoon for Cup Series practice and qualifying, before Sunday's race starts at 4pm ET.
NASCAR Cup Series entry list for San Diego
| Entry | Driver (Car No.) | Team (OEM) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ross Chastain (#1) | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 2 | Austin Cindric (#2) | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 3 | Austin Dillon (#3) | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 4 | Noah Gragson (#4) | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 5 | Kyle Larson (#5) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski (#6) | RFK Racing (Ford) |
| 7 | Daniel Suárez (#7) | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 8 | Chase Elliott (#9) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 9 | Ty Dillon (#10) | Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin (#11) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 11 | Ryan Blaney (#12) | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 12 | AJ Allmendinger (#16) | Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 13 | Chris Buescher (#17) | RFK Racing (Ford) |
| 14 | Chase Briscoe (#19) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 15 | Christopher Bell (#20) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 16 | Josh Berry (#21) | Wood Brothers Racing (Ford) |
| 17 | Joey Logano (#22) | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 18 | Bubba Wallace (#23) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 19 | William Byron (#24) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 20 | Austin Hill (i) (#33) | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 21 | Todd Gilliland (#34) | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 22 | Riley Herbst (#35) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 23 | Zane Smith (#38) | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 24 | Cole Custer (#41) | Haas Factory Team (Chevrolet) |
| 25 | John Hunter Nemechek (#42) | Legacy Motor Club (Toyota) |
| 26 | Erik Jones (#43) | Legacy Motor Club (Toyota) |
| 27 | Tyler Reddick (#45) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 28 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#47) | Hyak Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 29 | Alex Bowman (#48) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 30 | Cody Ware (#51) | Rick Ware Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 31 | Ty Gibbs (#54) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 32 | Ryan Preece (#60) | RFK Racing (Ford) |
| 33 | Corey Heim (i) (#67) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 34 | Michael McDowell (#71) | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 35 | Carson Hocevar (#77) | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 36 | Jimmie Johnson (#84) | Legacy Motor Club (Toyota) |
| 37 | Connor Zilisch (#88) | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 38 | Kevin Magnussen (#91) | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 39 | Shane van Gisbergen (#97) | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
(i) = Ineligible for driver championship points.
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