photo credit nhra/national dragster

With more race tracks closing than opening in the United States, any scrap of positive news is important. The future of Heartland Park Topeka has been in question for some time due to financial and political strife but the situation looks to be getting better. After some legal wrangling, the city of Topeka is making moves to keep the track viable and operating well into the future.

Early this fall when the track’s struggles became public, a group of citizens led by Chris Imming tried to put a measure on the ballot to limit the city’s ability to fund the future of the track. The city filed a suit against the petition and a local judge ruled against it, allowing plans for the track to move forward.

A meeting was held last Monday to reveal more detailed plans to acquire the track and allow for STAR bonds to be used in redevelopment of the area around the track.  The city’s plan would help chip away at the 10 million dollars in debt by using the track’s estimated 17 million dollars in sales tax revenue.

An important part of the purchase plan is the city’s ability to find a qualified party to purchase or manage Heartland Park Topeka.  Currently the city is taking applications from interested parties that can demonstrate their ability to sustainably grow the operations of the drag strip, road course, and dirt track that are on the property. As of right now the city has five different parties that are interested and submitted proposals to lease or purchase the track.  If all goes according to the city’s plan — and at this time it appears that it will —  the track will remain open and racers will have a place to get their quarter mile fix.