Thread: Heartland Park Topeka

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I got an email today from Heartland Park about an online auction. They were shut down when the city of Topeka demanded $500,000 in taxes. That's a shame as it was great track with a great bite.
Fortunately,for me anyway, there's a new track about 30 miles or so east of KC and it will cut about an hour or so off the drive time.

Chris Payne has been battling with Shawnee County for years about the tax valuation for the Heartland Park property. He's finally to the point that the property and all amenities are being auctioned.
the Flying H Dragstrip broke ground at the I-70 Motorsports Park in May, and was expected to be complete by October. It joined the NHRA Member Track Network at that time and upon completion the quarter-mile Flying H Dragstrip will offer top-tier amenities and be a premier dragstrip in the Kansas City area. Sad to see Heartland go, but the new I-70 Motorsports Park should be a good venue.

How many owners have there been? The first trip to Topeka was in 95 when they held the race in September. That worked fine until there were a couple of rain outs in a row. They moved to Memorial Day weekend and that worked much better until someone new took over and about run the place into the ground. He eliminated most of the camping and moved the pit side parking in the grass by the tower and after that I quit going.
I was there last year, but missed this year
Sorry to see it go.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

How many owners have there been?....

Ken, I don't know who built it for the '89 opening, but it was the first new track in 20 years and had a road course that could be arranged several ways, a clay oval, an off road course and the drag strip. That was probably too much, too fast because after several years the place was becoming neglected and needed help. A guy that owned another big facility, Ray Irwin, bought it in '03 and put a bunch of money in it. He sold to Chris Payne & Tim Crossley, who were Shelby Development LLC, in 2015 and Chris Payne became sole owner in 2017. Chris Payne also bought KCIR and I70 Speedway several years ago. KCIR was sold to real estate developers, and the speedway was renamed I70 Motorsports Park, adding the Flying H Dragstrip. So 3 owners, with Tim Crossley falling awayl leaving Chris sole owner.

That really stinks. If I remember correctly when we were there in 20010 it was closing, and they planned on it never re opening then. It's a beautiful facility and will be sad to have it go away. My first ever top fuel event I attended was there. Hopefully the I70 track can stay open. So many tracks are closing. How about Bandimere?

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

That really stinks. If I remember correctly when we were there in 20010 it was closing, and they planned on it never re opening then. It's a beautiful facility and will be sad to have it go away. My first ever top fuel event I attended was there. Hopefully the I70 track can stay open. So many tracks are closing. How about Bandimere?

Bandimere is closed as well, though there was talk of the family building a new strip in a different location.
There is an open date, July 12-14, on this tears schedule which I hope will be filled by the new strip in Qdessa, Mo.