To the dismay of many, Heartland Motorsports Park announced the cease of all operations and its permanent closure in October 2023 due to what racetrack owner Chris Payne of Shelby Development LLC called an an overwhelming tax burden.  In 2015, Payne revamped the once bank-owned, nearly closed facility and turned it into a premier motorsports and entertainment venue that hosted the NHRA Kansas Nationals annually since its inception in 1989. A dispute with the county over the raceway’s appraisal value began in 2019. As of April of 2023, public records showed that over $2.6 million dollars in delinquent property taxes were owed to Shawnee County.

After exhausting all options through appeals in an 11-count lawsuit against Shawnee County, Payne’s intention to close the racing facility has come to fruition. The 620-acre facility has officially been listed on the commercial real estate market, offered by CBRE and Kansas Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc. Unlike many other closed raceways, lost to redevelopment plans with no intention to continue racing related activities, this parcel is being marketed as a “prized sports and entertainment facility that could be operated in the near terms as a racing and festival facility while pursuing a development and redevelopment of the park for light industrial use.”

The listing also includes the details of the state-of-the art concrete dragstrip, premiere road course and 23-acre autocross/drifting area, also used as campsites during large events. It goes on to describe the facility as the pinnacle of entertainment operations — a single facility that hosts one of the largest variety of events in the world.

At this point in time, the way the property is being marketed could allow the potential for a motorsports investor to swoop in and save the day, continuing the long legacy of Heartland Motorsports Park into the future. Inquiries to the investment brokers regarding the listing price have gone unanswered. However, a third-party appraised the property value at $9.05 million as of February 2022.

While the future of the raceway remains uncertain, an auction of all racetrack equipment and assets, including tractors, bleachers, memorabilia and much more, is set to commence on December 20^th with multiple auction rings scheduled. However, race fans in the Kansas City area won’t have to wait long to get back on track. Located just under two hours to the east of Heartland Motorsports Park, Flying H Dragstrip, located in Odessa, Missouri is set to open in 2024, which comes as an addition to the existing I-70 Motorsports Park. As the door for Heartland Motorsports Park remains barely cracked, a new door opens wide for a brand-new facility that will host a variety of events, including a stop for the NHRA Mission Foods series tour, in 2024.