Heartland Motorsports Park

Heartland Motorsports Park, formerly known as Heartland Park Topeka, is a multi-purpose motorsports facility 8 miles (13 km) south of downtown Topeka, Kansas near the Topeka Regional Airport.

Heartland Motorsports Park

LocationTopeka, Kansas, USA
Time zoneGMT-6
Coordinates38°55′35.82″N 95°40′34.31″W
OwnerShelby Development, LLC
OperatorShelby Development, LLC
Address7530 SW Topeka Boulevard
Topeka, KS 66619
Opened1989
Major eventsNational Hot Rod Association
NHRA Heartland Nationals
Grand Prix Road Course
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.5 mi (4 km)
Turns14
Clay Oval
SurfaceClay
Length.375 mi (.6 km)
Turns4
Dragstrip
SurfaceAsphalt
Length.25 mi (.402 km)
Race lap record0:3.676 (Brittany Force, John Force Racing, 2016, NHRA Top Fuel Dragster)
Motocross track
SurfaceDirt
Websitehttp://heartlandmotorsports.us/

When it opened in 1989,[1] Heartland Motorsports Park was the first new auto racing facility to be built in the United States for 20 years. Its facilities include a road-race course with 4 possible configurations (ranging from 1.8 miles (2.9 km) to 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in length), a ⅜ mile clay oval, off-road course and a ¼ mile drag strip. After several years of neglect from continual financial difficulties, the track surface and other facilities had deteriorated badly. The track's survival was in doubt until 2003, when Raymond Irwin, former owner (2007) of Blackhawk Farms Raceway bought it and began major renovations.[1]

In December 2015, Chris Payne and Todd Crossley of Shelby Development, LLC.[2] purchased the track. Payne, the CEO of Shelby Development, became the track's sole owner in January 2017.[2]

The drag-strip is used by local clubs and the National Hot Rod Association. The road-course is mainly used by the SCCA, the National Auto Sport Association and marque-clubs. The track was the home of both the SCCA National Championship Runoffs and the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships from 2006 to 2008. In the past, it has hosted ARCA, ASA, IMSA, AMA, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' race: O'Reilly Auto Parts 275[1], NASCAR Busch North Series, NASCAR Midwest Series and the NASCAR Southeast Series.

The full 2.5 mile road course (and pit road) was completely repaved with a high-tech, polymer-enhanced asphalt in the fall of 2016 and hosted car, motorcycle and kart events in 2017.

References
  1. Peterson, Rick (May 25, 2003). "'Special times': Heartland Park has attracted racing legends". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Topeka, KS. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  2. The Topeka Capital-Journal, Payne becomes sole owner of Heartland Park Topeka by Kevin Haskin, January 26, 2017, Retrieved May 15, 2019.
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