When a machine built to break speed records rolls into town, local car fans, engineers, and history lovers have good reason to get excited. The world’s fastest stock car is making a special stop in Tullahoma this September as part of its national tour celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The impressive VA250 stock car, a hand-built, high-performance vehicle inspired by the iconic 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, recently set a groundbreaking land-speed record. In March 2026, professional driver Tommy Hurley pushed the machine down the historic NASA Shuttle Landing Facility runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reaching an astonishing top speed of 253 mph.

Under the hood lies serious mechanical power: a 358-cubic-inch naturally aspirated small-block V8 engine engineered to scream at nearly 9,500 RPMs while producing roughly 1,000 horsepower. Built on a modified 2006 Ronnie Hopkins stock car chassis, the vehicle’s body features a custom aerodynamic package tailored specifically for straight-line stability and minimal drag at high speeds.
Designed and crafted in Martinsville, Virginia, by legendary engine builder Joey Arrington, the son of NASCAR pioneer Buddy Arrington, the car stands as a tribute to American trade skills. Arrington built the record-breaking vehicle over nine months, collaborating with university engineering students who helped with data analysis, wind tunnel reviews, and airflow testing to turn this ambitious dream into reality.
As part of its “Speed Meets Heat Tour,” the red, white, and blue stock car will stop at Arnold Air Force Base on Sept. 10 at the Gossick Leadership Center from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. This event is open to the public. The following day, Sept. 11, it will visit the Hands-On Science Center in Tullahoma from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Visitors can meet Arrington and Hurley, explore interactive STEM exhibits, test their skills on a racing simulator, and enjoy live engine start-stop demonstrations. The tour aims to inspire future builders and scientists as the project gears up for its next big milestone: breaking 270 mph in 2027.
Event Sponsors: Amentum, Beyond New Horizons, PERIKIN Enterprises
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