San Diego, CA, June 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
- ABB NASCAR Grid Control gives fans a real-time peek into race control and operational sustainability – first for the sport
- Activation enabled by NASCAR, ABB and partners powering NASCAR San Diego Weekend via temporary microgrid system and without reliance on local energy grid
- Off-grid energy management system delivers energy usage data showcased in ABB NASCAR Grid Control as a key part of NASCAR IMPACT sustainability goals
ABB, the Official Electrification Partner of NASCAR, today announced the launch of ABB NASCAR Grid Control – a new fan experience that gives racegoers a first-ever look into the world of NASCAR’s race control and operational sustainability efforts. The new technology debuts at NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril, June 19-21, where the league will power the street race from a temporary network of microgrids designed for energy reliability, savings and transparency without reliance on the local utility grid.
ABB NASCAR Grid Control
Located in the general admission fan zone, ABB NASCAR Grid Control is a 20-by-8-by-18-foot glass pod outfitted with 11 live video feeds and data dashboards that give race aficionados unprecedented insight into the inner-workings of a NASCAR race weekend.
“ABB NASCAR Grid Control is the visible nerve center for racetrack and operational sustainability efforts,” said Chris Shigas, ABB Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. “We’re showing how this network of microgrids is not only innovative for a NASCAR race, but a model for how major sporting events, concerts and festivals can operate without straining local utilities and power grids.”
For the first time in NASCAR history, fans get a peek into the technology behind NASCAR Race Control, which is the central hub monitoring and officiating all on-track activities across the league’s national series. Inside ABB NASCAR Grid Control, racegoers can step into the role of NASCAR engineers and officials with an unprecedented simulcast of what they see in NASCAR Race Control, like cutting-edge telemetry technology, live data streams, advanced analytics and more used to analyze competition metrics and manage scoring of the race. While NASCAR engineers will be available to engage with fans inside the ABB NASCAR Grid Control fan experience, official monitoring, calls and scoring will be done in Official NASCAR Race Control.
ABB NASCAR Grid Control also features real-time energy and carbon performance dashboards, enabled by the off-grid ABB management system and intelligent asset monitoring solutions, providing real-time tracking of event operations. Efforts support NASCAR IMPACT, of which ABB is a founding member, and its goal of achieving net zero operating emissions by 2035.
“Tracking energy usage is essential to reducing our operational carbon emissions,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief IMPACT Officer. “We know that providing temporary event power is one of NASCAR’s carbon-intensive activities. Now, using ABB’s energy management technology at a major race like this, we can get more granular, zone-specific usage data to understand the impact of new energy strategies.”
Fans visiting ABB NASCAR Grid Control will see the following data, reported publicly in real-time for the first time via ABB CogniEN™ and ABB Sensorfact™ Smart Monitoring Sensors technology:
- Total Carbon Savings: Emissions avoided during the event
- Zone-Specific Energy Optimizations: Generator fuel and carbon savings for four key areas, including the fan experience, operations compound, grandstands and hospitality suites
- Hybrid Performance: Reduction in diesel runtime made possible by advanced energy storage utilization
Off-Grid Energy Management
Held at Naval Base Coronado, NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril will run without reliance on the local utility grid. Working with ABB, NASCAR created its own temporary energy supply to power the race and weekend activities, like pit road, the fan experience and behind-the-scenes operations.
The energy supply system features a network of microgrids similar to the local energy grid and optimized with a hybrid energy strategy, combining Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) with traditional diesel generators. These hybrid systems rely on BESS as the primary source of energy with the diesel generator only turning on for 2-3 hours a day to charge the battery, instead of running 24 hours a day, reducing fuel use and emissions.
Also, Suburban Propane, the San Diego Weekend Official Renewable Propane Partner, will power event concessions and the generators powering EV chargers available to attendees with renewable propane.
ABB technology integrated across the system tracks electricity and fuel usage for adjustments to event operations in real-time.
- ABB CogniEN™ engineered-to-suit software platform enables NASCAR to track energy and carbon performance of different energy strategies, such as the use of BESS and generator hybrids versus a 100% diesel generator strategy.
- ABB Sensorfact™ Smart Monitoring Sensors track energy consumption and performance, using wireless sensors and cloud-based monitoring. This flexible, simple solution can monitor temporary or permanent power; and can operate as a standalone system or integrate with other management platforms, like ABB CogniEN™.
- ABB SACE® Tmax XT Circuit Breakers and ReliaGear® OEM neXT Power Panelboards enable OEMs to create flexible, relocatable, and fast-deployable temporary power distribution solutions for building the NASCAR San Diego Qualcomm Circuit from the ground-up in one week.
- ABB ReliaGear® XFMR, with a new infrared (IR) viewing window, allows NASCAR to test equipment while energized – critical for equipment operating in the high-stress, high-vibration conditions associated with relocatable power applications.
- Zone-specific monitoring of various event areas, like the fan experience and grandstands, delivers targeted insights critical to optimizing real-time and future energy usage.
Designed for reliability, energy savings and transparency, this approach serves as a blueprint for future high-stakes, constrained event environments while progressing NASCAR IMPACT goals, including helping operations become more efficient and burn less generator fuel.
ABB NASCAR Electrification Innovation Partnership
Launched in 2024 with the unveiling of the ABB NASCAR EV Prototype, the ABB NASCAR Electrification Innovation Partnership explores high-performance electric racing and creates strategic opportunities for electrification in motorsports, including events, infrastructure, race vehicles and energy education.
NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril attendees can experience the ABB NASCAR EV Prototype, which will be parked next to ABB NASCAR Grid Control in the fan zone. ABB is celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary with a coast-to-coast tour of the EV showcasing current and future electrification and automation innovations that will accelerate America for the next 250 years. Visit abb.com for more information.
About ABB
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com