Decked out and shining in red, white, and blue, the VA250 Car speeds down the runway at Cape Canaveral, colors flying at a record-breaking 253 miles per hour. Records were broken, and innovations were brought to life. But the story of this legendary car, a 1,000 HP Dodge Daytona-inspired stock car, is about more than just speed—it’s about collaboration and building America in Virginia.
The Wheels of a Dream
At the intersection of the past and innovation sits the VA250 Car Project—it’s built on a dream of beating the record for the fastest stock car speed. It stands as a symbol of what this country has done, and what it will continue to do: make history.
The VA250 Car was built in Martinsville, home of the famed Martinsville Speedway, a NASCAR track. The car hit the road with perfect timing to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial. From August to October, the car will travel by trailer on a cross-country trip from Virginia to Texas for its “253 MPH: Speed Meets Heat Tour,” with plenty of stops along the way at festivals, fairs, motorsports events, military installations, educational institutions, and community gatherings.
The VA250 Commission and the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission viewed the car as an opportunity to boost economic development for Virginia. “They wanted to show the amazing things that are still built in the state of Virginia,” says Christopher Dorm, head of marketing and public relations for the VA250 stock car.
Once the idea was conceived, visions and plans were formed, starting with the collaboration between two lifelong friends: Danny Turner, former mayor of Martinsville, and Joey Arrington, the car’s primary engineer.
“Virginians played a very big role in securing our independence, and this car project is a chance for Virginia, where the Revolutionary War ended, to shine,” says Turner. Arrington, the builder of the previous record-holding car, was determined to make history again, and, with the help of some fundraising thanks to Turner, raced into smooth success.
“Danny’s certainly one of the strongest cheerleaders I’ve ever been around,” says Arrington. After growing up in and around the racing world, Arrington felt right at home working on the car. “Showcasing something like this was new for me, and I knew I had to build this car to be able to achieve one of my dreams.”
Motorsports and Motor-smarts
The VA250 Car wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the University of Virginia’s motorsports team and students of the UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Nived Sanjay, mechanical engineering student at UVA, and one of the university’s motorsports team members, explains the crux of their involvement: wind tunnels. A crucial step in testing a race car’s aerodynamics. “We are extremely happy with and proud of the results—253 miles per hour is an incredible record, and we’re thrilled to have been a part of making it happen,” Sanjay says.
Over the course of troubleshooting, numerous engineers put their brains together to break this record and carry the legacy of Virginia manufacturing.
Ensuring the car would be built for both speed and safety was a process of many interlinked parts, and Ben Long, the team’s manufacturing lead, gave insight into navigating the build from a more systemic point of view.
“Testing and troubleshooting the car was an iterative process,” says Long. “We manufacture or bolt together an assembly, test how it works on the car, identify issues, and then make improvements, which usually include remaking a component. Sometimes the problem comes from the design, sometimes from the manufacturing toolpaths themselves, and sometimes from how different parts interact with each other. This has taught me how important it is to not just make a part, but to understand how that part functions in the entire car and apply that to tolerances and general accuracy of manufacturing.”
All participants beamed with pride as they watched the car fly down the runway. “It was a really, really happy day, and it was very, very fulfilling. This project had the biggest fun factor, and once the car was put together, it was just flawless,” Arrington says.
“I feel proud of the final product because it represents a huge amount of work from the whole team,” says Long. “So many hours and sleepless nights have been put into this, and we have an amazing group of smart and dedicated people who put their heart and soul into this experiment,” Long adds.
A Broader Story
Inside the cars’ trailer, viewers can also sign the “Danny’s Wall of Hope,” an inspirational memorial to cancer survivors and patients across America.
“As we developed the project, I found out I had stage four small-cell lymphoma,” says Turner. “One of the goals I had was to get the car out there and set this record while I was still alive. Getting up and being able to be involved was probably the only thing that held me together during this time. Thankfully, I got help from the American Cancer Society and great treatment from the hospital here in Martinsville—and it worked. I hope my story might motivate somebody and that the VA250 car can help rally cancer survivors everywhere in America.” Using QR codes inside the trailer, people can give back to the American Cancer Society and sign the trailer’s walls.
“The goal is to use the car as a platform to tell a broader Virginia story—showcasing Virginia engineering, innovation, manufacturing, motorsports heritage, STEM education, and the people who helped make this mission possible,” says Dorm. “Whether people come to see a world-record race car, learn about engineering, meet Joey Arrington, or experience Danny’s Wall of Hope, the project is continuing to evolve into something much larger than a single record-setting run.”
To learn more about the VA250 Car Project and where to see the car with your own eyes, visit VA250CarProject.com.
Photos courtesy of Bell Digital Agency. This article is a Virginia Living digital exclusive.
