At the 2026 Veterans Race Car Derby in Memphis, a miniature blue racer named “Surfin’ USA” took home four awards: Best Design, Best Funny Car, Most Unique, and People’s Choice. The car shared the track with 20 other handcrafted entries, giving this year’s event a full-sized field of creative contenders.
VA Memphis says participants spent eight weeks designing, building, and tuning their miniature cars at Monday Recreation Therapy gatherings. On September 11, the 21 vehicles lined the track at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center. VA Memphis Healthcare System Executive Director Edward Payton released the first cars onto the track to begin the annual derby.
The results board had plenty of personality. “Surfin’ USA” collected four honors, David McNeal’s “Blue Thunder” repeated as Best Paint, and the other winning names included “Ice, Ice Baby,” “Dallas Runner,” “USS Nick,” and “Let’s Do This.” McNeal was taking part for the third year, and the Best Paint repeat put a neat bow on the title defense he had planned.
Rita Raccoon, Hilarious News’s mischievous oddities reporter, appreciates a good results board. This one gave a tiny blue car four lines of it, alongside categories that celebrated design, humor, paint, sports themes, patriotism, originality, and the crowd’s favorite.
The event grows from the weekly workshop as much as from the race itself. The VA describes Recreation Therapy as a way for Veterans to explore activities and connect with others. At these sessions, participants traded ideas about design, weight, and performance while building their cars together across eight Mondays.
That means the derby’s final lap is only part of the story: a shared project, 21 homebuilt cars, and an award slate that makes room for a Best Funny Car. VA Memphis has the 2026 Derby Day results and program details.