TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The International Hot Rod Association announced it has acquired Heartland Motorsports Park in the Capital City.

IHRA made the announcement on its website, citing its commitment to preserving motorsports history and reimaging legendary venues.

Over the years, the Heartland Motorsports Park hosted concerts and races, bringing millions in revenue to the county.

The property was put into the hands of Topeka 77 in 2024 after its previous owners, Shelby Developments tax dispute with the county.

IHRA’s vision is to honor the facility’s past while “positioning the property as a modern destination entertainment complex.”

IHRA’s owner made the following statement on their website:

IHRA hopes to extend Heartland Motorsports Park beyond competition weekends and plans to create a year-round destination, blending motorsports with entertainment and community engagement, such as:

• Revitalized drag racing operations with improved racer and fan amenities
• Expanded motorsports and special event programming
• Live music, concerts, and festival experiences
• Enhanced hospitality, vendor, and fan-experience areas
• Community-focused events designed to drive tourism and economic impact

IHRA said they plan to begin renovations immediately.

WIBW has reached out to GO Topeka for further details.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Copyright 2025 WIBW. All rights reserved.

Heartland Motorsports Park has been part of drag racing’s history for more than six decades, and now the Topeka, Kansas, facility is entering a new era. The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced it has acquired Heartland Motorsports Park, a move that signals both a deep respect for the track’s legacy and a forward-looking plan to expand what the property can be in today’s motorsports landscape.

Originally opened in 1963 as Topeka Dragway, the facility grew into what became known as Heartland Motorsports Park, one of the most versatile racing complexes in the country. Over the years, it’s hosted everything from drag racing to road racing, karting, motocross, and countless grassroots events.

With IHRA now at the helm, the goal is not to erase that history, but to build on it.

“Heartland Motorsports Park is one of those places that simply matters to racing,” said IHRA owner Darryl Cuttell. “It has history, soul, and a footprint that allows us to think bigger than just a racetrack. Our goal is to restore this facility with respect for its legacy while building something that serves racers, fans, and the community for generations.”

That “thinking bigger” is a key part of IHRA’s vision. Rather than focusing solely on race weekends, the association plans to transform Heartland into a year-round destination that blends motorsports with live entertainment and community-driven events. While drag racing remains at the core, IHRA is looking to expand the overall experience for racers, fans, and the surrounding region.

Planned improvements include revitalized drag racing operations with upgraded racer and fan amenities, expanded motorsports programming, and the addition of concerts, festivals, and special events. Enhanced hospitality areas, vendor space, and fan experience zones are also part of the long-term plan, along with community-focused events designed to boost tourism and economic impact in the Topeka area.

“Motorsports has to evolve to stay strong,” Cuttell said. “The future is about creating places where racing, music, entertainment, and community come together. Heartland has all the pieces to become one of the premier motorsports and entertainment destinations in the country.”

Renovation planning is already underway, with IHRA expected to release more details on redevelopment phases, event schedules, and community partnerships in the coming months.

Paramount among the opportunities is the newest of dates, the return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour slated for Saturday, May 2, 2026. Additionally, August 28-30 have been set as the dates for the 53rd annual Oxford 250, while Wednesday and Thursday, July 1 and 2 will see the running of the third annual Celebration of America 300.

The traditional season-ending PASS 400 weekend will leap up the calendar a few weeks and be run in late September. Another visit for the PASS North Super Late Models has been set for August 9, as have multiple dates for the New England Supermodified Series (NESS) and Kennebec Equipment Rental PASS Mod Touring Series.

“Since the NASCAR Modified Tour announcement, I have received a ton of interest in how to get involved,” said OPS marketing director Kevin Varney. “We also wanted to make sure these events were not exclusive to just big partners. We tried to put together something for any budget to get involved with the NASCAR Modifieds, the COA, the Oxford 250, or really any event we run at OPS or on one of the PASS tours.”

Note: The Penske Entertainment editorial staff is looking back at the five biggest moments of 2025 in INDY NXT by Firestone in this year-end series, with one installment appearing on the site per day in countdown fashion from Dec. 27-31.

Myles Rowe ended the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone season in style, scoring a commanding victory in the season finale Aug. 31 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Rowe led 20 of 65 laps to earn his second career win in the INDYCAR development series – both coming during a breakout 2025 season.

That feat marked a satisfying conclusion to a year defined by growth and resilience. ABEL Motorsports originally signed Rowe following a difficult rookie INDY NXT campaign with HMD Motorsports/Force Indy in 2024, when he went winless in 14 starts despite entering the series as the reigning USF Pro 2000 champion.

In 2025, he rewarded ABEL’s confidence by delivering two wins in his final six races, providing a timely boost to his upward trajectory.

Winning once – his breakthrough July 12 triumph at Iowa Speedway – would have been meaningful on its own. Winning twice made a stronger statement.

“It’s nice when the results start to match what you believe in your heart,” Rowe said.

Rowe’s rise has been anything but typical. After beginning in karting, he advanced to the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series in 2017 and 2018, but financial limitations forced him to step away in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated sponsorship prospects, and Rowe shifted his focus to photography while attending Pace University, unsure if he would ever return to racing.

That changed with the launch of Penske Entertainment’s Race for Equality & Change initiative in 2020, which created new pathways for minorities and women in motorsports. From that effort, Force Indy was established. In 2021, Rod Reid – founder of NXG Youth Motorsports – offered Rowe a lifeline with a USF2000 opportunity.

Rowe seized it, becoming the first Black driver to win a race in the series with a breakthrough victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He remained in USF2000 in 2022 with Pabst Racing, while Force Indy moved up to INDY NXT. Rowe delivered five wins that season and finished just six points short of the championship, placing second to Michael d’Orlando.

His ascent continued in 2023 with Pabst and continued Force Indy support in USF Pro 2000. Five more wins secured the title and made Rowe the first Black driver to win a North American open-wheel championship.

That achievement earned him a career enhancement scholarship to step up to INDY NXT in 2024. But his rookie year proved challenging, as he finished 11th in the standings. In 2025, he rebounded convincingly with six podium finishes, including an impressive 2.5 average finish across four oval starts. He added three podiums on road and street circuits, underscoring his versatility.

Rowe returns to ABEL Motorsports in 2026, aiming for the championship.

Lando Norris crowned a breakthrough season in 2025 by claiming his first Formula One world title, bringing Max Verstappen’s four-year reign to an end and ushering in a new era for the sport.

Whether the McLaren driver can repeat the feat remains the looming question.

The championship was anything but straightforward.

At 26, Norris turned a long-held dream into reality through a season of sharp swings, victories mixed with costly errors and cruel misfortune in a tense three-way fight for supremacy.

Even as he celebrated edging Red Bull’s Verstappen by two points and beating Australian teammate Oscar Piastri by 13, Norris acknowledged the triumph might yet prove fleeting.

Formula One, set to grow to 11 teams with the arrival of Cadillac, is heading toward a seismic reset next season, with a new generation of engines and the biggest technical overhaul in decades.

The usual contenders are expected to remain competitive, but nobody truly knows who will be ahead in 2026.

McLaren’s first title double since 1998

“It could be my only opportunity in my life that I get to do such a thing,” Norris said of running the champion’s No. 1 on his car next season.

“I have a lot of faith in my team, and we’ve achieved a lot in the last few years together. I’m confident we will achieve a lot more together. But Formula One is unpredictable. You never know how much things can change. You never know what can happen.”

McLaren have now won two straight constructors’ titles and this year completed the drivers’ and teams’ title double for the first time since 1998.

While Norris and Piastri were the only drivers to lead the standings, and the Briton was a deserving champion, Verstappen produced some of the season’s standout moments with one of the great comebacks in the sport’s 75-year history.

“Championships are important, but they do not tell the whole story. Sometimes the best driver does not win the title,” said Damon Hill, who dethroned Ferrari great Michael Schumacher to claim the 1996 crown.

Verstappen was at times in a league of his own against a backdrop of upheaval at Red Bull, who fired team principal Christian Horner in July and said farewell to consultant Helmut Marko in December.

The Dutch driver went from 104 points behind Piastri at the end of August to 11 ahead at the checkered flag and said it was probably the best he has driven in Formula One, a striking assessment from someone who won a record 19 of 22 races in 2023.

Verstappen won more, Piastri led longer

Norris did not win the most races or lead the championship the longest. Verstappen took eight victories, including the final three of the season, while the two McLaren drivers finished with seven wins apiece.

Piastri topped the standings from April through the end of October.

The Australian is expected to be even more determined in 2026 after a steep learning curve that at one stage appeared likely to crown him Australia’s first world champion in 45 years.

Mercedes, who power McLaren and whose factory team finished runners-up with two wins from George Russell, could also pose a much stronger challenge.

The last time the sport underwent a major engine change, in 2014, Mercedes embarked on a run of eight consecutive constructors’ titles.

Ferrari, winless and without a championship since 2008, will be under pressure to deliver after seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton failed to reach the podium in a disappointing first season at Maranello.

Next season will also feature the first Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin, Verstappen racing a Red Bull powered by the energy drink company’s own engine in partnership with Ford, and Audi replacing Sauber.

Frenchman Isack Hadjar joins Verstappen at Red Bull after an impressive rookie season with Racing Bulls that included his first podium at the Dutch Grand Prix.

How the 21-year-old measures up, as Verstappen’s fourth teammate since the end of 2024, will be another compelling storyline when the season opens in Australia on March 8.

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