Martinsville race car builder Joey Arrington will serve as Grand Marshal for the IMSA Michelin GT Challenge and Virginia Is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway Aug. 21-23, 2026.
Arrington built the VA250 Car, which Tommy Hurley of Ridgeway drove to a 253-mph Stock Car Land Speed Record March 23 at the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.
Arrington, Hurley and the record-setting car will return to Virginia for the VIR weekend as part of the 253 MPH: Speed Meets Heat Tour — The Road to 270.
Fans will be able to see the car, meet Arrington and Hurley, visit with members of the VA250 team and use the project’s “Be the Next Legend” racing simulators.
Arrington, the son of NASCAR independent racer Buddy Arrington, has spent more than five decades building engines and race cars in Southside Virginia.
“It’s incredibly special to bring this car and our team back to VIR,” Arrington said. “This is home for us. To be asked to serve as Grand Marshal while Tommy, the car and the entire VA250 team are here makes this weekend something I’ll never forget.”
