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— Around here, the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is a lot more than cars turning left.
It is one of those weekends that somehow manages to squeeze a whole community into one place — racing fans, families, fairgoers, businesses, longtime locals and visitors who may have come for one reason but end up enjoying several.
At the center of it all is Martinsville Speedway — the place that put this community on the map for racing fans around the world.
But the ValleyStar 300 weekend also shines a spotlight on another homegrown success story.
ValleyStar Credit Union traces its roots to Martinsville and the DuPont community, growing from a local financial institution into a major regional credit union while maintaining those hometown connections.
Then there is the Henry County Fair.
Produced by Henry County Parks and Recreation Chief Roger Adams and his team, the fair has become something of a well-oiled machine — offering big-name entertainment, rides, food, exhibits and plenty of family fun without requiring families to take out a second mortgage just to attend.
And apparently, somebody remembered that a fair is supposed to be affordable.
The entire midway is sponsored by Sarver Properties, another local business helping make the weekend possible and keeping the community atmosphere alive.
Then, of course, there is the racing.
And if anyone thought the ValleyStar 300 was going to be a quiet night of cars politely following one another around the track, they clearly haven't been paying attention.
The racing delivered exactly what Martinsville fans have come to expect — competition, contact, comers and goers, and enough mayhem to keep the grandstands interested.
In fact, the action in the ValleyStar 300 often seems to provide more entertainment than races several levels higher on the NASCAR ladder.
That's part of the Martinsville charm.
It doesn't need to be the biggest race on the calendar to produce some of the biggest moments.
Put it all together and the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 weekend becomes something uniquely Martinsville — a successful hometown financial institution, a world-famous racetrack, a county fair, local businesses, local government, families and racing fans all sharing the same weekend.
It is commerce, entertainment, tradition and community spirit rolled into one.
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