MHC is the past, present and future of motorsports.
We have oldest race track on the NASCAR circuit in the Martinsville Speedway, and we have the newest speed record ever set for a stock car in the VA 250 Car.
The VA 250 Car, lately nicknamed the “Martinsville Missile,” is a 1969 Dodge Daytona Charger built by Joey Arrington. On Monday, Tommy Hurley of Ridgeway drove it to 253 mph at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Cape Canaveral.
Hurley reached the target speed of 250 mph in just 34 seconds, then hit 253. Then he fired twin parachutes from the back of the Martinsville Missile to slow the car down.
The record is expected to be certified by the International Hot Rod Association after officials receive the data from the GPS speed measuring tracking device.
The VA 250 Car celebrates the 250th anniversary of our nation and our commonwealth by reaching and exceeding 250 miles per hour. Its patriotic red, white and blue wrap was created by Lex Hairston of StreeTribe Designs.
The Martinsville Speedway was formed in 1947. NASCAR was formed in 1949, and of course, had the Martinsville Speedway as one of its original race tracks. We beat NASCAR by 2 years.
Our area’s rich history of motorsports and the thrill of speed bring our community together, no matter the political leanings. The Virginia Motorsports Caucus is a bipartisan group in the 2026 General Assembly session which has come together to tackle – and overcome – mounting challenges that face motorsports in Virginia.
The first meeting of the Virginia Motorsports Caucus was held March 12 in Richmond. Chaired by Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, and Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Bristol, the group included representatives from raceways and other stakeholders.
The caucus follows a national “Right to Race” movement that aims to keep intrusions and impediments from hampering racing. One of its points is that neighborhoods that were built around or near a race track after the race track already had been established should not be complaining about noise or traffic from races.
Motorsports is a big deal in Virginia, and benefits residents across the board, PRI (Performance Racing Industry) states: Motorsports generates $907 million in economic output annually, supports 5,555 jobs, provides $262.15 million in wages and benefits and contributes almost $110 in state and local taxes.
But you didn’t need PRI to tell you that. If you work in Martinsville or Henry County, you very well may feel that positive impact twice a year – the spring and fall races – or more.
The MHC Heritage Museum at 1 E. Main St., where I am the director, certainly benefits from the races, as race fans from all over visit our museum in the days leading up to the race. They add to our attendance numbers, they pay admission and they stuff bills into our donation box. Then they head out to spend money at area restaurants, gas stations and lodgings.
Local residents and out-of-towners alike have enjoyed our new exhibits which include “From Stills to Speed: The History of Motorsports.” This exhibit has artifacts and information on a wide range of racing matters. Lex Hairston coordinated its creation.
Those who love racing get a kick out of the variety of items and the remembrances of key events, such as the Allison-Yarborough fight at the 1979 Daytona 500 which, combined with the first time a race was shown in its entirety on TV and during a weekend of heavy snow when people were stuck at home watching TV, made the 1979 Daytona 500 the turning point which made NASCAR into a sport of national interest. What I’m even more proud of, though, is that the scope of the information and the way it’s presented helps people who don’t know anything about racing understand the phenomenon so that they, too, can enjoy the race.
This exhibit also is the first and only time – so far – that the local key players and local race tracks are listed and described, all in one place. It also honors racing photographers Mike Paris, Mike Wray and the late T. Taylor Warren.
Of course, it also has a section on Joey Arrington and record-breaking VA 250 Car. Here’s how the records have climbed:
· 1908, a Ford Model T went around 40 to 45 mph top speed
· 1949, Bob Fleck reached 67.9 mph in the first NASCAR race at the old Charlotte Speedway
· 1970, 200 mph, Buddy Baker at Talladega
· 1971, 216 mph, Bobby Isaac in a Dodge Charger Daytona at the Bonneville Salt Flats
· 1987, 212.809 mph, Bill Elliot in actual NASCAR racing at Talladega, still the fastest lap by a Cup car under race conditions
· 2022, Ross Chastain reached 130 mph in Turns 3 & 4 at the Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR’s most exciting track because of its tight turns
· 007, 244.9 mph, Russ Wicks in Joey Arrington’s modified Dodge Charger at the Bonneville Salt Flats
· Monday, March 23, 2026, 253 mph, Tommy Hurley in Joey Arrington’s VA 250 Car.
Martinsville-Henry County is everything racing, from the history – the first speedway – to the future, the VA 250 Car Martinsville Missile.
What next?
