Heartland Park Topeka was designed as a versatile motorsports complex featuring multiple distinct racing surfaces. Its road course offered four possible configurations ranging from 1.8 to 2.5 miles (2.9 to 4.0 km) in length, providing options for different classes and series. The campus also included a 3/8-mile (0.6 km) clay oval, an off-road course, and a quarter-mile (0.4 km) drag strip. The variety of surfaces made the facility unusual in its ability to host a wide range of motorsport disciplines simultaneously.
The facility opened in 1989, breaking a two-decade drought in new American track construction. For much of its early history it hosted a broad spectrum of events, attracting major national series to Topeka.
However, the track struggled financially for many years. Repeated financial difficulties led to neglect, and by the early 2000s the track surface and ancillary facilities had deteriorated badly, raising serious questions about its long-term viability.
Recovery began in 2003, when Raymond Irwin — former owner of Blackhawk Farms Raceway from 1986 to 2007 — purchased the facility and initiated major renovations. Irwin's investment stabilized the circuit and returned it to competitive use.
In December 2015, Chris Payne and Todd Crossley of Shelby Development, LLC purchased the track. Payne, the company's CEO, became the sole owner in January 2017. His ownership group subsequently acquired Kansas City International Raceway and I-70 Speedway in 2018, designating them as sister tracks under the same management structure.
In the fall of 2016, the full 2.5-mile road course and pit road were completely repaved with a high-tech, polymer-enhanced asphalt, bringing the road course surface up to modern standards.
The road course at Heartland Park Topeka served as a venue for the SCCA National Championship Runoffs and the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships from 2006 to 2008, establishing it as a prominent facility on the national amateur racing calendar. The circuit was also regularly used by the National Auto Sport Association and various marque clubs.
On the professional side, the facility hosted numerous major series over its lifetime including ARCA, ASA, IMSA, and the American Motorcyclist Association. NASCAR's presence was significant: the track hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race known as the O'Reilly Auto Parts 275, along with events from the NASCAR Winston West Series, NASCAR Midwest Series, and NASCAR Southeast Series.
The drag strip attracted events from the National Hot Rod Association as well as local clubs, while the clay oval and off-road facilities served regional events throughout the facility's operating years.
On July 28, 2023, it was announced that due to tax disputes between the track owners and Shawnee County, the final running of the NHRA Nationals would be held August 11–13, 2023. On September 19, 2023, the track announced it would be shutting down completely, ending over three decades of operation.
On December 30, 2025, the International Hot Rod Association announced that it had purchased the track and was planning to reopen it, with the facility expected to resume operations in 2026.
Heartland Park Topeka represented a significant moment in American motorsports infrastructure when it opened as the first newly constructed racing facility in the country in two decades. Its multi-discipline layout made it an unusual and versatile venue, capable of hosting everything from road racing to drag racing to motorcycle events under one roof. The track's turbulent financial history — despite multiple ownership changes and substantial infrastructure investment — illustrated the challenges of sustaining a large-scale motorsports facility in a competitive market, and its planned reopening under IHRA ownership suggests continued interest in its potential.