Tracks Heartland Motorsports Park - Topeka, Kansas 1.1

[Tyrone - Nukedrop Mods]

Thank you again for creating this track which sadly is up for sale.

I was a freelance motorsports journalist and covered some amazing milestones at HPT while dodging sparkplugs on the starting line.

The Heartland Park 1/4-mile was where I saw the first funny car in the 4s as well as the first 300 mph F/C pass the same weekend -- Chuck Etchells and Chuck Eppler, respectively. I was privileged to meet my cousin Joe Ruttman for the first ever NASCAR Truck Series road race (it was more of an OFF road race at times.

It was at a Racers For Christ chapel service where I first witnessed the devotion of drag racing legend Eddie "the Thrill" Hill, his wife Ercie, and pit chief Fuzzy.

During an ASA race one year, my services were partially "commandeered" by a Western Auto PR man to document the race of Darrell Waltrip as much I was the pit road assistance of a certain executive's son.

My brother and dad left a certain amount of Michelon Pilot rubber from our Dodge Viper on the track surface during a track day there.

I attended the final NHRA event last fall with more than a tinge of nostalgia.

Thanks for sharing these fantastic stories